FarmFriday brings your this expense saving tip from PhilRICE
A common practice among farmers is to routinely apply 3-4 bags N fertilizer during panicle initiation.
This is not entirely a wrong practice, according to Ms. Evelyn Javier, soil scientist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). “It is crucial for rice at this stage to have the necessary nutrients for reproductive growth. But applying N when the crop does not yet need it or applying more than what it needs is a waste of money,” she added.
A simple diagnostic tool to know whether the crop needs nitrogen and in what amount is the leaf color chart (LCC).   Starting 14 days after transplanting or 21 days after direct wet seeding until the first flowering, the nitrogen status of the rice plant can be monitored weekly by comparing the color of rice leaves with four shades of green on the LCC’s comparator strips.
Learn how using a leaf color chart can save you fertilizer expenses….