Effect of Site-Specific Nutrient Management on Physiological Growth Parameters and Nutrient Recovery Efficiency of Transplanted Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Abishek Vincent Cliford S. *
Division of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
Udhaya Kumar K.
Division of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
Balaganesh B.
Division of Soil science, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
Sharmili K.
Division of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
Patricia Kalai Arasi J.
Division of Crop Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
Alex Immanual Jeyasingh R.
Division of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) has emerged as an efficient strategy for enhancing nutrient use efficiency and sustaining rice productivity; however, limited information is available on its influence on physiological growth parameters and nutrient recovery efficiency under semi-arid tropical conditions of South India. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during the Samba season (August–December 2025) at the South Farm, School of Agricultural Sciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, South India. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with twelve treatments and three replications, comprising soil test–based nutrient management, recommended fertilizer dose, nutrient omission treatments, farmers’ practice and control. The results revealed that soil test–based nutrient management with zinc application (T₂: 125:50:25 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha⁻¹ + ZnSO₄ @ 18 kg ha⁻¹) recorded significantly higher crop growth rate (CGR) values of 92.3, 167.3 and 205.2 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ during 30–60, 60–90 days after transplanting (DAT) and 90 DAT to harvest, respectively, compared to other treatments. Similarly, relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were also significantly higher under T₂. Nutrient recovery efficiency was maximized under the same treatment, with nitrogen (40.88 %), phosphorus (24 %), potassium (268.4 %) and zinc (0.85 %), indicating enhanced nutrient uptake and utilization efficiency. The superior performance of SSNM with zinc application may be attributed to balanced nutrient supply based on soil test values, improved synchronization between nutrient availability and crop demand, and enhanced physiological efficiency compared to conventional fertilizer practices. The differences among treatments were statistically significant at p = 0.05, indicating reliable treatment effects despite experimental variability. In contrast, nutrient omission treatments and control recorded significantly lower values. Thereby, this study demonstrates that integration of soil test–based fertilization with zinc application significantly improves physiological growth parameters and nutrient recovery efficiency in transplanted rice, providing a sustainable nutrient management strategy for improving productivity under intensive rice-based systems.
Keywords: Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), nutrient recovery efficiency, rice (Oryza sativa L.)