**Abstract**

Soil fertility and plant nutrition remained main pillars of agricultural sciences in twentieth century. However, due to recent interest in achievement of sustainability and restricted natural resources, importance of soil fertility and plant nutrition is expected to be increased many folds in twenty-first century. Therefore, increasing rice crop yield under such scenario will require judicious and efficient use of mineral sources of nutrient with combination of natural resources, recycling of bioavailable nutrients, and genetic modification of crops for efficient nutrient utilization. There is an increasing pressure on agricultural land to produce sufficient amount of food needed to feed the growing global population. The pressure is associated with changing weather patterns related to fluctuations in rainfall and temperature, supply of fertilizers inflating price associated with energy demand, which is very closely linked with weather patterns and reducing soil fertility. Increasing rice yield under these constraints will require a rational use of chemical fertilizers with increase the use of natural resources of nutrition, recycling of plant available nutrients, and an exploitation of the genetic potential of crop species to make efficient use of nutrients a key feature to establish smart plant nutrition management in the recent global climate change scenario.

**Keywords:** rice, mineral nutrition, aerobic, flooded soil, climate change

## **1. Introduction**

Rice is the world dominant food crop, that is, widely adapted to a variety of climatic zones (temperate, tropical, sub-tropical and semiarid) in all continents [1]. Since differences exist in growth conditions and yields of upland and low land rice resultantly their nutritional requirements are also different [2]. In case of low land rice due to conducive environmental and growth conditions, crop yield positively respond to application of fertilizers. On the other hand, for upland rice, inadequacy of water especially at the stage of flowering resulted in significant yield reductions and crop yield response to application of fertilizers in not evident is the world dominant food crop widely distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical, semiarid and temperate zones of all continents [3]. This crop is dominant due to two major factors as more breeding work done for it and secondly grown mostly on better irrigated land. Based on land and water management, rice culture is

categorized as upland and low land crop. Upland rice refers to rice grown on both flat and sloping field that are prepared and seeded under dryland conditions and depend on rainfall for moisture. This is also termed as dryland, rainfed and aerobic rice. Low land rice is grown on flat land with controlled irrigation, it is also known as flooded, irrigated and water logged soil. About 76% of the world rice production comes from irrigated area [3, 4].

Nutrient requirements for upland and lowland rice are different due to differences in yield levels and growing conditions. In low land rice, environmental conditions are most stable and favorable for plant growth and high fertilizer application can ensure high yields. But in case of upland rice, inadequate water particularly around flowering mostly reduced yield significantly and at the end there is little or no differences in yield between well fertilized and unfertilized crops [3, 5].

Soil fertility is the major constraint in upland rice production, as rice grown in naturally drained soil without surface water accumulation. Soil acidity, low cation exchange capacity, and high P fixation capacity are the major soil chemical properties affecting upland rice production [3]. In the era of climate change, the carbon dioxide content increased in the atmosphere this impact lead to less nutritious rice a serious issue for human kind due to huge consumption of rice as food, so it's a dire need of time to recommend a precise amount of mineral nutrient in growth environment for healthy growth of rice in this climate change situation. The basic premise of this chapter was to highlight the smart mineral nutrition management approach for the growth of rice under aerobic and flooded soil condition.

### **2. Nutrient stress**

Nutrient stresses refer to deficiencies of essential plant nutrients as well as toxicities. Nutrient deficiencies are more common than toxicities in many arable lands around the world as mentioned in **Table 1** [4].

In the 1980s and 1990s evidence accumulated that nutrient depletion is problem in many tropical soils. If nutrient stress is not alleviated, crop yields are decreased and soils cannot support adequate plant growth. Under this situation, soil degradation starts. If the land continues to be used for crop production, crop yields become so low that farmers have to abandon the degraded areas. Approximately 1/4th of the earth's soils are considered to produce some kind of mineral stress in crops [3, 4, 6].

### **2.1 Nutrient stresses alleviation system**

For the assessment of efficient working of nutrient management practices on sustainable basis, soil testing need to be done frequently. Soil testing is one of the keys to success of cost-effective, environmentally benign and effective sustainable farming program [4]. Soils on which rice grows varied in texture, climate, pH, salt content, organic matter content and nutrient availability [7]. Fertilizer recommendation for a given crop should be based on series of research trials, the results should then fit on response functions and then profitability should be calculated by using economic variables and equations in order to calculate optimum doses of fertilizers. Following outcomes are achieved by adopting adequate soil fertility in terms of prevention of land degradation.

i.Adequate fertility gives the crop a better vigor at early stages and good canopy cover which protect the soil from erosion.

