International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture (ICSA) 2018

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 AGRICULTURE: TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE

Proceedings of International Conference of Sustainable Agriculture 2018

(ICSA 2018)

20 – 21 September 2018
Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Organised by

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Malaysia

Collaborators

Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU), Bogor Agricultural University (IPB),

Bangladesh Indonesia

Tokushima University, Japan Genetics Society Of Malaysia

Polytechnic Sandakan (PSS), Sabah

 STRPROCEEDINGS: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
(ICSA 2018)

Editorial Board

Chief -in-Editor
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azwan bin Awang

Associate Editors
Dr. Nur Aainaa binti Hasbullah
Mohamad Zaihan Bin Zailan

Editorial-Review Panel

Faculty of Sustaniable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah Sandakan

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mohd Lassim
Prof. Dr. Abd. Rahman Milan
Prof. Dr. Ir. Mohd. Amin Mohd. Soom
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Hardy Abu Daud
Assoc.Prof. Dr. Mohamadu Boyie Jalloh
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suzan Benedik @ Sarah
Abdullah
Assoc .Prof. Dr. Jupikely James Silip
Assoc .Prof. Dr. Kartini binti Saibeh
Dr. Mohammed Selamat Madom
Dr. Januarius Gobilik
Dr. Lum Mok Sam
Dr. Clament Chin Fui Seung
Dr. Candyrine Su Chui Len
Dr. Elisa Azura binti Azman
Dr. Mohd Rakib bin Mohd Rashid
Dr. Nor Elliza binti Tajidin
Borhan bin Abdul Haya @ Yahya
Siti Aisyah binti Sidik
Shahida binti Mohd Sharif
Izyan Ayuni binti Mohamad
Rohaida binti Abdul Rashid
Nurul'azah binti Mohd Yaakub

Prof. Dr. M.A.M Yahia Khandoker Department of Animal Breeding and Genetic
Faculty of Animal Husbandry
Bangladesh Agricultural University
Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Prof. Dr. Ir. Komang G. Wiryawan Department of Nutrition and Feed

Technology
Faculty of Animal Science
Bogor Agricultural University

Assoc .Prof. Dr. Sitti Raehanah Muhamad Borneo Marine Research Institute
Shaleh Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu

Assoc .Prof. Dr. Hasmadi Mamat Faculty Food Science and Nutrition
Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu

DISCLAIMER: The sole responsibility for the content of the papers published in this proceedings lies
with the authors.
Effects of NPK fertilizer on growth and yield of several rice varieties grown
in Sabah
Grace F.S.1,2, Jalloh M. B.1, Rakib M.R.M.1, Elisa A.A1* and Mohd Dandan

1
Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan, 90000 Sabah, Malaysia
2
Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan

* Corresponding Author: elisaazura@ums.edu.my

Abstract
Traditional rice varieties are believed to be less responsive with increasing level of NPK
fertilizer which may cause lodging and result in low rice yield. A pot experiment was carried
out to assess the influence of various levels of NPK fertilizer (F1: 60-30-30, F2: 90-30-60,
and F3: 120-30-90 kg ha-1) on the rice growth and yield of four Sabah’s local rice varieties
(V1: Tadong, V2: Filipin, V3: Serendah Merah and V4: TR8 (High yielding varieties)),
arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Urea, triple
super phosphate (TSP) and muriate of potash (MOP) were used as source of nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium, respectively. Our results revealed no significant effects between
the interaction of NPK levels and different rice varieties on physical characteristics, lodging
incidence characteristics and yield components of rice. Application of F3 significantly
increase the grain yield (4.58 t ha-1) and this in line with thousand grain weight value of 24.69
g. Serendah Merah variety (V3) recorded the heaviest thousand grain weight (29.98 g) which
in turn having higher grain yield (4.39 t ha-1). Tadong variety (V1) recorded larger culm
diameter (0.58 cm) with shorter internode length (8.11 cm) compared to other traditional
varieties. Sabah’s local traditional varieties may achieve higher grain yield with least
application of NPK fertilizer. Traditional rice variety also showed better results in resistance
towards lodging incidence.

Keywords: Sabah rice varieties; high yielding variety; NPK; lodging; rice yield.

Introduction

Tadong, Filipin, Serendah Merah and TR8 are among the rice varieties widely grown in
Sabah. Tadong, Filipin and Serendah Merah are local traditional rice varieties cultivated in
Sabah especially by smallholders. Some local farmers prefer to cultivate traditional rice
varieties due to their good grain characteristics and, also a better tasting. Moreover, traditional
rice varieties have a high quality of rice seeds with scented aroma and less susceptible to
pests and diseases such as fungus diseases, bacterial leaf blight and brown plant hopper.

TR8 (Seri Aman) is a high yielding rice variety (HYV) with good eating quality, highly
resistance towards disease and has a potential of producing higher yield up to 7 t ha-1 (Jabatan
Pertanian Sabah, 2009). Furthermore, this variety is moderately resistance towards lodging
incidence and has a maturity period of 130-135 days with fertilizer rate application of 170-
80-150 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively.

