Nutrient Management Strategies for Sichuan

The monitored villages in Jianyang and Chongzhou counties, Sichuan, also track soil fertility variability and provide information from both field trials and fertilizer use surveys. As part of a national effort, this project is accumulating the data necessary to construct a soil nutrient management system capable of aiding in the formulation of balanced fertilization programs for high yield and high profit agriculture.

Results show that soil nutrient status varied considerably between the two villages. At Jianyang, more than half of the area was deficient in phosphorus (P) and more than 80 percent was deficient in potassium (K). In Chongzhou, about 10 percent of the area was P deficient, but 100 percent of soils sampled were K deficient. At Jianyang, balanced fertilization of 150-60-75-15 kg nitrogen (N)-P₂O₅-K₂O-zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄)/ha increased rice yield by 445 kg/ha (13 percent) compared to the treatment omitting P (-P) and by 425 kg/ha (7 percent) compared to the treatment omitting K (-K). At Chongzhou, the balanced fertilizer treatment of 165-45-75-15 kg/ha increased rice yield by 445 kg/ha (6 percent) and 722 kg/ha (11 percent) compared to the -P and -K treatments, respectively.

This study is increasing understanding of soil nutrient status and crop response to applied P and K fertilizers in the two soil types typical of Sichuan province. The potential for increased P and K consumption to improve crop yields and quality is significant in the province. SICHUAN-NMS01