Abstract
Rice zinc nutrition is very sensitive and its deficiency can reduce yield without showing any obvious visible symptom. Rice genotypes greatly differ in their Zn efficiency or the ability of cultivars to give better yield under conditions of Zn deficient solution culture. A glass house experiment was conducted to evaluate rice genotypes grown under tropical conditions for Zn use efficiency. Ten rice genotypes were selected for determination of their Zn efficiency by using a modified Yoshida rice culture solution. Three Zn concentrations (0.007, 0.035, and 3.5 g L-1) were used and each treatment was replicated six times. The crop was harvested at 44 days after transplanting. Zinc efficiency in ten selected rice genotypes ranged from 45.42 to 87.40% and the genotypes differed significantly in dry matter yield of shoot, root and their components. Based on dry matter yield, Seri Malaysia Dua, MR 106, and Kadaria genotypeswere the most Zn efficient; while Jaya, MRQ 74, MR 211 and Bahagia were found to be the most Zn inefficient rice genotypes and MR 219, MR 220 and MR 185 genotypes showed intermediate levels of Zn efficiency.
