Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp1 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Influence of nitrogen levels, organic amendments and foliar nutrition on growth and yield performance of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11636
Submitted
5 September 2025
Published
27-01-2026

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for crop growth and its efficient management is crucial for sustainable rice production and the prevention of soil nutrient depletion. Despite extensive research, knowledge gaps remain regarding root-soil interactions for efficient N uptake, root-shoot coordination for N utilization and integrated nutrient management strategies to enhance nitrogen use efficiency and yield in rice. A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Annamalai University in 2024, using a randomized block design with nine treatments replicated thrice. Among the treatments, T₁ (100 % recommended dose of fertilizer: 120:40:40 kg ha-1) recorded the highest plant height (102.67 cm), no. of tillers (402 m-2), leaf area index (5.41), dry matter production (10,985 kg ha-1), crop growth rate (5.74 g m-2 day-1), absolute growth rate (0.0861 g plant-1 day-1), grain yield (4,978 kg ha-1) and straw yield (7,126 kg ha-1). This was followed by T6 (75 % RDN through urea + 25 % RDN through urban compost + 100 % P and K with foliar application of ZnSO₄ at 0.5 % and boron at 0.3 % at 25 and 50 DAT), which was on par with T4 involving biochar-based N substitution. The results demonstrate that partial replacement of chemical nitrogen with organic amendments, coupled with targeted foliar Zn and B application, improved nutrient uptake efficiency, reduced nitrogen losses and sustained crop productivity. Such integrated nutrient management practices offer a viable pathway to reduce urea dependency, enhance soil health and ensure long-term sustainability of rice agroecosystems.

References

  1. 1. Alam MM, Hossain AM, Hakim A, Islam MR, Soufan W, El Sabagh A, et al. Application of vermicompost to boro rice (BRRI Dhan 28) can save phosphate fertilizer with sustaining productivity and soil fertility. Pak J Bot. 2024;56:293-304. https://doi.org/10.30848/PJB2024-1(18)
  2. 2. USDA. World agricultural production. Washington (DC): Foreign Agricultural Service; 2025.
  3. 3. Department of Economics and Statistics. Agriculture-farmers welfare department: policy notes 2024-2025. Tamil Nadu: Government of Tamil Nadu; 2025.
  4. 4. Mamatha B, Mudigiri C, Ramesh G, Saidulu P, Meenakshi N, Prasanna CL. Enhancing soil health and fertility management for sustainable agriculture: a review. Asian J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2024;10:182-90. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajsspn/2024/v10i333
  5. 5. Nayak HS, Silva JV, Parihar CM, Krupnik TJ, Sena DR, Kakraliya SK, et al. Interpretable machine learning methods to explain on-farm yield variability of high productivity wheat in Northwest India. Field Crops Res. 2022;287:108640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108640
  6. 6. Broberg MC, Hayes F, Harmens H, Uddling J, Mills G, Pleijel H. Effects of ozone, drought and heat stress on wheat yield and grain quality. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 2023;352:108505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108505
  7. 7. Shankar T, Maitra S, Ram MS, Mahapatra R. Influence of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield attributes of summer rice (Oryza sativa L.). Crop Res. 2020;55:1-5. https://doi.org/10.31830/2454-1761.2020.001
  8. 8. Gao S, Medina M, Gonzalez-Ospina L, Burce K, Burce K, Melbourne A. Boosting soil health and crop nutrients with locally sourced biochar and compost in Sacramento urban agriculture. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2025;9:1546426. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1546426
  9. 9. Singh AK. Response of basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) to efficient nitrogen management under western UP conditions [dissertation]. Meerut (UP): Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology; 2024.
  10. 10. Rao GB, Balachandrakaumar V, Immanuel RR, Nambi J, Raj TS. Influence of zinc and iron fortified micronutrients on the growth, yield and economics of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Crop Res. 2020;55:202-7. https://doi.org/10.31830/2454-1761.2020.029
  11. 11. Singh S, Singh A, Hasanain M. Effect of zinc fertilization on growth and yield of basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties. Indian J Agron. 2022;67:227-32. https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v67i3.11
  12. 12. Katoch R, Sharma VK, Sankhyan NK. Response of maize to the combined application of innovative organic and inorganic sources of nutrients in an acid Alfisol of lower Himalayas. Environ Conserv J. 2024;25:388-97. https://doi.org/10.36953/ECJ.26402773
  13. 13. Kushwah N, Billore V, Sharma OP, Singh D, Chauhan APS. Integrated nutrient management for optimal plant health and crop yield. Plant Sci Arch. 2024;8:10-12. https://doi.org/10.51470/PSA.2023.8.2.10
  14. 14. Subbiah BV, Asija GL. A rapid procedure for the estimation of available nitrogen in soil. Curr Sci. 1956;25:259-60.
