Simulation of salt and water movement and estimation of water productivity of rice crop irrigated with saline water

The HYDRUS-ID model was experimentally tested for water balance and salt build up in soil under rice crop irrigated with different salinity water (ECiw) of 0.4, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 dS m⁻¹ in micro-lysimeters filled with sandy loam soil. Differences of means between measured (M) and HYDRUS-1D predicted (P) values of bottom flux (Q _o) and leachate EC as tested by paired t test were not found significant at P = 0.05 and a close agreement between RMSE values showed the applicability of the HYDRUS-1D to simulate percolation and salt concentration in the micro-lysimeters under rice crop. Potential ET values of rice as obtained from CROPWAT matched well with model predicted and measured one at all ECiw treatments. The model predicted root water uptake varied from 66.1 to 652.7 mm and the maximum daily salt concentration in the root zone was 0.46, 2.3, 4.5, 6.7, 8.4 and 10.2 me cm⁻³ in 0.4, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 dS m⁻¹ ECiw treatments, respectively. The grain production per unit evapotranspiration ( \textWP_{\textET\texta} {\text{WP}}_{{{\text{ET}}_{\text{a}} }} ) value of 2.56 in ECiw of 0.4 dS m⁻¹ treatment declined to 1.31 with ECiw of 2 dS m⁻¹. The \textWP_{\textET\texta} {\text{WP}}_{{{\text{ET}}_{\text{a}} }} reduced to one-fifth when percolation was included in the productivity determination. Similarly, the water productivity in respect of total dry matter production (TDM) was also reduced in different treatments. Therefore, the model predicted values of water balance can be effectively utilized to calculate the water productivity of rice crop.     

气温及水肥管理方式对中稻田甲烷排放的影响

 采用计算机控制的全自动气相色谱监测系统，对中稻田4个处理进行了130个日夜的甲烷排放量的监测，各处理中以无机肥＋绿肥＋长期淹灌处理的甲烷排放通量最高，为464.0 mg/m²·d，最低的为无机肥＋绿肥＋间歇灌溉处理，只有180.5 mg/m²·d。水稻生长前半期是甲烷排放高峰期，除长期淹灌的处理外，其它处理在移栽后65 d的排放量约占总排放量的77%~93%。甲烷排放量与气温呈正相关。搁田可明显减少甲烷的排放量。     

Nitrous oxide emission measurement with acetylene inhibition method in paddy fields under flood conditions

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission from flooded rice paddy fields was continuously measured by the closed chamber method at an experimental plot in Thailand for a whole cultivation period. To characterize the N₂O emission with regard to the denitrification N loss, the C₂H₂ inhibition method was applied. Flood water on the soil greatly suppressed the N₂O emission. The N₂O emission was mitigated considerably by even a thin film of the flood water. The overall average N₂O emissions under flood conditions for one crop season (83 days) at the control site and the C₂H₂ treated site were 10.3 and 11.8 μg N m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. The N₂O emission from the C₂H₂ treated site was consistently higher than that from the control site and the N₂O emission from both sites followed the same diurnal and seasonal variation pattern, indicating the effect of denitrification inhibition by the supplied C₂H₂. The N₂O emission enhanced along with temperature increase when NO₃–N concentration in the soil water was above 0.4 mg N l⁻¹ and soil temperature was above 24°C, suggesting specific temperature influence over the emission. The increase in NO₃–N concentration and temperature in the soil affected only the N₂O emission while the difference in the emission at the C₂H₂ treated site and the control site was not so much affected. It was suggested that most of the actively produced N₂O under higher NO₃–N concentration and temperature would likely to quickly emit to the atmosphere rather than to undergo further reduction to N₂.     

Surface and subsurface losses of N and P from salt-affected rice paddy fields of Saemangeum reclaimed land in South Korea

