MOET and LCC; Technology Behind Nutrient Management

MOET and LCC; Technology Behind Nutrient Management

Nyle A. Pardillo, MS-Crop Science

            PalayCheck is a dynamic rice crop management system that presents the best key technology and management practices as keychecks, compares farmer practices with the best practices and learns through farmer’s discussion group to sustain improvement in productivity, profitability and environment safety. Palaycheck is simply learning, checking and sharing for best farming practice. One of the keychecks in PalayCheck system is keycheck 5. Keycheck 5 talks about sufficient nutrients from tillering to early panicle initiation and flowering stages. To manage this keycheck, MOET (Minus One Element Technique) and LCC (Leaf Color Chart) are the two technologies that could help in attaining a check mark in this keycheck.

         

     MOET or the minus one element technique is fast and reliable technique in testing the nutrient deficiency of the soil. It is not expensive and results will be known immediately. This can be done under field conditions. Soils will be collected in the field, cleaned and mixed before putting on the container. The soil will be watered simulating rice field conditions and then fertilizers in the MOET kit will be mixed in the designated container. One type of fertilizer will be put in every container. Rice seedlings will be planted after fertilizers are mixed in the soil. Put the container in an area where it is exposed directly to sunlight and cannot be harmed by animals. After one month of observation, if the rice plant under a specific minus element container is not growing well, then there is a deficiency of that nutrient in soil. Fertilizer recommendations will be based on the notes found in the MOET kit.

       

        On the other hand, LCC or leaf color chart is a tool used in determining the nitrogen content of the rice plants by comparing the color of the instrument to the color of the leaf. It is cheap, handy, fast and reliable in determining the nitrogen deficiency of the plant. Just select ten random leaf samples and matched the color of the leaf with the color of the leaf color chart. There are levels of color from yellowish green (No. 2) that represents nitrogen deficient and dark green (No. 5) which represents high or enough content of nitrogen. Just select ten random samples of leaves in the rice field and match the color. If more than half of the sample leaves have reading No. 2, then  it is nitrogen deficient and fertilizer containing nitrogen will be applied. If more than half of the sample leaves have reading No 3, 4 or 5, then no need to apply nitrogen containing fertilizers. Recommendations will be found at the back of the LCC tool.

         MOET and LCC are important in managing the nutrients of the rice plants. MOET helps to determine the right kind of fertilizer that the rice plants need based on the reaction of the plants to the MOET set-up. LCC helps to determine the right timing of nitrogen fertilizer application to the rice plants as nitrogen is highly mobile and most consume nutrients by rice plants. By using these technologies, farmers can save money as well as they can help the environment by reducing the application of inorganic fertilizers that causes global warming.

Plants really need nutrients in order for them to grow healthy. Nutrient should be managed well to protect the plants from pests attacked. If the rice plants have too much nutrients, then it is prone to diseases and insect pests. However, if the rice plants have enough nutrients to take and sustain throughout its development, then it will grow healthy resulting to higher yield.