Toposequential Variation in Soil Fertility and Rice Productivity of Rainfed Lowland Paddy Fields in Mini-Watershed (Nong)in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Mini-watersheds called Nongin Thai are geographical components of rainfed lowland rice culture in Northeast Thailand, and constitute distinct units in understanding environmental constraints for low and unstable rainfed rice production there. The toposequential variation of soil fertility and its relation to rice productivity within mini-watersheds, was examined by phytometry of sampled soils and field measurements of rice growth and yield. The phytometry experiment with irrigated potted rice using soils sampled from various rice fields within each mini-watershed, revealed that soil fertility as evaluated by rice dry matter production showed a 5 times difference among the fields at most. The difference in the soil fertility was ascribed primarily to that in nitrogen (N) supply capacity, which itself had a strong correlation with soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Accordingly, the biomass production of pot-grown rice was proportional to SOC. content, which suggested the usefulness of SOC as an index for soil fertility evaluation. The effect of clay on the soil fertility was much less than that of SOC. The actual rice yield in each field also showed quite large field-to-field variation, most of which was explained by the SOC content, rice growth duration and fertilizer application rate even though water availability also affected the yield. The yield positively correlated with growth duration and hence with earlier transplanting. Both SOC and clay contents of fields showed steep gradients with ascending field elevation within mini-watersheds, resulting in a marked toposequential distribution of rice yield. The toposequential distributions of SOC and clay contents imply that rice culture after deforestation accelerated soil erosion from upper to lower fields. The large toposequential gradient in soil fertility requires different resource and crop management for each toposequential position, in order to improve rice productivity of the mini-watershed as a whole.     

Nitrogen use efficiency in selected rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes under different water regimes and nitrogen levels

Water and nutrient availability are two major constraints in most rice-based rainfed shallow lowland systems of Asia. Both stresses interact and contribute to the low productivity and widespread poverty in this environment. The objective of this study was to improve the understanding of interaction between the two factors and to identify varietal characteristics beneficial for productivity in a water- and nutrient-limited rice environment. For this purpose, we screened 19 rice genotypes adapted to different rice environments under two water and two nutrient treatments during the wet season of 2004 and 2005 in southern Luzon, Philippines. Across all genotypes tested and in comparison with the irrigated control, rainfed conditions reduced grain yield of the treatment without N application by 69% in 2004 and by 59% in 2005. The mean nitrogen fertilizer response was highest in the dryer season of 2004 and the rainfed treatment, indicating that water stress had no effect on fertilizer response. Nitrogen application reduced the relative yield loss to 49% of the irrigated treatment in 2004 and to 52% of the irrigated treatment in 2005. Internal efficiency of N (IEN) and recovery efficiency of applied N (REN) were significantly different between genotypes, but were not affected by water availability (REN) or by water and nutrient availability (IEN). In contrast, grain yield and total N uptake were affected by cultivar, N and water availability. Therefore, germplasm for rainfed environments should be screened under conditions of limited and good nitrogen and water supplies. The four best cultivars, CT6510-24-1-2, IR55423-01, IR72, and IR57514-PMI5-B-1-2, performed well across all treatments and both years. Except for IR72, they were all characterized by medium height, medium duration, high early vigor, and a moderate level of drought tolerance. This combination of characteristics seems to enable the optimal use of limited water and nutrient resources occurring in many shallow rainfed lowlands. We also concluded that moderate drought stress does not necessarily affect the response to moderate N rates, provided that drought does not induce high spikelet sterility and that fertilizer N is properly managed.     

Rice yield and productivity gaps in irrigated systems of the forest zone of Côte d'Ivoire

