Response of rice yield and quality to nano-fertilizers in comparison with conventional fertilizers

Nano-fertilizers propose new techniques to be used for crop management. Present study investigated the influence of conventional and nano-fertilizers on grain yield and quality of two rice cultivars (Tarom and Shiroudi) in 2016 and 2017. The treatments included 10 nano and/or conventional fertilizers, i.e., control (without fertilizer), conventional nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and NPK and nano-N (nN), nano-P (nP), nano-K (nK), and nano-NPK (nNPK) and its combination (NPK + nNPK). Results showed that application of conventional and nano-fertilizers, particular in NPK, nNPK and its combination (NPK + nNPK) increased the grain yield (11.24–149.78% in Tarom and 16.86–95.85% in Shiroudi cultivars) and milled rice yield (25.33–157.35% in Tarom and 16.05–112.39% in Shiroudi cultivars). Fertilization treatments, especially N, nN, nNPK and NPK + nNPK, improved the grain quality by increasing milling quality (brown, milled and head rice rate), elongation ratio and gelatinization temperature and reduction of gel consistency and amylose content. Between fertilizer forms, application of nN and nNPK significantly increased the grain yield and milled rice yield as compared to their conventional forms (N and NPK). Moreover, quality (milling quality, elongation ratio, gel consistency and amylose content) of rice grains fertilized with nK was higher than that K. However, the highest grain quality was observed in N, nN, nNPK and NPK + nNPK fertilizer, while application of nNPK and NPK + nNPK were more effective on grain and milled rice production. According to the obtained results, application of nNPK can be an effective approach to obtain a balance between rice yield and quality, along with maintaining fertilizers efficiency.