The present study was carried out to evaluate nutrient losses that occur during the course of agricultural activity from rice paddy fields of reclaimed tidal flat. For this study, we chose a salt-affected rice paddy field located in the Saemangeum reclaimed tidal area, which is located on the western South Korean coasts. The plot size was 1,000 m² (40 m × 25 m) with three replicates. The soil belonged to the Gwanghwal series, i.e., it was of the coarse silty, mixed, mesic type of Typic Haplaquents (saline alluvial soil). The input quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus (as chemical fertilizer) into the experimental rice paddy field were 200 kg N ha⁻¹ and 51 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ per annum, and the respective input quantities of each due to precipitation were 9.3–12.9 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0.4–0.7 kg P ha⁻¹ per annum. In terms of irrigation water, these input quantities were 4.5–8.2 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0.3–0.9 kg P ha⁻¹ per annum, respectively. Losses of these nutrients due to surface runoff were 22.5–38.1 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0.7–2.2 kg P ha⁻¹ for the year 2003, and 26.8–29.6 kg N ha⁻¹ and 1.6–1.9 kg P ha⁻¹ for the year 2004, respectively. Losses of these nutrients due to subsurface infiltration during the irrigation period were 0.44–0.67 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0.03–0.04 kg P ha⁻¹ for the year 2003, and 0.15–0.16 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0.05–0.06 kg P ha⁻¹ for 2004. When losses of nitrogen and phosphorus were compared to the amount of nutrients supplied by chemical fertilizers, it was found that 11.3–19.1% of nitrogen and 0.5–1.7% of phosphorus were lost via surface runoff, whereas subsurface losses accounted to 0.2–0.8% for nitrogen and only 0.02–0.04% for phosphorus during the 2-year study period.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from paddy fields under different water managements in southeast China

Water management is recognized as one of the most important factors in regulating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from paddy fields. In China, controlled irrigation (CI) is widely applied because it has been proved highly effective in saving water. During the rice-growing season, the soil in CI paddy fields remains dry 60–80% of the time compared with soil irrigated by traditional methods. This study aims to assess N₂O emissions from paddy fields under CI, with traditional irrigation (TI) as the control. The cumulative N₂O emission from CI paddy fields was 2.5 kg N ha⁻¹, which was significantly greater than that from TI paddy fields (1.0 kg N ha⁻¹) (P < 0.05). Soil drying caused substantial N₂O emissions. The majority (73.9%) of the cumulative N₂O emission from CI paddy fields was observed during the drying phase, whereas no substantial N₂O emissions were observed when the soil was re-wetted after the drying phase. More and significantly higher peaks of N₂O emissions from CI paddy fields (P < 0.05) were also detected. These peaks were observed ~8 days after fertilizer application at water-filled pore spaces (WFPS) ranging from 78.0 to 83.5%, soil temperature ranging from 29.1 to 29.4°C, and soil redox potential (Eh) values ranging from +207.5 to +256.7 mV. The highest N₂O emission was measured 8 days after the application of base fertilizer at a WFPS of 79.0%, soil temperature of 29.1°C, and soil Eh value of +207.5 mV. These results suggest that N₂O emissions may be reduced obviously by keeping the WFPS higher than 83.5% within 10 days after each fertilizer application, especially when the soil temperature is suitable.     

Recycling of rice straw to improve wheat yield and soil fertility and reduce atmospheric pollution

Burning of rice straw is a common practice in northwest India, where rice–wheat cropping system is extensively followed. The practice results in loss of nutrients, atmospheric pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. A field experiment was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India during the rabi season (November to April) of 2002–2003 to evaluate the efficacy of the various modes of rice straw recycling in soil in improving yield and soil fertility and reducing not only carbon dioxide emission but also nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission. The treatment with no rice straw incorporation and application of recommended doses of fertilizer (120, 26 and 50 kg N, P and K ha⁻¹, respectively), gave the highest yield of wheat. Treatments with the incorporation of rice straw at 5 Mg ha⁻¹ with additional amount of inorganic N (60 kg N ha⁻¹) or inoculation of microbial culture had similar grain yields to that of the treatment with no straw incorporation. The lowest yield was recorded in the plots where rice straw was incorporated in soil without additional inorganic N and with manure application. All the treatments with rice straw incorporation had larger soil organic C despite the effect on the mineralisation of soil organic matter. Emission of N₂O was more when additional N was added with rice straw and secondary when straw was added to the soil because of higher microbial activity. The study showed that burning of rice straw could be avoided without affecting yield of wheat crop by incorporating rice straw in soil with an additional dose of inorganic N or microbial inoculation. However, the reduction of N₂O emission due to avoiding burning is in part counterbalanced by an increase in emission during the subsequent wheat cultivation.     

