Experiments were conducted to find out the optimum level of slow release N fertilizers when total amounts of nitrogen required throughout the growing season in paddy were applied in the soil of seedling box. To evaluate the emergence rate and growth of rice seedlings, five levels of Meister (MS) 10, MS S10, and latex coated urea (LCU) which are equivalent to 0, 40, 60, 80, and 100kg N h a-l were mixed in soil of the seedling box. Emergence rate differed depending on the fertilizers and N levels; in MS 10 plots the emergence rate was 40.8% at 40kg N h a-l and no seedlings were emerged at the higher levels, in MS S10 plots higher than 80% at all the N levels, and decreased with the N levels from 70.0% at 40 kg N h a-l to 59.5% at 100kg N h a-l of LCU. Seedling started to wilt at 40 kg N h a-l of MS 10 and 80 and 100 kg N h a-l N of LCU on the 8th day after sowing, while seedling growth was normal at all the levels of MS S10. Field performance of rice was evaluated at the 0, 30, 60, 90, 120kg N h a-l of MS S10 applied in the soil of seedling box and N was not applied in paddy. Grain yield at 90 and 120kg N h a-l of MS S10 was similar to conventional urea split application (120 kg N h a-l ), but significantly higher compared to 30 and 60kg N h a-l of MS S10. Fertilizer N recovery decreased with N levels and the N recovery at 90 kg N h a-l of MS S10 and conventional urea split application were 62.2 % and 44.2%, respectively, with similar grain yield. The optimum level of MS S10 to be applied in seedling box seems to be about 90 kg N h a-l considering grain yield, price of fertilizer, labor applying fertilizer, and fertilizer N recovery.d fertilizer N recovery

• Suk Soon Lee
• Dong Wook Lee