Impact of a Novel Slow-Release Fertiliser on Crop Yield, Soil Condition, and Nutrient Availability for Paddy Plantation in Bario, Malaysia

A newly developed fertiliser, namely Xpike having a trade centre mechanism to release nutrients to plants as needed and containing both macronutrients and micronutrients, has been developed. This research aims to investigate its application rate, the capability to maintain good soil pH, microbial activities, and crop yield in a paddy field in Bario, Malaysia. Four different Xpike treatments with three duplications for each treatment and a controlled block using a conventional fertiliser were applied via the randomised block design. It was found that Xpike gives a 44.39% higher yield as compared to the conventional fertiliser, while the optimum Xpike dosage is at 300 kg/ha. After the application of Xpike, the soil pH shifted and was maintained at an average range of pH 5.4 to 5.8, which is the preferable pH for paddy plantation. There were five bacteria colonies identified in the paddy soils, namely Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium perfringens, Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas, and Streptomyces venezuelae. Except for Clostridium perfringens, which is a common type of soil pathogen, other bacteria colonies are beneficial bacteria that can promote the plant growth and biological control of pathogens. Xpike can increase the rice yield, maintain optimum soil pH, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.