Spatial variation of infiltration rate and compactness in paddy fields

Percolation loss of water in rice fields is a major cause of low water use efficiency. Variation of infiltration rate and soil compactness in four paddy fields (with clay, silty clay, clay loam, and loam textures) was investigated in northern Iran. In each field, in longitudinal and transverse directions, points located 0.5, 2.5, 6.5, 12.5, … m from the bunds were selected and water infiltration rate and resistance to penetration of a pocket penetrometer were measured. The results showed that in clay soil, average final infiltration rate (f _c) in longitudinal direction, transverse direction, and center of the field was 0.216, 0.136, and 0.08 cm day⁻¹, respectively. The f _c for loamy soil was 2.77, 2.32, and 0.409 cm day⁻¹, respectively. Similar differences were observed in the other two soil textures. In general, effect of direction of the field for measuring infiltration rate was not statistically significant. Loam and clay loam soils, with resistance to penetration of 0.37 and 0.33 kg cm⁻², were not significantly different. But, clay and silty clay soils with resistance to penetration of 0.25 and 0.14 kg cm⁻² were significantly different (P < 0.05). Resistance to penetration of the penetrometer was not affected significantly (P < 0.05) by direction of measuring this parameter in the field. The conclusion is that if measured soil physical properties in a paddy field are going to be representative of the whole field, they should be measured at different locations, especially near the bunds. Another strategy for obtaining a representative infiltration rate or compactness for a paddy field is uniform puddling of the field.     

Influence of irrigation frequency on greenhouse gases emission from a paddy soil

Water management is known to be a key factor on methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from paddy soils. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of continuous irrigation (CI) and intermittent irrigation (II) on these emissions. Methane, CO₂, and N₂O emissions from a paddy soil were sampled weekly using a semi-static closed chamber and quantified with the photoacoustic technique from May to November 2011 in Amposta (Ebro Delta, NE Spain). Intermittent irrigation of rice paddies significantly stimulated (N₂O + N₂)–N emission, whereas no substantial N₂O emission was observed when the soil was re-wetted after the dry phase. The cumulative emission of (N₂O + N₂)–N was significantly larger from the II plots (0.73 kg N₂O–N ha^?1 season^–1, P < 0.05) than from the CI plots (?1.40 kg N₂O–N ha^?1 season^?1). Draining prior to harvesting increased N₂O emissions. Draining and flooding cycles controlled CO₂ emission. The cumulative CO₂ emission from II was 8416.35 kg CO₂ ha^?1 season^?1, significantly larger than that from CI (6045.26 kg CO₂ ha^?1 season^?1, P < 0.05). Lower CH₄ emission due to water drainage increased CO₂ emissions. The soil acted as a sink of CH₄ for both types of irrigation. Neither N₂O–N nor CH₄ emissions were affected by soil temperature. Global warming potential was the highest in II (4738.39 kg CO₂ ha^?1) and the lowest in CI (3463.41 kg CO₂ ha^?1). These findings suggest that CI can significantly mitigate the integrative greenhouse effect caused by CH₄ and N₂O from paddy fields while ensuring the highest rice yield.     

Comparison of methanotrophic bacteria, methane oxidation activity, and methane emission in rice fields fertilized with anaerobically digested slurry between a fodder rice and a normal rice variety

Methane oxidation activity (MOA), methanotrophic bacteria (MOB), and CH₄ emission in a paddy field fertilized with anaerobically digested slurry were compared between two varieties: a fodder rice variety Leaf star (LS) and a normal rice variety Kinuhikari (KN). Average MOA and MOB per unit dry root were significantly higher in KN (7.1?μmol?g^?1 CH₄?g^?1 dry root h^?1 and 3.7?×?10⁷ MPN?g^?1 dry root, respectively) than in LS (4.3?μmol?g^?1 CH₄?g^?1 dry root h^?1, 2.1?×?10⁷ MPN?g^?1 dry root), although MOA in the rice root per whole plant was not significantly different since root biomass of LS (1.5?g dry root plant^?1) was significantly higher than that of KN (1.2?g dry root plant^?1). MOA in the soil ranged from 0.031 to 0.087?μmol?g^?1 CH₄?g^?1 dry soil h^?1, but there were no significant differences in both depths (0–5 and 5–15?cm) between the two rice varieties. MOA in the rhizosphere soil was significantly different between the rice varieties at flowering, but not at tillering. Methane emission in the field was lower and MOA and MOB in the rice root were higher in LS than in KN at tillering, but the reverse results were found at flowering and maturity stages. Total CH₄ emission during a growing period was not significantly different between LS (27.4?±?16.9?g CH₄?m^?2) and KN (24.0?±?19.5?g CH₄?m^?2). There was a significant negative relationship between CH₄ emission and rice root MOB (P?<?0.01) or MOA (P?<?0.05) and significant positive relationship was observed between root MOA and MOB (P?<?0.01). This study revealed that choice of rice variety might be an important environmental issue in paddy cultivation since it can influence MOA and MOB in rice root and rhizosphere soil which relate with CH₄ emission.     

