Recommended Planting Months

Suggestions for Better Planting

During the wet season, the recommended fertilizer application follows the 90-30-30 NPK requirement per hectare. The first application, or basal fertilization, is done one day before or on the day of transplanting using a complete fertilizer (14-14-14), with a total of three bags applied. The mid-tillering stage, which occurs 35–40 days after planting, requires one bag of complete fertilizer (14-14-14). For the early panicle initiation stage at 50–60 days after planting, one bag of urea (46-0-0) is applied. Finally, during the flowering stage at 80–85 days after planting, one bag of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) is recommended. In total, seven bags of fertilizer are used throughout the wet season cropping cycle. For the dry season, which follows a moderate fertilization rate of 120-60-60 NPK per hectare, fertilizer application begins similarly with a basal application using five bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) one day before or during transplanting. The mid-tillering stage also requires additional fertilization at 35–40 days after planting, using two bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and one bag of urea (46-0-0). During the early panicle initiation stage at 50–60 days after planting, one bag of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and another bag of urea (46-0-0) are applied. At the flowering stage, also at 80–85 days after planting, one bag of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) is used. Altogether, twelve bags of fertilizer are recommended for dry season production.