Decreased lodging and increased stalk strength are associated with proper K nutrition Therefore, the effect of K treatments on lodging of Baldo tall rice variety was studied at Qulin, Missouri (USA) in 1999 and 2000. A silty loam soil having 123 kg NH4OAc extractable K/ha was used. Preplant application consisted of 54 kg K2O/ha and midseason of two applications of 27 kg K2O/ha, using KCl as K source. Two applications of 14 kg K2O/ha as potassium nitrate (2 * 30 kg = 60 kg KNO3/ha) were compared to soil-applied KCl. Lodging of Baldo was significantly reduced by foliar applications with potassium nitrate at midseason (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Effect of K treatments on lodging of Baldo tall rice variety averaged across 1999 and 2000.