Dynamics of dissolved ions in the soil of abandoned terraced paddy fields in Sado Island, Japan

We investigated the soil and soil water chemistry in abandoned terraced paddy fields (reed stand) and a thicket of deciduous broad-leaved trees (thicket stand) on the same slope in Sado Island, Japan. The soils gathered from these plots were incubated under different water conditions to examine the dynamics of dissolved ions. The organic carbon pool in the soil in the reed stand at the lower slope position was greater than the thicket stand at the middle slope position. The high concentration of base cations and an almost neutral pH of the soil water at the reed stand corresponded with the high exchangeable cation concentrations and base saturation in the soil. These results reflect the mineral-rich groundwater percolating down the slope, which may be produced by chemical weathering. An in situ sulfate reduction in the reed stand at deeper soil horizons was identified. The different water conditions in the incubated soils affected the soil pH(H₂O), transformation of Fe, and dominant anions (NO₃ ⁻, HCO₃ ⁻, and SO₄ ²⁻). These biogeochemical processes were more conspicuous in the reed stand at the lower slope position where the concentrations of organic matter and base cations were high. When the abandoned terraced paddy field is developed for the conservation of the Japanese crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) habitat in Sado Island, the reductive subsoil at the lower slope position should be kept waterlogged to limit sulfuric acid generation.     

Enhancing the performance of transplanted coarse rice by seed priming

Raising the rice seedlings in the nursery and its transplantation into the flooded fields is principal method of rice cultivation in the world. Traditional nursery raising method in Pakistan is tedious and produces week seedlings, which reduces the final yield due to high mortality. The potential of seed priming to improve the nursery seedlings and thus the transplanted rice was evaluated in the present study. Seed priming tools employed during the investigation included traditional soaking (pre-germination), hydropriming for 48 h, osmohardening (KCl or CaCl₂) (ψs-1.25 MPa) for 24 h (1 cycle), ascorbate priming (with 10 ppm ascorbate) for 48 h or seed hardening for 24 h. Priming improved nursery seedling vigor and resulted in improved growth, yield and quality of transplanted rice. Osmohardening (KCl) consequently resulted in the best performance, followed by osmohardening (CaCl₂)_, hardening and ascorbate priming. Osmohardening (KCl) produced 4.28 t ha⁻¹ (vs. 3.51 t ha⁻¹ from untreated control) kernel yield, 10.27 t ha⁻¹ (vs. 9.34 t ha⁻¹ from untreated control) straw yield and 29.41% (vs. 27.31% from untreated control) harvest index. The improved yield was attributed to increase in number of fertile tillers.     

Effect of water management on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial properties of paddy soils in Japan and Indonesia

This research aims at elucidating the greenhouse gas emissions and its related soil microbial properties in continuously flooded or intermittently drained paddy soils in Japan and Indonesia. The study in Japan comprises alluvial soil and peat, cultivated to rice variety Nipponbare, while in Indonesia comprised alluvial soil cultivated to rice variety Siam Pandak. Intermittent drainage was performed to half number of the plot in 6 days interval, starting at tillering or heading stage of rice, while the other half number of plot was kept flooded as control. The experiments were carried out to follow the randomized block design with three replications. Gas samples were taken in weekly basis, except during the treatments (i.e., every 2 days interval) and analyzed for methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) concentrations. Soil samples were and analyzed for the population of methanogenic bacteria, denitrifiers, methane production and consumption potentials, and methanogenic substrate. Plant growth parameters were also observed. The results showed that intermittent drainage significantly reduced greenhouse gas emission from paddy soil of Indonesia and Japan without significant changes in soil microbial population. The reductions of greenhouse emission from Japanese peaty and alluvial paddy soil due to intermittent drained were about 32 and 37%, respectively. Meanwhile, the reductions in greenhouse gas emission from alluvial soil of Indonesia due to intermittent drainage were very similar to that of in Japan, i.e., average about 37%. This suggests that intermittent drainage can be an appropriate technology option to reduce the greenhouse gas emission from paddy soil in Japan and Indonesia.     

