RESPONSE OF RICE PLANT GROWN ON NEWLY RECLAIMED SALINE SOIL TO A MIXTURE OF CHELATED FE, MN AND ZN APPLIED BY DIFFERENT METHOD AND RATES

Two field experiments were carried out on a newly reclaimed saline soil during two successive summer seasons (2007 and 2008) at Sahl El-Hossinia , El-Sharkia Governorate , Egypt .The aim is to test the response of rice to applied chelated Fe, Mn and Zn in the form of EDTA. Application comprised three different methods; coating, soaking and foliar spray.In the coating method application of each nutrient was at a rate of 0.1,0.2,0.3g/Kg grains. For soaking and foliar application, these elements were applied at 150,250,350 mg/Kg grains. Soaking was performed in 100L and lasted for 24 hours. However, these nutrients were sprayed at a rate of 200L/fed.The yield and its components as well as the content and the uptake of macro and micronutrients of rice grain (Oryza- Sativa) Cv. Giza 178 were appraised. Results revealed that applying micronutrients by soaking method was very effective on grain yield  compared to the other applied treatments. The percentages increase ranged from 142.23 to 178.81, while in coating treatment they ranged from 85.8 to 117.42and in foliar treatments from 89.37 to 112.08 over control; as an average of both seasons. Elevating the rate of applied chelated compounds caused significant increases in the straw and grain yields, while 1000 grain weight was not significantly affected. The results disclosed that phosphorus content in straw and grain in response to the studied treatments gave a significant increase. Nonetheless, N and K contents showed no significant response. As for the concentrations of Fe, Mn and Zn in the straw there was a significant effect due to both methods and rates of application. But, for the grains they had significant effect in the case of Zn application only. The uptake of N, P, Fe and Zn in straw besides N, P, Mn and Zn in grains were significant increase by application of either methods or rates of the mixture chelated micronutrients. Data revealed that the increment response for the methods of application of micronutrients could be arranged as follows: soaking>coating>foliar. Soaking at the rate of 350mg/Kg^-1 gave the best results for the yield of rice and its components .