When to Apply Foliar Fertilizer to Rice, and at What Temperature Should It Be Used?

SummaryFoliar fertilizer can be sprayed on rice at the late booting, initial heading, grain-filling and full heading stages. During the heading and flowering stage, it should be sprayed in the morning before flowering and after 4 p.m., while at the late booting and grain-filling stages, it should be sprayed on sunny days before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Generally, the suitable temperature for spraying foliar fertilizer is 8-25°C.

I. Timing of Spraying Foliar Fertilizer on Rice

Foliar fertilizer can be sprayed on rice at the late booting, initial heading, grain-filling and full heading stages. During the heading and flowering stage, it needs to be sprayed in the morning before flowering and after 4 p.m., while at the late booting and grain-filling stages, it can be sprayed on sunny days before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m. The suitable temperature for spraying foliar fertilizer is 8-25°C.

II. Methods of Spraying Foliar Fertilizer on Rice

1. You need 35g of foliar fertilizer, then mix it with 15-20kg of clean water (the amount of water differs for each brand), and dissolve and stir it thoroughly.

2. Use equipment with a good spraying effect to spray it evenly on the rice leaves. Note that you should not spray back and forth, which helps avoid excess nutrients.

3. During this period, you need to master the spraying time well. After each spraying, you can wait 10-15 days before spraying again, which helps the plants fully absorb the nutrients.

III. Precautions for Spraying Foliar Fertilizer on Rice

1. Processing liquid fertilizer

(1) Various quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, monopotassium phosphate, triacontanol, silkworm droppings, borax, human and livestock urine, etc. can all be used as foliar fertilizer. The dosage per mu is not large, and they first need to be processed into liquid fertilizer.

(2) One day before spraying quick-acting chemical fertilizers, they need to be dissolved with 5-10 times the amount of water to prevent excessive spraying from burning and killing the rice leaves. Human and livestock urine should first be placed in a pit to decompose. Silkworm droppings can be dissolved with 10 times the amount of water, filtered after 24 hours, and then diluted with enough water for spraying. Borax needs to be crushed first, then fully stirred with a small amount of water into a concentrated liquid, and then diluted with enough water for spraying.

2. Techniques

The prepared solution should be uniform, the mist droplets should be even and fine when spraying, and the number of sprayings should be determined according to the growth condition of the rice.

3. Concentration

(1) Generally, the concentration of foliar fertilization is directly related to the spraying effect. It should mainly be prepared according to the fertilizer, the crop and local conditions. If the foliar fertilizer concentration is too high, it will easily burn the rice leaves, while if it is too low, it will not achieve the effect.

(2) If rice foliar fertilizer is used properly, it can effectively improve the plant's disease resistance, yield, etc. Therefore, you must follow the instructions and make adjustments according to the actual situation. Remember not to apply it blindly.

IV. Benefits of Spraying Foliar Fertilizer on Rice

1. Foliar fertilizer can improve the crop's own microcirculation, promote root growth and development, enhance the ability to absorb nutrients and water, strengthen photosynthesis, and promote the synthesis of protein and chlorophyll.

2. It can also increase effective tillering, strengthen the plants, resist low temperatures and lodging, effectively prevent physiological diseases, enhance pollen vitality, increase the pollination rate, increase the effective panicle rate and 1000-grain weight, reduce blighted and diseased grains, enable rice to mature more than 7 days earlier, and increase yield by 20-30%.