**155**

*Smart Nutrition Management of Rice Crop under Climate Change Environment*

**Element Deficiency (D)/toxicity (T) Critical level Plant part Growth stage** N D 2.5% Leaf blade Tillering P D 0.1% Straw Maturity

K D 1.0% Straw Maturity

Ca D 0.15% Straw Maturity Mg D 0.10% Straw Maturity S D 0.10% Straw Maturity Fe D 70 ppm Leaf blade Tillering

Zn D 20 ppm Shoot Tillering

Mn D 20 ppm Shoot Tillering

B D 3.4 ppm Straw Maturity

Cu D 6 ppm Straw Maturity

AI T 30 ppm Shoot Tillering

*Deficiency and toxicity of essential plant nutrients along with critical level content at different growth stages of* 

T 1.0% Straw Maturity

D 1.0% Leaf blade Tillering

T 300 ppm Leaf blade Tillering

T 1500 ppm Straw Maturity

T 2500 ppm Shoot Tillering

T 100 ppm Straw Maturity

T 30 ppm Straw Maturity

ii.After crop harvesting provision of more crop remains on soil surface provide the soil protection against wind and water erosion and buildup of soil organic matter status thereby, increasing soil potential for crop raising on

iii.An improvement efficient utilization of nutrients by crops results due to adequate fertility, which gives both economic and environmental benefits. Balanced NPK fertilization results in enhancement of nitrogen utilization efficiency. Thereby, mitigating nitrogen losses due to leaching and safe guard

iv.Adequate soil fertility results in water conservation by increasing crop water

v.Adequate soil fertility maximize the outcomes from crop due to positive interaction with other production inputs like tillage practices, pest control

Under the scenario of global climate change, placement of fertilizer is also integral component of efficient crop management in addition to adequate rate of fertilizer. Placement of fertilizers has role in nutrient utilization and ultimately on crop yield. Placement of nutrients (N, P and K) in the form of band is preferred

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86094*

long term basis.

**Table 1.**

*rice plant.*

use efficiency.

the ground waters from nitrate pollution.

management, selection of crop variety etc.

over broad casting due to many reasons, for example,


*Smart Nutrition Management of Rice Crop under Climate Change Environment DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86094*

### **Table 1.**

*Protecting Rice Grains in the Post-Genomic Era*

comes from irrigated area [3, 4].

crops [3, 5].

soil condition.

**2. Nutrient stress**

categorized as upland and low land crop. Upland rice refers to rice grown on both flat and sloping field that are prepared and seeded under dryland conditions and depend on rainfall for moisture. This is also termed as dryland, rainfed and aerobic rice. Low land rice is grown on flat land with controlled irrigation, it is also known as flooded, irrigated and water logged soil. About 76% of the world rice production

Nutrient requirements for upland and lowland rice are different due to differences in yield levels and growing conditions. In low land rice, environmental conditions are most stable and favorable for plant growth and high fertilizer application can ensure high yields. But in case of upland rice, inadequate water particularly around flowering mostly reduced yield significantly and at the end there is little or no differences in yield between well fertilized and unfertilized

Soil fertility is the major constraint in upland rice production, as rice grown in naturally drained soil without surface water accumulation. Soil acidity, low cation exchange capacity, and high P fixation capacity are the major soil chemical properties affecting upland rice production [3]. In the era of climate change, the carbon dioxide content increased in the atmosphere this impact lead to less nutritious rice a serious issue for human kind due to huge consumption of rice as food, so it's a dire need of time to recommend a precise amount of mineral nutrient in growth environment for healthy growth of rice in this climate change situation. The basic premise of this chapter was to highlight the smart mineral nutrition management approach for the growth of rice under aerobic and flooded

Nutrient stresses refer to deficiencies of essential plant nutrients as well as toxicities. Nutrient deficiencies are more common than toxicities in many arable

In the 1980s and 1990s evidence accumulated that nutrient depletion is problem in many tropical soils. If nutrient stress is not alleviated, crop yields are decreased and soils cannot support adequate plant growth. Under this situation, soil degradation starts. If the land continues to be used for crop production, crop yields become so low that farmers have to abandon the degraded areas. Approximately 1/4th of the earth's soils are considered to produce some kind of mineral stress in crops [3, 4, 6].

For the assessment of efficient working of nutrient management practices on sustainable basis, soil testing need to be done frequently. Soil testing is one of the keys to success of cost-effective, environmentally benign and effective sustainable farming program [4]. Soils on which rice grows varied in texture, climate, pH, salt content, organic matter content and nutrient availability [7]. Fertilizer recommendation for a given crop should be based on series of research trials, the results should then fit on response functions and then profitability should be calculated by using economic variables and equations in order to calculate optimum doses of fertilizers. Following outcomes are achieved by adopting adequate soil fertility in

i.Adequate fertility gives the crop a better vigor at early stages and good

canopy cover which protect the soil from erosion.

lands around the world as mentioned in **Table 1** [4].

**2.1 Nutrient stresses alleviation system**

terms of prevention of land degradation.

**154**

*Deficiency and toxicity of essential plant nutrients along with critical level content at different growth stages of rice plant.*


Under the scenario of global climate change, placement of fertilizer is also integral component of efficient crop management in addition to adequate rate of fertilizer. Placement of fertilizers has role in nutrient utilization and ultimately on crop yield. Placement of nutrients (N, P and K) in the form of band is preferred over broad casting due to many reasons, for example,


Implementation of this system to any cropping system results in optimization of nutrient management and reduction of soil degradation. In addition improvement in soil nutritional deficiencies and reduction in land degradation also be achieved by the exploitation of genetic variability of plants in terms of nutrient absorption and utilization. Efforts are being made around the globe to make use of genetic resources in order to genetically modify the crop cultivars to produce such cultivars that are more efficient and productive under stressed environments [3–6, 8, 9].