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The high yielding variety is more responsive to fertilizer and has greater potential in
producing higher yields compare with the traditional varieties. Therefore, the current practice
of applying high rates of nitrogen fertilizer by Malaysian rice farmers in targeting high grain
production with the use of HYV has reduced the cultivation of traditional varieties. When
nitrogenous fertilizer is applied to traditional varieties, they will response to it with an
increase in vegetative growth development. However, the tall stature of the traditional
varieties may lead to lodging incidence of paddy plants due to the weakening of culm causing
yield to decrease. Berry et al. (2004) stated that lodging may cause losses of yield by up to
80% and can cause severe knock-on effects, including reduced grain quality and greater
drying cost. The improvement in the stem strength of rice plants will definitely reduce losses
due to lodging. The application of potassium can increase the strength of stems in which
higher potassium content in the internodes may prevent the plant from lodging-off.

Nitrogen is mostly needed during early and mid-tillering, panicle initiation, booting and
ripening phases of grain development. According to Dobermann and Fairhust (2000), the
application of nitrogen fertilizer can increase the plant height, panicles number, spikelets
number and number of filled spikelets which largely determine the yield capacity of rice.

Phosphorus plays an important role in root growth, promote early flowering and ripening
stage and resistance towards disease and drought conditions. Deficiency of phosphorus may
delay the maturity period of rice plant (Fageria, 1980) and increase susceptibility to rice
disease (Fageria et al., 2003).

Appropriate application of potassium is closely related to lignification of sclerenchyma cells,

vascular bundles and culm strength which enhance lodging resistance (Kong et al., 2014).
Rice plants having potassium deficiency will commonly have high instances at disease
infestation that may lead to lodging incidence. Thus, this study was carried out to assess the
influence of various level of NPK fertilizer on rice growth and yield of Sabah’s local varieties.

Materials and Methods

A pot experiment was carried out to assess the influence of various level of NPK fertilizers
(F1: 60-30-30, F2: 90-30-60, and F3: 120-30-90 kg ha-1) on rice growth and yield of four
Sabah’s local rice varieties (V1: Tadong, V2: Filipin, V3: Serendah Merah and V4: TR8
(HYV)) under the rain shelter condition at Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti
Malaysia Sabah. The experimental design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD)
with three replications.

The seeds used were pre-soaked in distilled water for 24 h before planted in the plastic nursery
pots (50% Silabukan soil: 33% topsoil: 17% sand). The transplanting of rice seedlings into
planting pots was carried out on 15 DAS in the nursery pots (Silabukan soil) and two hills of
seedlings were planted in each pot with planting depth and distance of 2 cm and 20 cm,
respectively. Cultural practices such as weeding, irrigation, pest control etc. were done as and

238
when necessary. Regular flood irrigation was applied in pots throughout the vegetative stages
and left completely dried upon reaching the grain filling stages.

Single fertilizer namely urea, triple super phosphate (TSP) and muriate of potash (MOP)
fertilizer were used as source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively. Split
application of NPK fertilizer (Sariam, 2008) was applied based on the rice varieties growth
phase, day after sowing (DAS) due to their different maturity period. Urea fertilizer was
applied at split application of 20%, 31%, 35% and 14% during vegetative, active tillering,
booting and heading phase, respectively. Meanwhile, TSP was applied at 100% during
vegetative phase. MOP fertilizer was applied at spilt application of 35%, 33% and 32% during
vegetative, active tillering and booting phase, respectively.

Parameters measured for physiological characteristics of rice were: (i) plant height (cm); (ii)
tillers number; and (iii) percentage of productive tillers. Lodging incidence of rice crops were
measured during the flowering stage; (i) culm diameter (cm); and (ii) internodes length (cm).
Harvesting were carried out when 90% of the grains had turned hard, clear and free from
greenish tint (Panda, 2010). The following yield components analysis were determined: (i)
panicle number per hill; (ii) determination of grains per panicle was done by threshing the
grains from the samples and unfilled grains were separated manually from filled grains; (iii)
percentage of filled grains was calculated using a formula (filled grains per panicle/ total
grains per panicle) x 100 (Yoshida et al., 1976); and (iv) 1,000 grain weight (g). Grain yield
(t ha-1) was calculated using this equation proposed by Yoshida (1981):

Y= N * W * F * 10-5

Where Y = grain yield (t ha-1)

N = spikelet number m-2
W = 1,000 grain weight (g) and
F = filled spikelet (%)

Data collected were statistically analysed using two-ways analysis of variance (ANOVA),
and Duncan’s new multiple range test (DMRT) was employed to determine the mean
differences between the treatments using the statistical package, Statistical Analyses
Software (SAS) v9.4.

Results and Discussion

The results revealed no interaction effects of NPK fertilizers and rice varieties on the
physiological characteristics, lodging incidence characteristics and yield component. There
were significant different observed on the plant height, tillers number, percentage of tillers
number, culm diameter, internodes length, panicle number, percentage of filled grains and
1,000 grains weight of different rice varieties. Different levels of NPK exerted significant
effect on culm diameter, internodes length, 1,000 grains weight and grain yield.

