Damyang County Agricultural Technology Center Launches Guidance on Timely and Proper Use of Rice Panicle Fertilizer

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] The Damyang Agricultural Technology Center in Jeonnam (Director Lee Cheolgyu) announced on the 23rd that, as the rice heading season approaches, it will provide guidance to local farmers on the timely and appropriate application of rice heading fertilizer to ensure stable production of high-quality rice.

The timing for applying heading fertilizer is generally 25 days before heading for common varieties, 15 days before heading for tall and lodging-prone varieties like Sindongjin, and for double cropping, it should be applied 8 to 9 days later than these times.

The standard amount of heading fertilizer to apply is 11 to 12 kg of NK Bokbi (N18%) or 15 kg of customized fertilizer (No. 30) per approximately 1000㎡ (300 pyeong).

However, if the fertilizer level in the paddy field is too high and the leaf color is dark, applying only 4 kg of potassium chloride helps prevent diseases, pests, and lodging.

The Agricultural Technology Center emphasized that from 15 days before heading until 10 days after heading, rice requires a lot of water, so maintaining a water depth of 2 to 4 cm in the paddy field is necessary to enhance root vitality.

Additionally, due to frequent rain during the monsoon season, rice may become overgrown or weakened, leading to the occurrence of diseases and pests such as rice blast, leaf stripe blight, and rice stem borer. Therefore, regular field inspections and pest control are recommended.

Lee Cheolgyu, director of the Agricultural Technology Center, stated, “Last year, there was significant lodging damage to rice during harvest due to typhoons, which was caused by excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer that weakened the rice stems.” He added, “Since abnormal weather events are likely to occur again this year, we ask farmers to apply heading fertilizer timely to prevent lodging damage.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.