Abstract
A field study to evaluate the effect of single vs. split application of nitrogen at different growth stages on agronomic traits of rice Basmati-385 was conducted at the agronomic research area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during 1998. The whole of P and K were applied each @ 75 kg ha" at the time of transplanting while N @ 125 kg ha" was applied; full at transplanting, full at tillering, full at panicle emergence, 1/2 at transplanting + 1/2 at tillering, 1/2 at tillering + 1/2 at panicle emergence stage, 1/2· at transplanting + 1/2 at panicle emergence stage and 1/3 at transplanting + 1/3 at tillering + 1/3 at panicle emergence stage. Nitrogen. as split application at different growth stages significantly affected leaf area per plant, number of spikelets per panicle, lOOO-grainweight, grain and straw yields. Nitrogen applied in three equal splits each at sowing, tillering and panicle emergence stage gave the highest paddy yield of 4.92 t ha" which was statistically at par ~th that obtained from N split application as 1/2 at tillering + 1/2 at panicle emergence stage (4.90 t ha"). Nitrogen applied full at sowing also produced higher yield (4.73 t ha") against the minimum of 4.29 t ha:' in plots given full nitrogen at panicle emergence. Key words: Single and split application of nitrogen, growth stages, agronomic traits, basmati-385.