The effect of floating vegetation on CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O emissions from subtropical paddy fields in China

Duckweed (Lemna minor), a floating macrophyte belonging to the Lemnaceae family, is commonly found in subtropical paddy fields. This plant rapidly takes up nutrients from water and forms dense floating mats over the water surface that may impact the biogeochemical processes and greenhouse gas production in paddy fields. In this study, we measured CH₄ and N₂O emissions from duckweed and non-duckweed plots in a subtropical paddy field in China during the period of rice growth using static chamber and gas chromatography methods. Our results showed that CH₄ emission rate ranged from 0.19 to 26.50 mg m^?2 h^?1 in the duckweed plots, and from 1.02 to 28.02 mg m^?2 h^?1 in the non-duckweed plots. The CH₄ emission peak occurred about 1 week earlier in the duckweed plots compared to the non-duckweed counterparts. The mean CH₄ emission rate in the duckweed plots (9.28 mg m^?2 h^?1) was significantly lower than that in non-duckweed plots (11.66 mg m^?2 h^?1) (p < 0.05), which might be attributed to the higher water and soil Eh in the former. N₂O emission rates varied between ?50.11 and 201.82 µg m^?2 h^?1, and between ?28.93 and 54.42 µg m^?2 h^?1 in the duckweed and non-duckweed plots, respectively. The average N₂O emission rate was significantly higher in the duckweed plots than in the non-duckweed plots (40.29 vs. 11.93 µg m^?2 h^?1) (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that the presence of duckweed will reduce CH₄ emission, but increase N₂O flux simultaneously. Taking into account the combined global warming potentials of CH₄ and N₂O, we found that growing duckweed could reduce the overall greenhouse effect of subtropical paddy fields by about 17 %.     

Accumulation of arsenic and its distribution in rice plant (Oryza sativa L.) in Gangetic West Bengal, India

The presence of arsenic in irrigation water and in paddy field soil were investigated to assess the accumulation of arsenic and its distribution in the various parts (root, straw, husk, and grain) of rice plant from an arsenic effected area of West Bengal. Results showed that the level of arsenic in irrigation water (0.05–0.70 mg l⁻¹) was much above the WHO recommended arsenic limit of 0.01 mg l⁻¹ for drinking water. The paddy soil gets contaminated from the irrigation water and thus enhancing the bioaccumulation of arsenic in rice plants. The total soil arsenic concentrations ranged from 1.34 to 14.09 mg kg⁻¹. Soil organic carbon showed positive correlation with arsenic accumulation in rice plant, while soil pH showed strong negative correlation. Higher accumulation of arsenic was noticed in the root (6.92 ± 0.241–28.63 ± 0.225 mg kg⁻¹) as compared to the straw (1.18 ± 0.002–2.13 ± 0.009 mg kg⁻¹), husk (0.40 ± 0.004–1.05 ± 0.006 mg kg⁻¹), and grain (0.16 ± 0.001–0.58 ± 0.003 mg kg⁻¹) parts of the rice plant. However, the accumulation of arsenic in the rice grain of all the studied samples was found to be between 0.16 ± 0.001 and 0.58 ± 0.003 mg kg⁻¹ dry weights of arsenic, which did not exceed the permissible limit in rice (1.0 mg kg⁻¹ according to WHO recommendation). Two rice plant varieties, one high yielding (Red Minikit) and another local (Megi) had been chosen for the study of arsenic translocation. Higher translocation of arsenic was seen in the high yielding variety (0.194–0.393) compared to that by the local rice variety (0.099–0.161). An appreciable high efficiency in translocation of arsenic from shoot to grain (0.099–0.393) was observed in both the rice varieties compared to the translocation from root to shoot (0.040–0.108).     