Much of the rapidly growing demand for rice in West Africa will be met from increased production in irrigated lowlands, which cover about 12% of the regional rice-growing area. A large potential for expansion of irrigated areas exists particularly in the inland valleys of the humid forest zone. Current production is characterized by large variability in productivity, management practices and production constraints. Quantifying the variability in rice yield and identifying the determining factors are prerequisites to the development of site-specific recommendations and to improved targeting of technologies. Diagnostic on-farm trials were conducted on 64 irrigated lowland fields in the humid forest zone of southern Côte d'Ivoire, in 1995–1996. This was a part of the regional gradient study of irrigated systems from the desert margin to the humid forest zone. Cropping calendars, field operations and input use were monitored. Weed biomass, rice N uptake, and grain yield were determined in farmers' fields as well as in super-imposed, researcher-managed subplots (clean weeding, no N control, and mineral fertilizer N application). Rice yield potential was simulated by using the Oryza-S crop growth model. Yield losses were attributed to management factors based on performance of rice in researcher-managed subplots (management-related yield gap) and by multiple regression with management options. Grain yields varied between 0.2 and 7.3 Mg ha⁻¹ with mean yields of 3.2 in partially and 4.2 Mg ha⁻¹ in fully irrigated systems, 44% and 57% of the potential yield of 7.3 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. Age of seedlings at transplanting, timeliness of operations and application of P fertilizer were correlated to yield and explained 60% of the observed variability. Grain yield was correlated with N uptake (r² = 0.93^***) but not with N application rate. Split application of mineral fertilizer N was associated with a 0.48 Mg ha⁻¹ yield increase (p = 0.002), regardless of the quantity applied. Additional weeding increased yield only in systems with imperfect irrigation. Weed biomass was reduced with improved water control and it increased with age of seedlings at transplanting, and was higher in direct-seeded than in transplanted rice. Echinochloa spp. were the most common weeds in fully irrigated systems and Panicum laxum was more common in the imperfectly irrigated fields. While improved water management was associated with substantial rice yield increases (1.16 Mg ha⁻¹), the timeliness of transplanting, weeding and N fertilization appears to be the key to increased rice yields in the forest zone of West Africa.     

Response of lowland rice to agronomic management under different hydrological regimes in an inland valley of Ivory Coast

A large proportion of the rice in West Africa is produced in rainfed lowland ecosystems, mainly in inland valleys. The hydrological conditions (duration and intensity of flooding) vary with the toposequence position between the fringe and the centre of the valley. Production methods tend to evolve from the currently predominant unbunded plots without external input use, to input-intensive production in bunded plots. Agronomic management interventions co-evolve and may include varietal choice, herbicide use, and mineral N fertilizer application. The response of rice and the associated weeds to such interventions is likely to vary with the prevailing hydrological regime. A 2-year field experiment was conducted in northern Ivory Coast to determine the impact of water regime (plot position in the valley, presence of bunds) and input use (mineral N fertilizer and herbicide) on the productivity (yield and N use efficiency) of traditional and modern rainfed lowland rice cultivars and the biomass and composition of the associated weeds. Installing field bunds reduced seasonal variations in ponded water depth and resulted in a mean increase in rice grain yield of 30–40% (p < 0.005). This increase was associated with a 25% lower cumulative weed biomass and a several-fold increase in the agronomic use efficiency of applied mineral N in bunded than unbunded plots. Under low input management, traditional varieties tended to out-yield modern varieties in unbunded plots. Improved crop management such as herbicide and fertilizer application, and the construction of field bunds was more effective to increase the yield and N use efficiency in the flooded valley centre than in the drought-prone valley fringes. There is a need for site-specific targeting of modern cultivars, land development and improved production methods in the inland valleys of the West African savanna zone.     

Yield constraints of rainfed lowland rice in Central Java, Indonesia

The low and unstable yields of rainfed lowland rice in Central Java can be attributed to drought, nutrient stress, pest infestation or a combination of these factors. Field experiments were conducted in six crop seasons from 1997 to 2000 at Jakenan Experiment Station to quantify the yield loss due to these factors. Experimental treatments—two water supply levels (well-watered, rainfed) in the main plots and five fertilizer levels (0-22-90, 120-0-90, 120-22-0, 120-22-90, 144-27-108 kg NPK ha⁻¹) in the subplots—were laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Crop, soil, and water parameters were recorded and pest infestations were assessed.

In all seasons, rice yield was significantly influenced by fertilizer treatments. Average yield reduction due to N omission was 42%, to K omission 33–36%, and to P omission 3–4%. Water by nutrient interactions did not affect rice yield and biomass production. In two of the three dry seasons, an average of 20% of the panicles were damaged by pests and estimated yield loss from pests was 56–59% in well-watered and well-fertilized treatments. In one out of six seasons, yields under rainfed conditions were 20–23% lower than under well-watered conditions. Drought, N and K deficiencies, and pest infestation are the major determinants for high yields in rainfed environments in Jakenan. Supplying adequate nutrient and good pest control are at least as important as drought management for increasing crop productivity of rainfed rice-growing areas in Central Java. The relative importance of drought, nutrient and pest management may vary in other rainfed areas. Yield constraints analysis should be systematically carried out to identify appropriate management strategies.     