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Filipin variety (V2) recorded the highest plant height (145.75 cm), tillers number (19) (Table
1) and percentage of filled grains (80.45%) (Table 2) compared to other traditional varieties.
Most of the local varieties used, recorded higher plant height compared to HYV (TR8), and
this finding is similar with Souki (2015), who stated that traditional varieties can reach about
120-160 cm in height. According to Jahan et al. (2014) and Hosain et al. (2008), varietal
variation in plant height and tillers numbers may due to their genetic make-up. Similar
findings reported by Roy et al. (2014), stated that rice varieties may varies in filled grains
percentage due to their genetic make-up. Most of the traditional varieties recorded lower
panicle numbers compared to HYV and this was similar to findings by Gagandeep et al.
(2016), who stated the variation may due to their difference in genetic make-up.

Lodging incidence in rice plants is mainly influenced by weakening of culm, related with
culm diameter and thickness and internodal length. Plants having larger culm diameter with
shorter internodal length are less susceptible to lodging incidence. Tadong (V1) resulted in
larger culm diameter (0.58 cm) with internodes length of 8.11 cm (Table 1). Serendah Merah
variety (F3) produced the heaviest 1,000 grains weight (29.98 g) (Table 2).

From Table 1, NPK rate of 120:30:90 kg ha-1 (F3) produced the largest culm diameter (0.51
cm) and shortest internodes length (8.90 cm). A larger culm diameter and shorter internode
length increase proportionally with increasing level of NPK, which related to potassium
elements, important in strengthening the culm of rice plant. Sufficient amounts of potassium
in the stem helps in synthesizing high molecular weight compounds like cellulose which
plays an importance role in strengthening the stem (Marschner, 2012). Thus, aids in
preventing the lodging incidence in rice plant.

Table 1. Mean physiological characteristics of rice

Factors Plant Tillers Productive Culm Length of
height number tillers hill-1 diameter internode
(cm) (%) (cm) (cm)
Rice varieties
Tadong (V1) 127.19b 15b 85.78a 0.58a 8.11c
Filipin (V2) 145.75a 19a 83.64a 0.44c 9.88b
Serendah Merah (V3) 137.38c 13b 93.17a 0.44c 17.55a
TR8 (HYV) (V4) 100.13d 18a 92.04a 0.53b 6.41d

NPK rates (kg ha-1)

60:30:30 (F1) 126.02a 16a 86.02a 0.48b 11.39a
90:30:60 (F2) 128.81a 16a 89.40a 0.51a 11.17a
120:30:90 (F3) 128.02a 16a 90.56a 0.51ab 8.90b
*means with different superscript in the same column differ significantly (P<0.05)

240
Table 2. Mean yield attributes of rice
Factors Panicle % Filled 1,000-grain Grain yield (t ha-1)
number grains weight (g)
Rice Varieties
Tadong (V1) 12b 76.51ab 25.80b 3.67b
Filipin (V2) 16a 80.45a 18.78d 4.23ab
Serendah Merah (V3) 12b 76.61ab 29.98a 4.39a
TR8 (HYV) (V4) 17a 71.47b 20.22c 4.02ab

NPK rates (kg ha-1)

60:30:30 (F1) 13a 74.14a 22.46b 3.31b
90:30:60 (F2) 14a 76.18a 23.93a 4.35a
120:30:90 (F3) 15a 78.47a 24.69a 4.58a
*means with different superscript in the same column differ significantly (P<0.05)

Application of F3 also recorded the heaviest 1,000 grains weight (24.69 g) which in line with
grain yield value of 4.58 t ha-1 (Table 2). Fageria (2009) stated that increase in 1,000-grain
weight may due to increase in N–absorption by the plant and advanced photosynthetic rates.
Large amounts of phosphorus derived mainly from that accumulated in leaves before the
flowering stage begins may aid in increasing the 1,000 grains weight (Yoshida, 1981). The
increase in NPK fertilizer rate may have increased the grain yields which may be due to the
adequate supply of nutrients to the crops to produce higher panicle numbers associated with
higher percentage of productive tillers. Further, the increase in NPK rate may aid in higher
spikelet sterility thus contributing to higher rate of grain filling that may increase yields.

Conclusion

Some of the Sabah local traditional varieties have potential to be cultivated because they can
contribute to higher rice yield production and their lodging incidence can be minimized by
the application of NPK. Serendah Merah variety (V3) received with F1 had no significant
different between NPK fertilizer applied, therefore it can be recommended to farmers. The
amount of fertilizer used in treatment F1 (60:30:30 kg ha-1) is the least, thus, it gives an
economical advantage as low fertilizer cost is required to achieve higher yield and better grain
quality. Moreover, this variety also have shorter maturity period of 100-110 DAS which may
enable farmers to cultivate it twice a year, thus, Serendah Merah can be recommended to
farmers. Meanwhile, Tadong variety (V1) gave the best results in vegetative growth related
to lodging incidence characteristics compared to other local traditional varieties.

241
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