Influence of Seedling Age and Nitrogen Application Method on Dry Matter Production and Nitrogen Uptake of Lowland Rice Cultivated on an Alfisol

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Nigeria, to investigate the influence of method of nitrogen application on dry matter production and nitrogen uptake (as measured by plant total nitrogen content) of rice transplanted at different seedling ages. Seedlings transplanted at different ages (21, 31 and 41 days old) and six methods of application of 60 kg N/ha were tested in factorial experiment laid out in split-plot design with four replications. Deep placement gave significantly higher dry matter than the best split method. Basal application. Topdress and split methods gave similar dry matter. The plant total nitrogen content obtained from the deep placement method was significantly higher than that obtained from the split methods and the topdress treatment at 30 and 50 days after transplanting (vegetative growth stage). The basal method, split treatment and the topdress method gave comparable plant total nitrogen content.