  15. 15. Olsen SR, Cole CV, Watanabe FS, Dean LA. Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. Washington (DC): USDA; 1954.
  16. 16. Stanford G, English L. Use of flame photometer in rapid soil tests for K and Ca. Agron J. 1949;41:446-7. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1949.00021962004100090012x
  17. 17. Gomez KA, Gomez AA. Statistical procedures for agricultural research. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 2010.
  18. 18. Tirkey N, Singh C, Singh A, Singh AK, Manjhi R, Alam MP, et al. Effect of continuous application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on growth parameters and yield of rice. Int J Plant Soil Sci. 2024;36:277-82. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2024/v36i34424
  19. 19. Yogi LN, Joshi J, Bhandari S, Adhikari S, Nainabasti. Effect of different doses of NPK fertilizer on growth and yield of rice in Gokuleshwor Baitadi. Heliyon. 2024;10:1-14. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4687291
  20. 20. Dong L, Zhang W, Xiong Y, Zou J, Huang Q, Xu X, et al. Impact of short-term organic amendments incorporation on soil structure and hydrology in semiarid agricultural lands. Int Soil Water Conserv Res. 2022;10:457-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.10.003
  21. 21. Chen M, Zhang S, Liu L, Liu J, Ding X. Organic fertilization increased soil organic carbon stability and sequestration by improving aggregate stability and iron oxide transformation in saline-alkaline soil. Plant Soil. 2022;474:233-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05326-3
  22. 22. Dharminder, Singh RK, Kumar V, Pramanick B, Alsanie WF, Gaber A, et al. The use of municipal solid waste compost in combination with proper irrigation scheduling influences the productivity, microbial activity and water use efficiency of direct seeded rice. Agriculture. 2021;11:941-56. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11100941
  23. 23. Hashim M, Singh K, Dhar S, Rathore SS. Effect of foliar application of iron and zinc on performance of transplanted rice in middle Gangetic plains of Bihar. J Agric Res. 2020;8:72-8. https://doi.org/10.21921/jas.v8i2.7286
  24. 24. Anand S, Pavithra R, Kamaraj A, Satheeshkumar P, Suganthi S, Padmavathi S. Enhancing crop growth and seed yield in rice cv. Asd16 through foliar spray. Plant Arch. 2020;20:1137-43.
  25. 25. Yadav SPS, Bhandari S, Bhatta D, Poudel A, Bhattarai S, Yadav P, et al. Biochar application: a sustainable approach to improve soil health. J Agric Food Res. 2023;11:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100498
  26. 26. DeLuca TH, Gundale M, MacKenzie MD, Gao S, Jones D. Biochar effects on soil nutrient transformations. In: Biochar for environmental management. 3rd ed. United Kingdom: Routledge, Taylor & Francis; 2024. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003297673-16
  27. 27. Nguyen TTN, Wallace HM, Xu CY, Zwieten LV, Weng ZH, Xu Z, et al. The effects of short term, long term and reapplication of biochar on soil bacteria. Sci Total Environ. 2018;636:142-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.278
  28. 28. Zhou J, Qu T, Li Y, Van Zwieten L, Wang H, Chen J, et al. Biochar-based fertilizer decreased while chemical fertilizer increased soil N2O emissions in a subtropical Moso bamboo plantation. Catena. 2021;202:105257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2021.105257
  29. 29. Ma Q, Qian Y, Yu Q, Cao Y, Tao R, Zhu M, et al. Controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer application mitigated N losses and modified microbial community while improving wheat yield and N use efficiency. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 2023;349:108445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108445
  30. 30. Ghosh D, Brahmachari K, Skalický M, Roy D, Das A, Sarkar S, et al. The combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers influence the weed growth, productivity and soil fertility of monsoon rice. PLoS One. 2022;17:1-18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262586
  31. 31. Saikh R, Murmu K, Sarkar A, Mondal R, Jana K. Effect of foliar zinc application on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Nusantara Biosci. 2022;14:182-7. https://doi.org/10.13057/nusbiosci/n140208
  32. 32. Mohapatra SS, Behera SD, Behera B, Sahu G, Jena J, Giri KS, et al. Yield and quality of aromatic rice varieties under nutrient management in organic environment of coastal Odisha (Oryza sativa L.). Indian J Ecol. 2024;51:552-8.
