Chhattisgarh Soil Scientist Explains the Right Way to Top-Dress Urea in Paddy Fields

Dr. A.R. Gaur, a soil scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Balod, has spelled out the correct timing, method and quantity for applying urea to standing paddy so farmers don't waste money and effort on fertiliser that never reaches the crop.

Paddy fields across Balod district in Chhattisgarh have now reached the tillering stage, and farmers are busy applying fertiliser to their standing crop. But Dr. A.R. Gaur, a soil scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Balod, warns that even a small mistake at this stage can waste both the money spent on urea and the labour that goes into applying it.

Why Urea Alone Works Best for Top Dressing
According to Dr. Gaur, applying fertiliser to a standing crop is known as top dressing, and urea is the fertiliser best suited for this stage in paddy. Fertilisers such as DAP, super phosphate and potash should instead be mixed into the soil before sowing or transplanting rather than applied later. That is because phosphorus and potash do not dissolve easily in soil, and plant roots absorb them far more effectively when they are already present in the soil rather than sprayed on top of a standing crop. Applying them later gives the plant much less benefit than expected.

Watch the Water Level in the Field
Dr. Gaur was clear that urea should never be applied when a field is fully flooded with standing water. Doing so causes the urea to wash away or seep down into deeper soil layers, a process known as leaching, so the fertiliser is lost before the plant can absorb the nitrogen. The right condition for top dressing, he said, is a field with just light moisture or shallow puddling, not water standing at full depth.

Spraying DAP or Mixing It With Zinc Backfires
Dr. Gaur also pointed out that some farmers have started spraying DAP directly onto the standing paddy crop these days, which is not the correct method. DAP should always be mixed into the soil before sowing or transplanting; spraying it later does not give the plant its full benefit. He further advised against mixing zinc with DAP for spraying, since combining the two means the plant gets neither the full advantage of phosphorus nor of zinc, as the two fertilisers end up weakening each other's effect.

The Three-Dose Urea Schedule at the Tillering Stage
Dr. Gaur said the paddy crop is currently at the tillering stage, a critical window for top dressing. Applying zinc sulphate along with urea at this point gives the plant both nitrogen and zinc together, which directly helps the crop's growth. As a general rule, paddy needs a total of 70 to 80 kilograms of urea per acre, split across three doses. The first dose of 20 to 25 kilograms per acre should be given within about a week of transplanting. The second dose of 30 to 35 kilograms per acre should follow around 30 to 35 days later, when tillering begins. The third and final dose of 20 to 30 kilograms per acre can then be applied at around 60 days.

What this means for you
This advice affects both a farmer's costs and the eventual paddy yield, since incorrectly applied urea is largely wasted in the soil.

• Across India: Paddy growers in any state can apply this same guidance. Getting the timing, water condition and quantity of urea right means the money spent on fertiliser is not wasted and yields improve.
• In Balod and Chhattisgarh: Local paddy crops are currently at the tillering stage, so farmers there need to plan their second urea dose within the next few days and check field water levels before applying it.
• Cost savings: Splitting the recommended 70 to 80 kilograms of urea per acre into three separate doses reduces the amount lost to runoff or careless spraying.
• DAP planning: Farmers now need to mix DAP into the soil before sowing rather than spraying it later on a standing crop.

Questions & Answers

1. What is top dressing?
Top dressing means applying fertiliser directly to a standing crop rather than mixing it into the soil beforehand.

2. Which fertiliser is best for top dressing paddy?
Dr. A.R. Gaur recommends using urea as the main fertiliser for top dressing paddy.

3. When should DAP, super phosphate and potash be applied?
These should be mixed into the soil before sowing or transplanting, not applied as top dressing later.

4. Why is applying urea harmful when a field is flooded?
When the field is fully flooded, urea washes away with the water or is lost to leaching before the plant can use it.

5. How much total urea does paddy need per acre?
The general recommendation is 70 to 80 kilograms of urea per acre, split across three doses.

6. What should be mixed with urea at the tillering stage?
Dr. Gaur says mixing zinc sulphate with urea at the tillering stage can benefit the crop.

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