 Hi, my name is Riza and I would like to share with you the ABCs of proper nutrition for rice plants You see, when your rice plants are healthy, you can be more certain of a good harvest As in human health, proper nutrition is the key to getting healthy rice plants Aside from water and sunshine, rice plants need nutrients in order to live and grow But more importantly, to produce a profitable yield, rice plants must have the right nutrients in the right amount at the right time This is what proper nutrition is all about Proper nutrition is actually quite simple. It's as easy as learning ABC Just remember, A. Acquaint yourself with important nutrients needed by the rice plant B. Become familiar with the critical growth stages of the rice plant C. Check your fertilizer application at tillering and panicle initiation Watch the following video to find out more about proper nutrition for your rice plant I'll see you later In this video, we will discuss the A in the ABC of proper nutrition Acquaint yourself with important nutrients needed by the rice plant Specifically, you will learn the following Important nutrients for rice Different sources of nutrients for rice And common fertilizer grades Rice plants need nutrients to be healthy and to be able to produce a profitable yield The most important nutrients needed by rice are nitrogen Phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and sulfur Nitrogen makes the leaves of rice plants green and enhances the growth of leaves and stems Nitrogen is needed in large amounts for producing high grain yield Phosphorus is important for root growth as well as for the production of tillers Phosphorus is especially important at the early stages of growth Potassium promotes general vigor, disease resistance, and sturdy growth And there is not enough potassium, especially at the later growth stage Rice plants may experience poor grain filling Zinc regulates plant growth, and it is essential for the overall health of rice plants Sulfur helps the leaves of the rice plants remain green Sulfur improves growth and grain production Rice plants obtain nutrients from several sources Soil is an important source of many nutrients The minerals and organic matter in the soil serve as reservoirs from which plant available nutrients are released Irrigation water is also a source of nutrients It contains dissolved and suspended nutrients Another source of nutrients for rice is organic materials Organic materials typically originate from either plant wastes such as crop residues or animal wastes such as manure Organic materials can supply nutrients for rice However, organic materials must first decompose to allow nutrients to be released into forms readily taken up by plants Fortunately, there are organisms in the soil that help in the decomposition of organic materials Organic materials, when properly applied and allowed to decompose, can release nutrients essential for rice growth Rice straws spread back to the field after harvest, consequently contains much potassium for the next crop Generally, organic materials do not supply enough nitrogen to meet the needs of a high yielding rice crop Because organic materials are relatively low in nutrient content, you must add large amounts of organic materials to meet the nutrient needs of your rice crop Nutrients from the soil, irrigation water, and organic materials are generally not sufficient to supply all required nutrients of a rice plant You must rely on another source to directly supply nutrients to your rice crop And this source is fertilizers Fertilizers are substances used to add essential plant nutrients that are not adequately supplied by the soil and other sources Manufactured fertilizers typically contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or sulfur in forms readily used by the rice crop They typically contain higher amounts of these nutrients than organic materials But in order for fertilizer used to be cost-effective in rice production, the right fertilizer source must be applied in the right amount at the right time When applying inorganic fertilizers to your rice crop, you must know the grades of fertilizers you are using to ensure that the right amount of nutrients is applied Fertilizer grades are the numbers listed on fertilizer bags like 14-14-14, 16-20-0, or 46-0-0 These numbers tell you what nutrients and how much of these nutrients are contained in the bag The first number refers to the nitrogen content, the second number to phosphorus content, and the third number to potassium content Let's look at some of the fertilizers that are available in the market A fertilizer containing N, P, and K such as 14-14-14 is called a complete fertilizer Each bag contains all three major nutrients The number 14-14-14 indicates that each bag of this fertilizer contains 14% each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium In terms of weight, each 50 kg bag of 14-14-14 supply 7 kg nitrogen, 7 kg phosphorus, and 7 kg potassium 14-14-14 is a well suited fertilizer source for applying nutrients for early growth because it contains phosphorus and potassium and just enough nitrogen for young rice plants The fertilizer with a grade of 16-20-0 is called ammonium phosphate It contains 16% nitrogen, 20% phosphorus, but no potassium A 50 kg bag of this fertilizer supplies 8 kg nitrogen and 10 kg phosphorus 16-20-0 is an alternative fertilizer source for early application, especially when straw or organic materials are added to the rice field The most commonly used fertilizer as a nitrogen source is urea It has a fertilizer grade of 46-0-0 Urea contains 46% nitrogen, but no phosphorus and potassium Because of its high nitrogen content, urea is typically the most economical source of nitrogen A 50 kg bag of urea supplies 23 kg nitrogen Urea is best used for adding nitrogen at tillering and panicle initiation stages There are other fertilizers in the market that contain one of the three main plant nutrients of N, P, and K For example, ammonium sulfate, which is 21-0-0, contains nitrogen, but not phosphorus and potassium Solophos, which is typically about 0-18-0, contains phosphorus, but no nitrogen and potassium And your rate of botash, or 0-0-60, contains only potassium Some bags of fertilizer contain other essential nutrients for rice, particularly sulfur A number in a fertilizer grade followed by the letter S refers to the % sulfur content Urea superphosphate, or 20-10-0 for example, contains 7% sulfur Fertilizers like 16-20-0 and 14-14-14 normally contain sulfur Other NPK sources such as 17-7-17 and 17-0-17 also contain sulfur Sometimes bags of fertilizer do not indicate the % of sulfur content, but instead just indicate with S to indicate that the fertilizer contains sulfur In the case of zinc fertilizers, the most commonly used is zinc sulfate It normally contains about 15-20% zinc Here are just some important points to remember Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the nutrients required in relatively large amounts Other nutrients required in smaller amounts include sulfur and zinc The supply of these essential nutrients from the soil, irrigation water, and organic materials is often not sufficient to meet crop needs for high profitability Manufactured fertilizers are therefore needed to ensure that the crop receives the right nutrients in the right amount at the right time