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Usage and utility of leaf color chart

What is a Leaf Color Chart?

  • A simple, easy to use & inexpensive tool

  • It helps farmers to determine the right time of N application

  • It is done by measuring leaf color intensity which is related to leaf N status

LCC is an ideal tool to optimize N use at reasonably high yield levels, irrespective of the source of N applied

Main features of LCC

  • Made of high impact plastic or high quality plastic

  • Consists of six shades: light yellowish green (No.1) to dark green (No. 6) 

  • Color strips are fabricated with veins resembling rice leaves.

How to use the LCC

  • Start LCC readings from 14 DAT (Days after Transplantation) or 21 DAS (Days after sowing)

  • The last reading is taken when the crop just starts to flower. 

  • Randomly select at least 10 disease-free rice plants or hills in a field with uniform plant population from different areas of the plot.

  • Select the topmost fully expanded leaf from each hill or plant

  • Place the middle part of the leaf on a chart and compare the leaf color with LCC shades

  • Do not detach or destroy the leaf

  • Measure the leaf color under the shade of your body, because direct sunlight affects leaf color readings  

  • If possible, the same person should take LCC readings at the same time of the day every time

  • If more than five leaves read below a set critical value, apply

    • 23 kg N ha-1 (one 50-kg bag of urea/ha) for wet season or 

  • The suggested critical values are:

    • 4 for transplanted rice (TPR)

    • 3 for high-density wet-seeded rice (WSR)

  • Repeat the process at 7 to 10 day intervals or at critical growth stages (early tillering, active tillering, panicle initiation, and first flowering) and apply N as needed.

Utility of LCC:

LCC is a guide for application of fertilizer N to maintain an optimal leaf N content. It helps farmers to apply optimum amount of Nitrogen fertilizers, resulting in lesser wastage, lesser input cost with sustainable yield of paddy. 

Early transplantation of paddy

Introduction:

Rice crops can be either direct seeded or transplanted. In direct seeding, seeds are sown directly in the field. While in transplanting, seedlings are first raised in seedbeds before they are planted in the field.

Timely planting into a well prepared seedbed will help produce a fast growing, uniform crop that will have higher yields and better competition against weeds and other pests.

Why it is important?

Timely crop planting increases crop productivity by

·       Mitigating risks of yield losses caused by extreme weather conditions such as extreme cold/extreme heat, flood condition etc

·       Efficient resource use

·       Providing enough space for timely sowing of wheat, as there is potential for 50% loss in production in wheat because of late planting

When to transplant:

The ideal transplanting date for paddy is between June 15 to July 15

Nursery raising:

·       Proper and timely nursery is important for timely transplantation of paddy

·       Nursery timing: 20 days prior to the planned date of transplantation

·       Raised bed nursery

·       Seed sorting with brine water test

·       Seed treatment with Carbendazim

·       Use of germinated seed for nursery


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