Fertilizer and Water Management Status and Technical Strategies in Rice Production in Jianghan Plain

Fertilizer and water management status in rice production in Jianghan plain, Hubei province was investigated by using questionnaires.The results showed that the main problems in rice fertilization management were irrational nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rate and assignment, low ratio of P2O5/ N and K2O/N, and neglect of micro-element fertilizers.The main problems in rice field water management were high water layer in early stage, irrational initiation to drain paddy field or no drainage in late tillering stage, and too early to stop irrigation or to drain the paddy field in ripening stage.Based on the above problems flexible fertilization and water management techniques were proposed as follows:Balanced fertilization tech-niques with focus on regulating N fertilizer rate, increasing potash application rate and Zn fertilizer supplement according to nutrient characteristics of rice cultivar tested; About 10% of the total N fertilizer was suggested to apply in the ripening stage to increase 1000-grain weight and N use efficiency by using the rice tiller amount in paddy field as an index to drain and to control the ineffective tiller; Prolonging water supply period in late ripening period so as to meet the second grain-filling demand and increase 1000-grain weight and the grain yield.