  33. 33. Vignesh ET, Sudhagar Rao GB. Response of low land rice to effective use of organic and inorganic amendments on growth and yield. J Emerg Technol Innov Res. 2019;6:268-71.
  34. 34. Singh N, Kumar N, Anshuman K, Singh S, Yadav S. Effect of foliar application of macro and micro nutrients on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pharma Innov J. 2021;10:1356-9.
  35. 35. Sridhar K, Srinivas A, Kumar AK, Ramprakash T, Rao RP. Physiological growth parameters of rabi rice (Oryza sativa L.) under alternate wetting and drying irrigation with varied nitrogen levels. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci. 2019;8:1-15. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.801.001
  36. 36. Shukla AK, Singh RR, Mishra T, Tripathi KM, Mishra S, Kumar D. Optimizing nutrient uptake in rice crops through integrated organic manure application: a comprehensive analysis of grain and straw composition. Asian J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2024;10:167-74. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajsspn/2024/v10i1223
  37. 37. Kumar AK, Rao SK, Devi UM, Kumar SD. Yield and water productivity response of rice to application of urban compost. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci. 2019;8:1872-8. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.812.223
  38. 38. Aktar S, Islam MS, Hossain MS, Akter H, Maula S, Hossain SSF. Effects of municipal solid waste compost and fertilizers on the biomass production and yield of rice (cv. BRRI Dhan 50). Prog Agric. 2018;29:82-90. https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v29i2.38291
  39. 39. Sultana T, Rahman MM, Hoque MA, Islam MR, Sarker P, Harine I. Effect of municipal solid waste compost and NPK fertilizer on growth, yield and protein content of rice (cv. BRRI Dhan 49). Arch Agric Environ Sci. 2022;7:585-9. https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2022.0704016
  40. 40. Liu Y, Lu H, Yang S, Wang Y. Impacts of biochar addition on rice yield and soil properties in a cold waterlogged paddy for two crop seasons. Field Crops Res. 2016;191:161-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2016.03.003
  41. 41. Gu W, Wang Y, Feng Z, Wu D, Zhang H, Yuan H, et al. Long-term effects of biochar application with reduced chemical fertilizer on paddy soil properties and japonica rice production system. Front Environ Sci. 2022;10:1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.902752
  42. 42. Koyama S, Hayashi H. Rice yield and soil carbon dynamics over three years of applying rice husk charcoal to an Andosol paddy field. Plant Prod Sci. 2017;20:176-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/1343943X.2017.1290506
  43. 43. MacCarthy DS, Darko E, Nartey EK, Adiku SG, Tettey A. Integrating biochar and inorganic fertilizer improves productivity and profitability of irrigated rice in Ghana, West Africa. Agronomy. 2020;10:904. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060904
  44. 44. Chen X, Yang S, Ding J, Jiang Z, Sun X. Effects of biochar addition on rice growth and yield under water-saving irrigation. Water. 2021;13:209-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13020209
  45. 45. Tran TXP, Tran DH. Impact of rice straw biochar and reduced chemical fertilizer on the growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Central Vietnam. Res Crops. 2024;25:222-7. https://doi.org/10.31830/2348-7542.2024.ROC-1069
  46. 46. Hoque MR, Rahman SM, Ruba SA, Ferdous J, Kamrunahar KV, Islam MR, et al. Biochar in conjunction with reduced doses of mineral fertilizers increased yield attributes and yield of rice (cv. BRRI Dhan 29). Pak J Bot. 2025;57:191-200. https://doi.org/10.30848/PJB2025-1(34)

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.