Growth and Yield of New Rice for Africa (NERICAs) under Different Ecosystems and Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

Scarcity of water and N fertilizer are major constraints to rice production, particularly in developing countries where rainfed upland condition dominates. Improvement of genetic adaptability to inadequate water and N fertilizer is one option to maintain productivity in these regions. NERICAs are expected to yield higher under low input conditions, but growth and yield responses of the cultivars to different ecosystems and N levels remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to characterize the growth and yield performance of NERICAs, in comparison with selected Japanese rice cultivars. The two NERICAs (NERICA 1 and NERICA 5), two Japanese upland cultivars (Toyohatamochi and Yumenohatamochi), and a Japanese lowland cultivar Hitomebore were grown under two ecosystems (irrigated lowland (IL) and rainfed upland (RU)) with two N levels (high (H) and low (L)) for two years. The cultivar difference in the aboveground dry weight and grain yield was the largest in the in RU × L plot, where the values of NERICAs were similar to those in the other plots, but the values of other cultivars were substantially reduced. Regardless of cultivar, N contents of the plants at maturity correlated significantly with the aboveground dry weight at maturity, spikelet number and grain yield per area. These results indicate that NERICAs, compared with the selected Japanese upland cultivars that were bred for drought tolerance, have a higher ability to absorb N under upland conditions, which may contribute to higher biomass production and sink formation, resulting in increased gain yield.     

Increasing Production of Rainfed Lowland Rice in Drought Prone Environments

Summary

Drought is a major production constraint of rainfed lowland rice grown in Thailand and Laos. Adverse soil conditions also reduce yield. In an attempt to increase rainfed lowland rice production in these countries, a major collaborative international project was conducted during a 6-year period in the region. The objectives of the project were to quantify production constraints, determine genotypic variation in yield, and identify an effective breeding strategy. A rice simulation model was developed also and used to investigate the potential impact of strategies for genetic improvement and agronomic management.

Four major physical or biological constraints to higher production levels of rainfed lowland rice were identified, (1) the lack of standing water at the appropriate time of transplanting, (2) severe water stress that often develops at the end of the growing season, (3) low yield potential of the present cultivars, particularly in Thailand, and (4) adverse soil conditions including low pH and low soil fertility. The results of the field experiments and simulation modelling exercises showed that the influence of these constraints can be reduced and yield increased by several methods : in particular, choice of appropriate cultivars and time of sowing to match crop phenology with water availability, application of appropriate fertilizer, adoption of high yielding cultivars, adoption of direct seeding in place of the traditional transplanting system, and reduction of percolation water loss from the paddies.

A technology package currendy being investigated for the rainfed lowland rice is direct seeding early in the season, using cultivars that flower by the end of the rainy season, with application of organic or chemical fertilizer. The appropriate cultivars are early flowering and short-intermediate statured, possess high yield potential and ability to maintain favourable plant water status at flowering, and have the ability to establish well and compete against weed under direct seeding.     

Spatial variability in the growth of direct-seeded rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in northeast Thailand

