Foliar Fertilizer

Feed Additive

Fish&prawn Cola

Root Growth Promoter (PGR)

RK Shrestha, S Bhattarai and SL Maskey
Soil Science Division, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal

Abstract

Organically grown rice is likely to grow importance due to environmental and health reasons. Different organic compounds and plant growth hormones such as Vagimax. Penshibao and Plant hormone were evaluated in lowland rice. In and experiment conducted for two years, different compounds were either applied alone or in combination with different doses of fertilizer nitrogen. Rice yields were consistently and significantly higher when these compounds were applied with or without N-fertilizer. Organic compounds provided yield increase up to 33% in 1998 and 16% in 1999. these results show that organic compound such as Penshibao not only provided yields higher to same amount of chemical fertilizer, a significant saving in fertilizer –N use was found.

Introduction

Different organic and inorganic compounds like foliage fertilizer/plant hormones/plant food supplements are introduced in the country to boost up agriculture production. Different producers/importers claim positive effect of these materials obtained in different countries and in different crops. Many Nepalese farmers have already started using these products without any knowledge based on the publicity of the producers/importers. Some of the products available in the Nepalese market are (1) Penshibao, (2) Vagimax and (3) Plant hormone were studied. The product detail is as follows.

Before importing these products and using directly to the field, it is necessary to know what really is it. Does it really improve the productivity? How does it affect on soil fertility? Is there any residual effect on soil if it is applied to soil? A field experiment was conducted to answer some of these questions.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted in RCBD with 12 treatments and 3 replications at Khumaltar Research Station in 1998/99 and 1999/00.Treatment details were as follows.

1. Control –No.Fertilizer
2. Penshibao (foliar spray)
3. Vagimax (foliar spray)
4. Plant hormone (foliar spray)
5. Chemical fertilizer –recommended does (100: 40 :30)
6. Chemical fertilizer – 50% of recommended does of fertilizer –N (50: 40 : 30)+Penshibao (foliar spray)
7. Chemical fertilizer –recommended does + Penshibao (foliar spray)
8. Chemical fertilizer –50% of recommended does of fertilizer –N+Vagimax (foliar spray)
9. Chemical fertilizer –recommended does +Vagimax (foliar spray)
10. Chemical fertilizer –recommended does +Vag. (mix w/irrigation water)
11. Chemical fertilizer-50% of recommended dose of fertilizer-N+Plant? hormone (foliar spray).
12. Chemical fertilizer-recommended dose+Plant hormone (foliar spray)

Two 25 d old seedlings were transplanted on 9 July in 1998, and 27 d old on 17 Jun in 1999. the variety used was Khumal 4 with spacing 20-x 20 cm in both years. The recommended dose of chemical fertilizer applied at the rate of 100 kg N, 40 KgP2O5 , and 30 kg K2O ha –1 through urea, triple supper phosphate and muriate of potash. Half does of N, and full dose of P and K were.
Broadcasted five days after transplanting (DAT) and remaining half dose of N was broadcasted at tillering stage ( 30 DAT). Penshibao was diluted to 1:10000 and sprayed three times: one wk after transplanting, tillering stage and flowering stage. Penshibao was sprayed after 3:00 PM. Vagimax was either sprayed or added to irrigation water. Vagimax was diluted at a ration of 1:5000 and sprayed on wk after transplanting. Second spray was done at the rate of 1 ml 3 L-1 at 15 d interval until maturity. Plant hormone was diluted at the ratio of 1: 100 and sprayed at one wk after transplanting, tillering and flowering stage. Tiller number was counted at 75 d after transplanting and plant height was measured at physiological maturity stage. The crop was harvested on 7 Nov in 1998 and 16 Nov in 1999. Grain and straw yield was measured at full maturity stage. Plant N concentration was determined to calculate plant uptake.

Result and Discussion

Yield and yield components

Tiller number observed at 75 d after transplanting was not increased with the application of foliar fertilizers/plant hormones either alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer compared to control (12 hill –1) in 1998. However in 1999,? although foliar fertilizers/plant hormones alone did not increase tiller number, increase in tiller no was observed when it was combined with 50% of recommended dose of fertilizer-N and it was comparable with full dose of fertilizer-N. The highest tiller number (20 hill –1) was observed with three application of plant hormone with full recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. It was consistent in both the years (Table 1). The highest no of tiller with plant hormone may be due to availability of Mn which has positive effect on tillering ( Karim and Vlamis, 1962). In 1998, Penshibao significantly increased plant height when it was combined with chemical fertilizer. However in 1999, plant height was not affected by any foliar fertilizers/plant hormone or chemical fertilizer alone or in combination (Table 1).

