Nutrient management for adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi L.)

A study was conducted to determine the response of adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) to nutrient management strategies in a lowland rice area planted after rice with four treatments replicated three times using randomized complete block design. The treatments were: 1 - No fertilizer, 2 - Recommended inorganic fertilizer, 3 - Recommended organic fertilizer and 4-50% recommended inorganic fertilizer + 50% recommended organic fertilizer. Fertilizers were applied at planting and one month after planting. The soil had low nitrogen, medium phosphorus and deficient potassium. The nutrient requirement was 60-30-30. No significant differences were observed on the growth parameters of adlay as influenced by nutrient management strategies. In terms of number of panicles, the fertilized plots had 85% higher number of panicles than the unfertilized plots but the plants with organic fertilizer had comparable number of panicles with the unfertilized plants. The length of panicles at harvest in the fertilized plots was longer of about 84% than the unfertilized. The weight of grains was highest in plots fertilized with 50% inorganic and 50% organic fertilizer which was 82% higher than those fertilized with the full recommended inorganic fertilizer.