Large within-field variation in rice growth often causes production loss in broadcast-seeded (BC) rainfed lowland rice. The spatial variability of direct-seeded rainfed lowland rice was evaluated in 2004, 2005, and 2007 in on-station experiments at Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand, in relation to soil water content and weed infestation, by adopting semivariogram and block kriging, including comparisons among BC with harrowing (BCH; no weeding), BC with no harrowing (BCNH; no weeding), and row-seeded (RS; interrow weeding once) fields. BCH and BCNH were also compared in 11 farmers’ fields in 2006 and 2007, to assess the effect of harrowing on rice growth and weed infestation. During most of the rice growing periods, flooded and non-flooded portions existed simultaneously in the fields, with different proportions among years and among seeding methods in the on-station experiment. BCH and BCNH rice had large within-field variation in seedling density, heading date, shoot dry matter, grain yield, harvest index, panicle density, and filled spikelet per panicle, as well as in weed infestation, measured by a quick visual estimation. Many of the measured variables (except mean soil water content in RS in 2007, seedling density in BCH in 2005 and 2007, shoot dry matter in BCH and BCNH in 2007, and panicle density in BCH in 2007) were spatially dependent (i.e., data from nearby locations were most similar) by geostatistical analysis. Analysis of correlations using the 420 data sets of BCH plots in 2005 and BCH, BCNH, and RS plots in 2007 revealed a positive correlation between soil water content and grain yield and negative correlations between weed infestation and soil water content and grain yield. Compared with BCH, in 2007 BCNH had much lower grain yield because of lower soil water content after establishment and more weed infestation. BCH had higher grain yield than BCNH in weedy fields in the farmers’ fields experiment. RS with interrow weeding resulted in a smaller coefficient of variation, smaller sill value, and higher grain yield than BCH, due to less weed infestation and a higher proportion of flooded water. These results indicated that reducing the spatial variability in rice growth requires careful field preparation, such as harrowing to level the soil surface and to reduce the uneven distribution of standing water and the variability in soil water content, combined with effective crop and weed management (i.e., harrowing and row-seeding). This is the first study that examined spatial variability in the growth of direct-seeded rice as a function of soil water content and weed infestation in a rainfed lowland environment.     

Delay of heading date as an index of water stress in rainfed rice in mini-watersheds in Northeast Thailand

Drought is recognized as a primary constraint for rainfed rice production. In this study, the spatial distribution of heading date of rainfed rice and its relation to field water conditions were investigated for 2 years in mini-watersheds called Nong in Northeast Thailand, in order to clarify the toposequential variation in the degree of water stress of rice. Although the difference in the relative field elevation in the mini-watersheds was only a few meters, the water availability in terms of standing water and soil moisture markedly decreased with ascending elevation. Rice cultivars, KDML 105 and RD 6, the two dominant genotypes in Northeast Thailand, reached the heading stage at nearly the same day in the absence of water stress, independent of transplanting or seeding date under customary management. As the water availability decreased with ascending field elevation, the heading date of rice was markedly delayed. The delay seemed to be related to the cumulative water stress before heading of rice. The rice harvest index and yield at farmers’ fields decreased linearly with the delay of heading. The observed toposequential distribution of heading date indicated that quite severe water stress was imposed in the uppermost fields of the mini-watersheds, while practically no water stress occurred in the lower fields, at least in the lower half of the mini-watersheds. These results suggest that the delay of heading is a good index for rice water stress in rice in Northeast Thailand and can be applicable to field classification with respect to drought risk.     

氮肥用量和移栽密度对超级早稻干物质积累及叶蘖生长的影响

为了探讨氮肥用量与栽插密度对超级早稻干物质生产的影响,2007年在长沙、常德、郴州进行了大田栽培联合试验。结果表明．干物质生产随施氮量和移栽密度的提高而增加,差异显著,成熟期干物质生产与产量呈高度正相关。氮肥用量对提高水稻分蘖发生率有显著效果。随着施氮水平的增加,单株茎蘖数增加。移栽密度越大,其单位面积茎蘖数总数也越多,且始终维持这个结果。群体叶面积指数随生育期的推进而增大,各施氮处理间最高叶面积指数差异显著。密度水平间的叶面积指数差异都不显著。氮肥与密度间的互作效应明显。叶面积在高氮和高密度水平下最大。降低施氮量和（或）栽插密度均能降低叶面积指数。叶片长度和披垂角都随施氮量的增加和移栽密度的降低而增加。     

苏北地区粳稻生产中化学品投入普遍过量的原因及减投方案

通过调查发现,苏北地区粳稻生产中普遍存在化学品过量施用的现象,分析了其原因并提出了针对性减肥减药技术方案。方案主要包括：⑴选用适宜品种;⑵培育长秧龄壮秧、普施“出嫁药肥”;⑶麦秸全量还田;⑷浅耕地且防基肥渗漏;⑸抢早扩行移栽;⑹通气式灌溉、高质量搁田;⑺分蘖肥减量增效、施足穗肥;⑻综合防控。采用此减投技术,在化学品投入下降28%~42%的情况下,还能保障苏北地区粳稻成穗量充足、群体质量优良、病虫草害得到有效防控,进而实现“化投大降、产量不减、防效不降、安全高质”。     

