Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3.4.2 F
fertilizer
D
eep
p
lacement
For
l
owlanD
r
ice
in
s
outh
a
sia
Working with local and national partners in Bangladesh in the mid-1980s, IFDC fur-
ther developed the original Japanese concept of fertilizer deep placement (FDP) as
an effective alternative to the traditional method of applying N fertilizer by surface
broadcasting for lowland rice. The FDP technology involves the one-time placement
of large fertilizer granules (1-3 g) in the shape of a briquette below the soil surface
(7-10 cm) in close proximity to the root zone of transplanted rice, compared with
two to three applications for surface broadcasting. The FDP technology makes N
available to the crop throughout its growth cycle while drastically reducing losses to
the atmosphere, groundwater, and surface waters. As a result, plants absorb more N,
resulting in higher yields per unit of N. In Bangladesh, FDP proved to be an innova-
tive fertilizer application technology that produced 15%-18% more rice with 35% less
urea (Figure 3.11).
(a)
5500
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
Broadcast prilled urea
Deep-placed urea briquette
2500
0
20
40
60
80
100
Nitrogen applied (kg N ha
−1
)
(b)
4400
4200
4000
3800
3600
3400
3200
3000
2800
2600
0
Broadcast prilled urea
Deep-placed urea briquette
20
40
60
80
100
Nitrogen applied (kg N ha
−1
)
FIGURE 3.11
Field trial results with broadcast and deep-placed urea for paddy rice in
Bangladesh. (a) Dry (Boro) season 28 trials; (b) wet season 31 T Aman trials. (From Singh,
U., A. Hossain, Md. A. Mazid Miah, and G. Hunter. 2010. Agronomic and environmental
benefits of deep-placed multi-nutrient briquettes. Paper presented at the ILSFARM NPK
Briquettes Workshop,
Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 25, 2010.)
