Splitting of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Planting Method Effects on Rice Productivity

Abstract

The present study was carried out at the farm of Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt during two rice growing seasons. This study aimed to identify the effect of nitrogen (N) splitting application different growth stage i.e. T1: basal (B) + Mid- tillering (MT) + panicle initiation (PI) and late booting (LB), T2 (- + MT + PI + LB), T3: ( B + - + PI + LB), T4: (B + MT + - + LB), T5: (B + MT + PI + - ) and T6 :(2/3 B+ 1/PI) on yield and yield components of Sakha 108 rice variety under two planting methods (transplanting and drill seeded methods. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with four replications. The results showed the planting methods have significant effects on growth parameters, grain yield and yield components. The results indicated that the chlorophyll content, leaf area index, dry matter production, plant height (cm), number of tillers/m2, number of panicles/m2, panicle weight (g), number of filled grain/panicle, yields (grain and straw) an nitrogen uptake by grain (kg/ha) were significantly superior with the application of T1: (B + MT + PI + LB followed by T3 :( B + - + PI + LB), T4: (B + MT + - + LB) and T5: (B + MT + PI + -) which eliminate N-at MT PI and LB, respectively as compared to rest of the treatment T2 (absent of N-as basal). Application of N-as four splits at tested stages (T1) gave the highest N-uptake as compared with the other nitrogen treatments.