Rice establishment method affects nitrogen use and crop production of rice–legume systems in drought-prone eastern India

The inclusion of grain legumes in rainfed lowland rice farming systems provides an opportunity to increase food production, household income, and human nutrition of impoverished rice farmers in Asia. We examined the effect of rice establishment method on the performance of wet season rice (Oryza sativa L.) and post-rice crops of either chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) or moong [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] on an Udic Haplustalf in the drought-prone, rainfed lowlands of eastern India. Rice was either direct seeded in lines on moist soil immediately after the onset of wet season rain or transplanted after sufficient rainwater accumulated for soil submergence. Crop establishment method had no effect on rice performance in a season (2001) with normal rainfall. In a drought season (2002), direct seeding resulted in mean rice grain yield of 2.3 t ha⁻¹, whereas the transplanted rice crop failed. The agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer applied to direct-seeded rice was comparable for the 2 years (18 and 24 kg grain per kg N applied). Topsoil inorganic N was markedly higher following chickpea and moong than following a post-rice fallow. Direct-seeded rice had higher yield and accumulation of N following a post-rice legume than following fallow, but transplanted rice derived no such benefit from the legume. Direct-seeded rice was established 1–2 months before transplanted rice, and direct-seeded rice matured before transplanted rice by 8 days in the favorable season and by 26 days in the drought season. The soil nitrate present after legumes and fallow rapidly disappeared, presumably by denitrification, following the onset of rains and soil flooding prior to transplanting. A portion of this accumulated soil nitrate was taken up by the direct-seeded rice before it could be lost. But transplanted rice did not benefit from this inorganic N derived from legumes because virtually all soil nitrate was lost before transplanting. Direct seeding of rice ensured better use of residual and applied N, reduced risk due to drought, and favored intensification with post-rice legumes in drought-prone lowland systems.     

Simulation model of rainfed rice production on sloping land in northeast Thailand

In northeast Thailand, the rapid expansion of rainfed paddy fields has decreased the stability of rice production. This paper describes a model that computes rice production on the basis of the hydrologic conditions of rainfed paddy fields on hill slopes. The model well expressed the hydrologic processes, rice yield, and production at the study site. We simulated rice production as uphill paddy plots are abandoned, increasing catchment area, under various rainfall conditions. The simulation showed that rice yield and stability increase as uphill plots are abandoned, although the total rice production decreases. Thus, the effect of catchment size on rice production in each plot was quantified. The model proved to be useful for analyzing rainfed rice production under various land and water conditions.     

Effects of Soil Clay Content on Water Balance and Productivity in Rainfed Lowland Rice Ecosystem in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Water availability is one of the determinants of productivity of rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Quantifying water losses from a paddy field, such as deep percolation and lateral seepage, assists estimation of water availability to the rice crop and development of appropriate water management in the lowlands. The main objective of this study was to evaluate paddy water availability and productivity across various soils in Northeast Thailand. The daily rate of downward water flow from standing water in the field (D) varied between 0 and 3 mm day^-1 from clayey to sandy soils when the standing water was connected to groundwater table. However, when the standing water was separated from groundwater table, D increased up to 5 mm day^-1 on soils with very low clay content in the topsoil. Daily net lateral water flow from the field (L) averaged over the season varied between 5 and 24 mm day^-1 for the outflow and between 3 and 16 mm day^-1 for the inflow. Both the inflow and outflow tended to be associated negatively with the soil clay content. The seasonal water loss through D plus L during the growing season in the lowlands was also negatively related to the soil clay content. The yield of a major rainfed lowland rice cultivar in Northeast Thailand (KDML105) varied from 2 to 4 t ha^-1 across the region, and the water productivity (the ratio of grain yield to cumulative rainfall from transplanting/seedling establishment to maturity) ranged from 3 to 9 kg ha^-1 mm^-1. High clay soils could provide good standing water until late in the growing season, so the high production efficiency was measured on such soils.     