Soil properties affected by combinations of soil solarization and organic amendment

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects on soil properties of solarization combined with rice bran additive. The treatments included control (bare soil), black polyethylene film mulch (BM), clear polyethylene film mulch (CM), rice bran mixture (RBMx), rice bran mulch (RBM), rice bran mixture and black polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + BM), rice bran and black polyethylene film mulch (RBM + BM), rice bran mixture and clear polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + CM), and rice bran and clear polyethylene film mulch (RBM + CM). Initially, 15 kg m⁻² of rice bran was applied to each treatment as the organic amendment. A cover of black or clear polyethylene film was then used to begin the soil solarization process. Approximately 49 days later, the polyethylene film was removed and five broccoli seedlings per replication were planted 6 weeks later. The combination of rice bran mixture with the clear/transparent polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + CM) raised both the mean and maximum soil temperatures over 0–30 cm of soil depth. Maximum soil temperature under the RBMx + CM treatment was the highest of all treatments (77°C) and were about 32°C greater than under the control, while it was only 52°C under RBM + BM treatment. Combining rice bran with clear/transparent polyethylene film mulch during the soil solarization process is recommended for raising soil temperatures. Further investigation over a longer period of soil solarization process with rice bran–organic amendment and polyethylene film mulch combinations is required to more accurately determine their effects on soil properties and crop production.     

Effect of water management on soil respiration and <Emphasis Type="Italic">NEE</Emphasis> of paddy fields in Southeast China

Water management is an important factor in regulating soil respiration and the net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (NEE) between croplands and atmosphere. However, how water management affects soil respiration and the NEE of paddy fields remains unexplored. Thus, a 2-year field experiment was carried out to study the effects of controlled irrigation (CI) during the rice season on the variation of soil respiration and NEE, with flooding irrigation (FI) as the control. A decrease of irrigation water input by 46.39% did not significantly affect rice yield but significantly increased irrigation water use efficiency by 0.99 kg m^?3. The soil respiration rate of CI paddy fields was larger than that of FI paddy fields except during the ripening stage. Natural drying management during the ripening stage resulted in a significant increase of the soil respiration rate of the FI paddy fields. Variations of NEE with different water managements were opposite to soil respiration rates during the whole rice growth stages. Total CO₂ emission of CI paddy fields through soil respiration (total R _soil) increased by 11.66% compared with FI paddy fields. The increase of total R _soil resulted in the significant decrease of total net CO₂ absorption of CI paddy fields by 11.57% compared with FI paddy fields (p < 0.05). There were inter-annual differences of soil respiration and the NEE of paddy fields. Frequent alternate wetting and drying processes in the CI paddy fields were the main factors influencing soil respiration and NEE. CI management slightly enhanced the rice dry matter amount but accelerated the consumption and decomposition of soil organic carbon and significantly increased soil respiration, which led to the decrease of net CO₂ absorption. CI management and organic carbon input technologies should be combined in applications to achieve sustainable use of water and soil resources in paddy fields.     

Fertilization management of paddy fields in Piedmont (NW Italy) and its effects on the soil and water quality

The fertilization management of the rice crop in Piedmont was analyzed at a regional scale, and the agronomic and environmental sustainability of the actual fertilization strategy of rice was evaluated through the analysis of its effect on the soils and waters quality. On average, a total amount of 127 kg ha⁻¹ of N, 67 kg ha⁻¹ of P₂O₅ and 161 kg ha⁻¹ of K₂O were supplied to the rice crop. In most cases N and P fertilization was rather well balanced with crop removal. The N balance was in the range ±50 kg for 77% of the surface. The low concentration of N in the groundwater reflected the small N surplus. P fertilization resulted to be smaller than removal for 53% of the surface. Nevertheless, the soil extractable P was very high, probably because of former higher P inputs. This resulted in a high concentration in water courses and aquifers. The K fertilization was excessive (surplus >100 kg ha⁻¹) for 53% of the surface, but most soils showed a low K content. K is probably contributing to nutrient leaching to a great extent. The average soil organic matter (SOM) content of paddy fields was higher than that of normally-cultivated soils in Piedmont, and the C/N was higher, owing to the low mineralization rate in waterlogged conditions. The SOM content was in relation with the management of the crop residues, as the tradition of burning straw after harvest was still widespread on 65% of the paddy surface.     