Table 1. Effect of foliar fertilizers/plant hormone on tiller number and plant height of rice at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal.

1. P and K @ 40 and 30 kg ha-1 respectively were applied in treatments 5 to 12.

There was no increase in grain yield over control( 4.5 t ha –1) by spraying foliar fertilizer/plant hormone alone both year except exceptslight increase with Penshibao alone in 1998. the positive effect of foliar fertilizers/plant hormone was observed in combination with the chemical fertilizer. It was consistent in both year. Penshibao and Plant Hormon in combination with half dose of nitrogen fertilizer produced significantly higher grain yield than the full dose of fertilizer alone and this was highest (8 t ha-1) among all the treatments in 1998. however Penshibao and Vaimax in combination with either half or full dose of chemical fertilizer produced the highest yield in 1999. the grain yield obtained from Vagimax in combination with full dose of fertilizer was significantly higher than full dose of fertilizer application (5.2 t ha-1) in 1999 (Table 2). The yield increase due to addition of foliar fertilizer in combination with chemical fertilizer compared to chemical fertilizer alone may be due to supply of micronutrient through foliar fertilizer or plant hormone.

Straw yield obtained from spraying of foliar fertilizers/plant hormones alone did not increase straw biomass compared to without spraying both year except some increase was observed with plant hormone alone compared to control in 1999. Penshibao and Vagimax with half dose of N fertilizer produced straw biomass equilvalent to full dose of N alone or in combination with foliar fertilizer in 1998. when Penshibao was applied with half dose of chemical fertilizer, it produced highest amount of straw (6.3 t ha-1) even compared with Penshibao with full dose of chemical fertilizer in 1999 ( Table 2).
Table 2. Effect of foliar fertilizers/plant hormone on grain yield of rice at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal.

1. P and K @ 40 and 30 kg ha-1 respectively were applied in treatments 5 to 12.

Nitrogen uptake

Nitrogen uptake by rice grain does not seem to be affected by foliar fertilizers/plant hormones alone compared with control or chemical fertilizer alone compared with chemical fertilizer in combination with foliar fertilizers/plant hormones. Similar observation was obtained with nitrogen captures by straw or total nitrogen uptake by rice plant (Table 3).
Table 3. Effect of organic sources of nutrients and plant growth hormone on nitrogen uptake.

Economic analysis

The net income was higher when foliar fertilizers/plant hormones were sprayed in addition to chemical fertilizer compared to either application of foliar fertilizers/plant hormones or chemical fertilizer alone. The highest net income (Rs.9277 ha-1) was obtained with Vagimix spray in addition to recommended dose of N-fertilization followed by Vagimax spray in additoon to 50% of recommended N (Rs.7282 ha-1) and Penshibao spray in addition to 50% of recommended N (Rs.5209 ha-1). Vagimax when applied with irrigation water was not effective resulting a loss of (Rs.8174 ha-1) compared to when applied by spraying. Among organic sources of nutrients applied alone, highest net income of Rs.1812 ha-1 was obtained with Plant Hormone (Table 4). Cost benefit ratio of Penshibao obtained was 1:6. however reported is 1:70.
Table 4. Economic analysis of inorganic, organic nutrients and plant growth hormone use, Khumaltar, Nepal, 1999.

Conclusion

Organic compounds studied found to be effective when it is sprayed in addition to half dose of N and full dose of P and K giving equivalent yield to full dose of N-fertilizer. Application with irrigation water was not found as effective as spraying. These organic compounds provided yield increase of up to 33% in 1998 and 16% in 1999.
Foliage spraying of these products may not have effect on soil, but soil spraying may have enzymatic effect on long term which should be studied before recommending these products.

References

Bun Bhanit Eng. Ltd, Vegimax: The natural plant food supplement, Bangkok, Thailand
Guangxi Beihai Penshibao Co.,Ltd: “PSB” A multifunctional nutritive foliage fertilizer;Add: East Beibuwan Road, Beihai, Guangxi, China
Karim, A.Q.M.B. and J.Vlamis.1962. Micronutirent deficiency symptoms of rice grown in nutrient culture solutions. Plan Soil 16:497-508