Balanced fertilization strategy: reformulating national fertilizer recommendations for rice
1999
Anon. (Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Diliman, Quezon City (Philippines))
Based on verification trials and adaptation trials conducted in 225 half-hectare irrigated rice fields during the period 1996-1998, rice yields ranged from 5.52 to 7.58 t/ha in BFS[balanced fertilization strategy], while the farmers' practice, using pure inorganic fertilizer, gave yield ranging from 3.79 to 5.46 t/ha.On the average, the BFS was able to raise rice yields from the current 3.4 t/ha to 6.2 t/ha. In terms of soil properties, trials showed that the BFS treated plots gave higher organic matter content (average of 3.65 percent) than the pure inorganic (3.04 percent) or farmers' practice (3.07 percent). A general increase in phosphorus, potassium and zinc levels were obtained from the BFS adaptation trials. BFS showed a consistently higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) with an average of 2.99, than the farmers' practice, with 2.44. Balanced fertilization helped the crop reach its full potential yield even greater than 6 t/ha and sustain crop yield under various agro-ecological conditions. It also increased farmers' income. Further, it was capable of rehabilitating degraded rice soils as it improved the physical properties of the soil, maintained a healthy balance of soil nutrients, and enhanced the availability of nutrients from the soil
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