Suppressing weeds in direct-seeded lowland rainfed rice: Effect of cutting dates and timing of fertilizer application

Weeds cause substantive yield losses in rainfed rice, particularly direct-seeded rice (DSR). Two field experiments were conducted in 2005 in north-east Thailand to examine the effects of cutting date and timing of fertilizer application on suppressed weed, growth and yield of DSR. Treatments consisted of two fertilizer applications to the main plots (top-dressing at the date of cutting and 15 days after cutting; DAC) and four cutting dates of the sub-plots. Rice and weed cutting was performed at 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after seeding (DAS), compared with an untreated control. Cutting resulted in a higher growth rate and improved grain yield of rice compared to the untreated control. Weed cutting at 60 DAS resulted in the greatest leaf area index, which contributed to the maximum number of tiller as well as maximum plant dry mass when observed at 30 DAC. Lower densities and dry weights of weeds at 30 DAC were observed when cutting was done 60 DAS, resulting in a higher grain yield than the other cutting dates. Timing of fertilizer application had no significant effect on the density and dry weight of grasses and broad-leaved weeds, but did have a significant affected on, resulting in the lowest density of sedges at 45 DAC was observed with fertilizer applied at cutting date. Rice grain yield was higher with top-dressing of fertilizer at 15 DAC than with fertilizer applied at cutting date. The cutting treatments resulted in higher net incomes than the untreated control. These results indicate that rice and weed cutting at an appropriate growth stage is an alternative method to chemical weed control for DSR in rainfed riceland.     

Reducing rice field algae and cyanobacteria abundance by altering phosphorus fertilizer applications

In California’s water-seeded rice systems, algal/cyanobacterial biomass can be a problem during rice establishment and can lead to yield reductions. Laboratory, enclosure, and field-scale experiments were established to evaluate the effects of fertilizer P management on algal/cyanobacterial growth. Two field-scale experiments evaluated the response of algal/cyanobacterial growth to three P management strategies: conventional surface applied, incorporated into the soil, and delaying P applications by 30 days. Results from these experiments indicated rice fields that received conventional surface-applied P fertilizer had 4–8 times more algal/cyanobacterial biomass and 3–11 times higher concentrations of soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) than those in which P fertilizer was incorporated or delayed. Laboratory experiments evaluated the ability of field water to support growth of Nostoc spongiaeforme. Results indicate that water from the incorporated or delayed P application fields was P limited for N. spongiaeforme growth. Water from the surface-applied fields was not P limited. Enclosure experiments evaluated the effects of delayed P applications on algal/cyanobacterial biomass and rice yields. Algal/cyanobacterial cover and biomass increased in enclosures which received added P. Soluble reactive phosphate concentrations were also significantly greater in these enclosures. Delaying the application by up to 28 days did not reduce rice yields in the enclosures. One management implication is that reducing SRP concentrations early in the season in rice field water will result in reduced algal/cyanobacterial biomass. Strategies to reduce water SRP include incorporating fertilizer P or delaying the P application by up to 30 days.     

Varietal Differences in Biomass Production of Rice Early After Transplanting at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Low temperature decreases biomass production and yield in rice through a number of physiological and morphological changes. We evaluated biomass production in 22 high-yielding genotypes and four commercial japonica cultivars early after transplanting under field conditions for 2 years. The seedlings were transplanted on 30 April or 1 May (early transplanting, ET) and 4 weeks later (late transplanting, LT). The mean air temperature during the 18 days after transplanting in ET was about 4ºC lower than that in LT in both years. The seedling length was greater in high-yielding japonica varieties than in indica genotypes, whereas the seedling character index (SCI), which is the product of plant age in leaf number and the ratio of the seedling weight to its length, was the highest in the indica genotypes. Varietal differences in biomass production were greater in ET than in LT in all rice genotypes. The biomass at 18 days after transplanting was largest in the japonica high-yielding varieties Kusayutaka and Beko-aoba in both ET and LT. The biomass production of the indica genotypes was found to decrease severely after transplanting at low temperatures although the indica genotypes with high SCIs showed faster leaf emergence than the high-yielding japonica varieties. There was a strong positive correlation between the varietal differences in biomass production and shoot length at 18 days after transplanting in ET in both years. Our study suggests that superior shoot elongation in the high-yielding japonica varieties with large biomass allocation to the stems may be advantageous in maintaining biomass productivity at low temperatures.     

