Essential Nutrient Management for Successful Rice Nursery Growth

1. Introduction: • Rice crop needs seventeen essential nutrients. Out of these Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc and Copper are considered important in rice nursery. • These nutrients are supplied to rice crop through the soil in the form of fertilizers and manures. Providing sufficient amount of nutrients at appropriate time using appropriate method is a crucial factor in rice nursery management. • Nutrients should be supplied considering the rice variety, soil and agro-climatic factors. Knowledge of common visual deficiency symptoms is also essential for proper nutrient management in rice.

2. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice Visible deficiency symptoms of various nutrients in rice crop are: A. Nitrogen Older leaves become orange yellow and die from the tip downwards. The new leaves are thin, short and stiff. Roots are few in number, thin and elongated. Nitrogen deficiency reduces the plant height and number of tillers. Deficiency Symptoms of Nitrogen in Rice Crop

3. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice B. Phosphorus. Plant growth is stunted and roots are thin, long and brown in color. Older leaves turn purple and pinkish spots are observed on stem. C. Potassium Plant is short and droopy and leaf tips and margins are scorched and wavy. Upper leaves turn dark green and develop dark brown spots. Interveinal chlorosis is observed on middle leaves. Deficiency Symptoms Of Phosphorus Deficiency Symptoms Of Potassium

4. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice D. Iron: Deficiency symptoms first appear on second leaf, 7 to 10 days after germination. Young leaves appear chlorotic and wither off. Interveinal chlorosis appears. If deficiency is prolonged the leaf apex dies. Deficiency Symptoms Of Iron

5. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice E. Manganese Deficiency appears in seedlings at 3 leaf stage. Where chlorotic yellow colored spots)occurs. A patch of green and chlorotic cells appear away from third leaf base. Apex and margin of affected leaves wither and dry off. In prolonged deficiency, patches increase in number and size, forming large irregular lesions and chlorotic stripping. Deficiency Symptoms of Manganese

6. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice F. Zinc Zinc deficiency in rice is more serious in low lying fields with high water table in rainy season. Nursery should be avoided in such areas. Older leaves become reddish brown and roots become brown and sparse. Base of growing leaves become chlorotic. Scattered brown spots are seen which extend over whole leaf lamina. D. Deficiency Symptoms of Zinc

7. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Rice G. Copper: 1. Leaves become chlorotic near the tip. Chlorosis extends downward along both sides of mid-rib, followed by dark brown necrosis of the leaf tip. The new leaves remain rolled and appear needle shaped. Deficiency Symptoms Of Copper

8. Fertilizer Application in Different Nurseries • A. Modified Mat Nursery: • Modified mat nursery needs 4 cubic meter soil mixture for every 100 square meternursery area. • Soil Mixture consists of 7 parts of soil and 2 parts well decomposed chicken manure and 1 part of fresh or charred rice hull. • Lack of nitrogen is indicated by yellowing of seedling after 7 days which can be corrected by spraying 0.5 % urea solution.

9. Fertilizer application in different types of nursery • B . Dapog Nursery • 100 m2 nursery should be applied 0.5 to 1 kg of nitrogen, 0.5 kg phosphorous and 0.5 kg of potash fertilizers. • FYM must be applied @ 250 kg/100 m2 area during bed preparation. • C. Dry and Wet Bed Nursery • Apply FYM @ 2 kg/m2 nursery bed area before bed preparation. • In less fertile soils, a basal application of 0.05 kg DAP/m2 nursery bed is used. DAP application 15 days after sowing is recommended for good growth and easy uprooting on 25 days.