Zinc and nitrogen interaction in wheat grown in limed and unlimed acid alfisol

A green house experiment was conducted to study the interaction effect of Zn and N in wheat (S-308). Zinc was applied as ZnSO₄.7H₂O at 0, 5, 10 and 20 mg per kg, and nitrogen as urea at 0, 75 and 150 mg per kg. In the absence of added N and lime 5 mg Zn per kg increased the grain, straw and root weight, but the application of either N (75 and 150 mg per kg) or lime (4000 mg CaCO₃ per kg), 10 mg Zn per kg responded significantly. However, when N and lime were added together, 20 mg Zn per kg increased the grain, straw and root weight significantly. Irrespective of Zn and N, the grain, straw and root weights were higher in limed that in unlimed soils.The application of N increased the Zn concentration in wheat tops and roots in unlimed soils, and decreased it in limed soils. However, because of an increase in wheat yield, the uptake of Zn by wheat tops and roots also increased with N application both in limed and unlimed soils. The addition of Zn to 10 mg per kg, increased the N concentration in the absence of N, but in the presence of N, the addition of Zn to 20 mg per kg decreased the N concentration in wheat tops and roots. The applied Zn to 10 mg per kg in unlimed soils and to 20 mg per kg in limed soils increased the N uptake by wheat tops and roots, respectively. The Zn concentration was higher in absence of lime than in its presence while a reverse trend was true for N concentration.