Effect of plant Sensor based real time Nitrogen management on growth, yield and economics of rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at RARS Nandyal during Kharif season of 2017 to study the precision nitrogen management in rice crop, grown under conservation agriculture. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with seven treatments (absolute control, recommended dose of fertilizers (100% RDF), STBF, precision N management practices like green seeker, LCC, SPAD) in vertisols. Amongst tested N management strategies; a saving of N by 45 and 20 kg with green seeker, LCC and SPAD, respectively was found compared to recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF). There was no significant difference between any treatment for yield attributes like plant height, production tillers per hill , panicle length and grains per panicle. Among all the treatments, Green Seeker directed N application recorded highest grain (5.5 t ha-1) and straw yield (8.4 t ha-1) compared to all the treatments followed by LCC based N application (5.2 t ha-1). By using Green seeker 45 kg N ha-1 was minimized as compared to RDN. Benefit cost ratio was found to be highest (2.76) with Green seeker which also was statistically at par with LCC (2.45) and SPAD (2.32) and lowest with control (0.72).