Precise nutrient management enhances root growth, nutrient use efficiency, and ratooning ability in rice under acidic paddy soil
In this study, we designed and implemented Precise Nutrient Management (PNM) for ratoon rice in acidic paddy soils to address all the above challenges. PNM not only provided a better nutrient supply that matched crop demand and reduced overall input, but also helped remediate soil constraints during fertilization, thereby improving root growth performance. Two-year field trials combined with a pot experiment were carried out to evaluate growth performance, yield, nutrient use efficiency, and gene expression changes in ratoon rice under PNM relative to farmers' conventional management (FCM). Our results provide practical evidence for a root-centered nutrient strategy and offer a promising approach to optimize nutrient management and improve productivity in ratoon rice.