PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF RICE PLANTS AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COPPER AND NITROGEN FERTILIZERS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Rice Research and Training Center, Sakha, Kafr EI-Sheikh, Egypt

2 Agricultural Botany Dept., Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ., Egypt

Abstract

This investigation was carried out during 1998 and 1999 to identify the
suitable levels of copper and nitrogen fertilizers for raising the productivity of rice
through the enhancement of different physiological criteria. The most important
findings revealed that:
Foliar application of Cu had highly significant effect on plant height. number
of tillers, leaf dry weight. aboveground dry weight. leaf area index (LAI). leaf
area ratio (LAR). crop gro'Nth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net
assimilation rate (NAR). The highest mean values Vlere recorded when
plants were sprayed with copper sulphate at the lellel of 11.5 kglfed.
However. increasing level of sprayed Cu resulted in significant reduction in
all studied traits al different gro'Nth stages.
Soil application of nitrogen had significant posilive effects on all studied
growth characteristics. The higher the nilrogen level the higher the mean
values recorded for plant height, number of tillers, leaf dry weight.
aboveground dry weight, LAI. CGR. RGR and NAR at all growth periods.