Assessment of Site-Specific Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L. indica)

The response to fertilizer applications in rice often falls short of its potential, mainly due to low soil nutrient availability and the imbalance in current fertilizer recommendations. To address this issue, a field study was conducted using a simple randomized complete block design with six treatments: Government recommended dose (100:30:30 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1), Nutrient expert dose (109:24:35 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1), Leaf color chart based nitrogen management (LCC-N) + 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 30 kg K2O ha-1, 100:45:30 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1, LCC-N + 45 kg P2O5 ha-1+ 45 kg K2O ha-1 and farmer’s practice (42.4:21:27 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1), replicated in 5 farmers’ fields. The results showed that plant height, leaf area index (LAI), and effective tiller count per square meter were significantly higher in the LCC-N + 45 kg P2O5 ha-1+ 45 kg K2O ha-1 and LCC-N + 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 30 kg K2O ha⁻¹ treatments. Additionally, the lowest floret sterility and significantly higher thousand grain weight were observed in the LCC-N + 45 kg P2O5 ha-1+ 45 kg K2O ha-1 and LCC-N + 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 30 kg K2O ha⁻¹ treatments, respectively. Significantly higher grain and straw yields, along with harvest index, were achieved with Leaf color chart (LCC)based nutrient management strategies, while the lowest yields were recorded under farmer field practice. These findings suggest that LCC-based nutrient management strategies can enhance rice growth and development, resulting in higher yields. Further studies are recommended on different climatic zones and soil types employing different site-specific nutrient management strategies to improve rice productivity.