Abstract
Leaf colour chart (LCC) guides fertilizer nitrogen (N) application to rice as per requirement of the crop on the basis of a critical leaf colour. We evaluated need-based N management in on-farm experiments at 350 locations in the Indian Punjab during 2002 – 2005. Following LCC-based N management, from 9.4 – 54.2 kg N ha−1, with an average of about 25% less fertilizer N was used, without any reduction in yield as compared to the practice of farmers of applying blanket N at fixed time intervals. Application of fertilizer N when colour of the first fully expanded leaf was less than LCC shade 4, increased nitrogen use efficiency from 48 – 65 kg grain kg N−1. Nitrogen requirement of rice was site-specific both in terms of time and the amount of fertilizer N applied. In 36% of the experiments, a dose of fertilizer N was applied 55 days after transplanting (DAT) of rice. Also there were cases where only one top dressing of N was required. The study reveals that practice of applying N at fixed growth stages of rice may not be adequate and LCC-based N management can result in efficient utilisation of applied N by rice.