Abstract:This study investigated the effects of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers and urea topdressing on the photosynthetic parameters, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accumulation, yield components and economic returns of rice. Lindao 16 was used as the test cultivar in a field experiment with a total nitrogen application rate of 284 kg/ha. Four fertilization treatments were established: A, conventional farmer fertilization; B, basal application of controlled-release fertilizer and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers without topdressing; C, basal application of compound fertilizer with urea topdressing at the tillering and panicle differentiation stages; and D, basal application of compound fertilizer and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers with urea topdressing at the regreening, tillering, and panicle differentiation stages. The results showed that, compared with conventional fertilization, the application of slow- and controlled-release fertilizer and staged nitrogen topdressing significantly improved the photosynthetic characteristics of rice, including net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. The treatment with basal application of controlled-release fertilizer produced the highest average number of grains per panicle, reaching 142 grains. Compared with conventional farmer fertilization, grain yield increased by 10.3% under treatment B, 13.5% under treatment C, and 16.3% under treatment D. Among the different fertilization practices, treatment B, involving basal application of controlled-release fertilizer, produced the highest economic returns, which were more than 3.7% higher per hectare than those under the treatments involving two or three applications of nitrogen fertilizer. Therefore, the application of slow- and controlled-release fertilizer is an effective measure for increasing rice yield and farmers’income.