Emissions of CH4 and CO2 from paddy fields as affected by tillage practices and crop residues in central China

A field experiment was conducted to investigate effects of tillage practices [no-tillage (NT) and conventional intensive tillage (CT)] and oilseed rape residue returning levels (0, 3000, 6000, 9000 kg dry matter ha^?1) on methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and grain yield from paddy fields during the 2011 rice growing season after 2 years oilseed rape-rice rotation in central China. The experiment was established following a split-plot design of a randomized complete block with tillage practices as the main plots and residue returning levels as the sub-plots. NT significantly decreased CO₂ and CH₄ emissions by 38.8 and 27.3 % compared with CT, respectively. Residue returning treatments released significantly more CO₂ and CH₄ by 855.5–10410 and 51.5–210.5 kg ha^?1 than no residue treatments, respectively. The treatments of 3,000 and 6,000 kg ha^?1 residue returning significantly increased rice grain yield by 37.9 and 32.0 % compared with the treatment of no residue returning, respectively. Compared with NT, CT increased yield-scaled emissions of CH₄ and CO₂ by 16.0 %. The treatments of 6,000 and 9,000 kg ha^?1 residue returning significantly increased yield-scaled emissions of CH₄ and CO₂ by 18.1 and 61.5 %, respectively, compared with the treatment of no residue returning. Moreover, the treatment of NT in combination with 3,000 kg ha^?1 residues had the lowest yield-scaled emissions of CH₄ and CO₂ across tillage and residue treatments. In this way, this study revealed that the combination of NT with 3,000 kg ha^?1 residues was a suitable strategy for optimizing carbon emissions and rice grain yield.     

Effect of rice establishment methods on weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) infestation and grain yield of cultivated rice (O. sativa L.) in Sri Lanka

Weedy rice is a great threat to rice production in Sri Lanka. Selective herbicides to manage weedy rice in conventional rice cultivars are not available in Sri Lanka. In the absence of appropriate chemical control measures, cultural approaches may help to achieve effective control of weedy rice. A study was conducted in two consecutive seasons in farmers' fields at three sites (Atalla, Samanthurai, and Girithale villages) in Sri Lanka to evaluate the effect of different establishment methods (farmers' practice, random broadcast, row seeding, seedling broadcast, and transplanted rice) on weedy rice infestation and rice yield. The farmers' practice had a higher number of weedy rice panicles (60–80 m⁻²) than the random broadcast (39–48 panicles m⁻²), seedling broadcast (3–15 panicles m⁻²), and transplanted rice (1.3–3.0 panicles m⁻²) methods. The use of clean rice seeds in the random broadcast method reduced weedy rice seed production by 29–41% compared with the farmers' practice (0.6–2.0 t ha⁻¹). Compared with the farmers' practice, the seedling broadcast method reduced weedy rice seed production by 71–87% and transplanted rice by 95–98%; and increased rice yield by 27–49% (7.5–9.1 t ha⁻¹). At all three sites, the farmers' practice resulted in the lowest grain yield (5.1–6.7 t ha⁻¹). Compared with the farmers' practice, the random broadcast and row seeding methods increased rice yield by up to 21% and 31%, respectively. The findings suggest that the use of clean rice seeds, the use of a row-seeded crop, and the adoption of different rice planting methods may help to suppress the spread of weedy rice.     

Methane emission from irrigated rice ecosystem: relationship with carbon fixation,partitioning and soil carbon storage

Rice is a major agricultural crop and accounts for 40 % of the total food grain production of India. A field experiment was conducted for two successive seasons (December–June, 2012–13 and December–June, 2013–14) to assess the efficiency of rice varieties for methane (CH₄) emission in relation to atmospheric carbon fixation, partitioning of carbon, and storage in the soil. Six high yielding rice varieties, Bahadur, Cauvery, Dinanath, Joymoti, Kanaklata, and Swarnabh were grown under irrigated condition. Results of the present investigation depicted differences in photosynthetic rate among the varieties accompanied by differential ability for plant biomass partitioning between the shoots and the roots. Stomatal frequency of flag leaf at panicle initiation stage was found to have strong influence on photosynthesis. Low CH₄-emitting rice varieties, Bahadur and Dinanath, were found to have lower size of the xylem vessels than the high CH₄-emitting rice varieties, Joymoti and Kanaklata, and found to influence the CH₄ flux. Soil organic carbon storage of 0.505 Mg C ha^?1 y^?1 in the plough layer of soil (0–15 cm) confirmed that irrigated rice ecosystem is an effective sink of carbon. These findings suggest that selection of suitable rice varieties with higher photosynthetic efficiency and lower emission of CH₄ can be a suitable biological mitigation of this greenhouse gas. Although an inverse relationship of CH₄ with carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux was observed, irrigated rice ecosystem has a good potential to store substantial amount of carbon in the soil.