Increasing Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) with Chlorophyll Meter and Leaf Color Chart

The IUP Journal of Soil and Water Sciences, Vol. II, No. 4, pp. 36-54, November 2009

Posted: 28 Nov 2009

See all articles by M.Z. Hussain

M.Z. Hussain

Instituto Superior de Agronomia Tapada da Ajuda

Shakeel A. Khan

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)

T.M. Thiyagarajan

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Date Written: November 25, 2009

Abstract

Low Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) continues to be a problem in wetland rice situation as nitrogen (N) is subjected to several transformation losses in the rice ecosystem. Chlorophyll meter (SPAD) and Leaf Color Chart (LCC) can be potentially employed for the precise N measurement, which is based on the leaf N status to synchronize the timely N application with the crop demand. Two field experiments were conducted during 1998 and 1999 at Coimbatore, India with the rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars of ADT 36 (short duration) and ASD 19 (long duration) respectively for efficient N management based on the leaf N status of rice. The experiments consisted of four SPAD and LCC-N regimes, blanket N recommendation, green manure N regime and Controlled Release N (CRN) fertilizer regimes, which were compared with the zero-N regime. The technology involves the indirect measurement of leaf N status by the chlorophyll meter and LCC and N application only if the measured meter value is below the predetermined threshold value. The study reveals that N requirement with LCC was higher than SPAD for all the time intervals of measurements. In terms of NUE parameters, LCC was inferior to SPAD-N management, but the lesser cost of LCC, when compared to SPAD meter, provides an opportunity as a simple tool for the individual rice farmers to own it. The study also reveals that the application of controlled release N fertilizer as polymer coatings at the rate of 60% of blanket N recommendation would save 40% of fertilizer N.

Keywords: Chlorophyll meter, Controlled release N fertilizer, Leaf Color Chart (LCC), Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE), Oryza sativa L

Suggested Citation

Hussain, M.Z. and Khan, Shakeel A. and Thiyagarajan, T.M., Increasing Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) with Chlorophyll Meter and Leaf Color Chart (November 25, 2009). The IUP Journal of Soil and Water Sciences, Vol. II, No. 4, pp. 36-54, November 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1513199

M.Z. Hussain

Instituto Superior de Agronomia Tapada da Ajuda ( email )

1349-017 Lisboa
Portugal

Shakeel A. Khan (Contact Author)

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) ( email )

New Delhi
India

T.M. Thiyagarajan

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University ( email )

Killikulam Campus
Vallanadu
Thoothukkudi, Tamil Nadu 628252
India

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
757
PlumX Metrics