Relative performance of neem coated urea (NCU) on nutrient content, uptake and nitrogen use efficiency of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif season of 2016 at Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U.P.) to evaluate the nitrogen release pattern and use efficiency of neem coated urea under different application schedule in rice (Oryza sativa L). The soil of the experimental field was well drained, sandy loam in texture, alkaline in reaction (pH 8.03), low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and available potassium with an electrical conductivity of 0.21dS m-1. Eleven treatments comprising control (No N), 50:25:25 N, 33:33:33 N, 25:25:50 N, 25:50:25 N, 00:50:50 N, 00:75:25 N, 00:25:75 N, 50:50:00 N, 50:00:50 N through neem coated urea as basal, at maximum tillering and panicle initiation stage and LCC based (≤ 4 critical value) replicated thrice estimated in a randomized block design. The results obtained in this study showed that the (T5) 25:50:25 N through neem coated urea as basal, at maximum tillering and panicle initiation stage performed significantly better than the other treatments in nutrient uptake (128.68 kg ha-1N, 19.58 kg ha-1 P, 131.59 kg ha-1K), agronomic use efficiency (13.08 kg ha-1) and apparent recovery efficiency (54.75 %) of rice.