施氮量和栽插密度对超高产水稻中早22产量和品质的影响

以超高产水稻中早22为材料,研究不同氮肥用量（纯N 0、105、150、195 kg/hm2）和栽插密度（24万、30万、36万穴/hm2）对水稻产量和品质的影响。结果表明：1）栽插密度对结实率、千粒重、有效穗数和每穗粒数影响较小,各栽插密度下,产量差异未达显著水平;2）氮肥用量对每穗粒数影响较小,对有效穗数、结实率和千粒重影响较大,纯N用量为195 kg/hm2时,增穗作用不明显,反而显著降低结实率和千粒重,导致减产;3）不同栽插密度对中早22稻米品质影响不明显,蛋白质含量随栽插密度提高略有增加;4）氮肥用量的增加利于提高稻米的碾磨和外观品质,蛋白质含量也随之增加。     

Factors affecting differences in the rainy season rice yield in a lowland area of a mountainous village in Lao PDR

The unevenness of rice productivity in lowland areas is caused by differences in farming techniques, accessibility of water, planting environment, and other field-specific factors. In order to increase rice production in low-productivity fields, this study examined the factors affecting yield reduction. In this study, the influence of water conditions, farming activities, and soil fertility on rice yield were analyzed in a lowland area located in the northern part of Lao PDR. A field survey was conducted in a village in Vientiane Province during the rainy season of 2013. Water conditions were observed (i) prior to land preparation, (ii) between land preparation and transplanting, and (iii) after transplanting. Farming activities were recorded in each lowland rice field weekly from June to August. Yield surveys were also conducted in 47 field blocks, and soil samples were collected for soil fertility analyses. The ponding of fields commenced in the middle of June, and extended from the upper part to the lower part of the lowland area. Transplanting was conducted following the distribution of surface water, and no serious water shortages were observed after transplanting in the surveyed areas. There was no correlation between grain yield and the content of total nitrogen or available phosphorus in the field soil. Significant differences in grain yield were detected between direct and plot-to-plot irrigation, early and late ponding, and transplanting in July and in August. The results suggest that water shortages and the delay of field ponding before land preparation led to late transplanting which caused yield reduction.     

A water balance model for characterization of length of growing period and water stress development for rainfed lowland rice

There is large year-to-year variation in rice production across the Mekong region (Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) due to uncertainty in the timing of the onset of the wet season and drought stress that may develop at any time during the growth of rainfed lowland rice. Unique to the nature of lowland water balance is a large component of deep percolation water loss, which depends on soil texture. The objectives of this study were to develop a soil water balance model for calculating the amount of water held in field storage (i.e. in soil and, if there is standing water, above the soil surface) and to apply it to determine the length of growing period (LGP) and water stress development in relation to soil type and rainfall pattern for the rice ecosystem. The water balance is computed separately for above-ground plus topsoil layer and subsoil layer. Components of the water balance are the existing amount of stored water, rainfall, evapotranspiration, deep percolation, and runoff. The deep percolation rate was determined from clay content in each soil layer. The model runs with daily or weekly weather data to estimate the soil water level for the growing period in the wet season. The model was validated with data collected from top, middle and bottom of rainfed lowland fields in Savannakhet province, Laos. The best correlation between the observed and simulated water level was obtained (r² = 0.41) for middle fields. The simulation results showed that LGP varied greatly from year to year, particularly in locations with sandy soils, due mostly to variation in monthly rainfall occurring at the early part of the growing season (April), but also to some extent by variation at the end of growing season (October). Soil texture on the other hand is shown to have a large influence on the end of the rice growing period and hence LGP, and also water stress development during growth. Sandy soils with clay content less than 7% that are prevalent in the province are shown to cause frequent water stress and early finish in rainfed lowland rice. The model accordingly provides reasonable outputs that can provide a geographical dimension of soil hydrological patterns for various rice growing environments, and also identify the spatial pattern of drought stress that is likely to occur. Model outputs can be used to provide guidelines for practical advice to the rice farmers and researchers for determination of appropriate crop management strategies (e.g. time of planting, varieties), and policy makers for investment decisions on inputs (e.g. fertilizer price) aimed at increasing rice productivity in this Mekong region.