Application of Chitin Nanofiber as A Nitrogen Source Improves Growth and Yield of BRRI Dhan28

Abstract

Rice is the principal crop, a key component of food security, and a cultural staple of Bangladesh. However, growing rice requires a lot of urea, which is easily lost through denitrification, volatilization, leaching, and runoff. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chitin nanofiber (CNF) as a nitrogen source on the growth and yield of BRRI dhan28 at the Nursery of Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh, from February to May 2022. Four CNF concentrations—0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and Control (without CNF)— were used in the completely randomized design (CRD) trial, which was duplicated seven times. Before and after transplanting, varying amounts of CNF were added to the soil. CNF application to the soil had a statistically significant effect on total biomass and leaf chlorophyll content index at 64 days after transplanting (DAT), tiller number hill-1 at 41 DAT. In comparison to the control treatment, which typically produced lower values, the experimental results showed that 0.4% CNF produced numerically higher plant height (87.88 cm), tiller number (26.00 hill-1), grain yield (10.08 g hill-1), total filled grain (580.50), straw weight (40 g hill-1), total biomass (50.08 g hill-1), 1000-grain weight (17.22 cm), and panicle length (21.05 cm). Heat stress was likely the cause of the low growth and yield characteristics, such as grain yield and harvest index. Thus, 0.4% CNF may be considered for rice cultivation based on the results. In Bangladesh and other countries, this knowledge may contribute to improved rice cultivation practices and a reduction in chemical fertilizer use; however, further research is warranted.