Split application of potassium on rice (Oryza sativa) in coastal zone of West Bengal

A field experiment was conducted to study the response of 2 high-yielding r ice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties, 'IET 1444' ('Rasi') and 'IET 4094' ('Khiti sh') of different duration, to split application of potassium vis-a-vis cus tomary full dose of 60 kg K2O/ha as basal during the rainy season of 1997 a nd 1998 on silty clay soils. Split application of potassium was significant ly superior, giving up to 14.47% higher yield to its application only as ba sal dose. An additional return up to Rs 501.00/ha was obtained from the dif ferent treatments consisting of different time of potassium application, th e most economic treatment being the one, where half of the potassium was ap plied at transplanting and remaining hall either at panicle-initiation stag e (var. 'IET 1444') or in 2 equal splits at tillering and panicle-initiatio n stage (var. 'IET 4094') synchronizing with 1 split dose of nitrogen.