Nutrient management to increase rice productivity in dry land

Nutrient application into soil with the right dose and time will support growth and increase rice yield. This study aimed to determine the nutrient management based on differences in the frequency and timing of application in supporting plant growth and increasing rice productivity in dry land. The study was conducted in dry land Gunungkidul, D.I. Yogyakarta, Indonesia, during dry season. NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer at the dose of 300 kg ha-1 and N 46% at the dose of 200 kg ha-1 were used in this research. Nutrient management with three fertilizer applications was compared with farmer practices with two fertilizer applications, repeated 11 times. The results showed that nutrient management increased grain productivity by 1.16 times compared to farmer practices, and straw productivity by 1.02 times. Nutrient management reduced the percentage of empty grain, by 33.63% compared to farmer practice. Nutrient management also increased the tiller number at harvest, and carbon absorption in grain and straw. Adoption of nutrient management at farmer level is user-friendly and gives beneficial impact on nutrient. Nutrient management application can be suitable strategy to support dry land agriculture.