Utilizing rainfall and alternate wetting and drying irrigation for high water productivity in irrigated lowland paddy rice in southern Taiwan

Taiwan’s average annual rainfall is high compared to other countries around the world; however, it is considered a country with great demand for water resources. Rainfall along with alternate wetting and drying irrigation is proposed to minimize water demand and maximize water productivity for lowland paddy rice cultivation in southern Taiwan. A field experiment was conducted to determine the most suitable ponded water depth for enhancing water saving in paddy rice irrigation. Different ponded water depths treatments (T_2 cm, T_3 cm, T_4 cm and T_5 cm) were applied weekly from transplanting to early heading using a complete randomized block design with four replications. The highest rainwater productivity (2.07 kg/m³) was achieved in T_5 cm and the lowest in T_2 cm (1.62 kg/m³). The highest total water productivity, (0.75 kg/m³) and irrigation water productivity (1.40 kg/m³) was achieved in T_2 cm. The total amount of water saved in T_4 cm, T_3 cm and T_2 cm was 20, 40, and 60%, respectively. Weekly application of T_4 cm ponded water depth from transplanting to heading produced the lowest yield reduction (1.57%) and grain production loss (0.06 kg) having no significant impact on yield loss compared to T_5 cm. Thus, we assert that the weekly application of T_4 cm along with rainfall produced the best results for reducing lowland paddy rice irrigation water use and matching the required crop water.     

Comparison of evapotranspiration measurements between eddy covariance and lysimeters in paddy fields under alternate wetting and drying irrigation

Paddy and Water Environment - Evapotranspiration from paddy fields under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation was measured using lysimeters (ETL) and eddy covariance (ETec) during the late...     

Effects of alternate wetting and drying irrigation on percolation and nitrogen leaching in paddy fields

The widely adopted alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation for rice production is increasingly needed to quantify the different water outflows and nitrogen leaching losses. We investigated the effects of AWD on percolation, water productivity, nitrogen leaching losses, and nitrogen productivity through in situ experiments. Results show that AWD reduced irrigation water without a significant impact on grain yields and increased the mean water productivity by 16.9 % compared with continuously flood irrigation (CFI). The mean nitrogen productivity of 135 kg ha^?1 N level was 22.2 % higher than that of 180 kg ha^?1 N level, although grain yields substantially increased because of nitrogen fertilization application. The percolation was also reduced by 15.3 % in 2007 and 8.3 % in 2008 compared to CFI. However, the cumulative percolation of the first 5 days after irrigation in AWD plots is significantly larger than that in CFI plots. The NH₄ ⁺–N and TN leaching losses of AWD and CFI had no significant variations while the NO₃ ^?–N leaching losses were increased caused by AWD. The total NH₄ ⁺–N, NO₃ ^?–N, and TN leaching losses of AWD in the first 3 days after irrigation were higher than that of contemporaneous CFI. The results indicate that the bypass or preferential flow and strengthened nitrification–denitrification nitrogen transformation processes because of alternate wetting and drying potentially decrease the water saving effectiveness and increase the NO₃ ^?–N loading to the groundwater.     

Chlorophyll meter-based nitrogen management of rice grown under alternate wetting and drying irrigation

Farmers have adopted alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation to cope with water scarcity in rice production. This practice shifts rice land away from being continuously anaerobic to being partly aerobic, thus affecting nutrient availability to the rice plant, and requiring some adjustment in nutrient management. The use of a chlorophyll meter (also known as a SPAD meter) has been proven effective in increasing nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) in continuously flooded (CF) rice, but its use has not been investigated under AWD irrigation. This study aimed at testing the hypotheses that (i) SPAD-based N management can be applied to AWD in the same way it is used in CF rice, and (ii) combining chlorophyll meter-based nitrogen management and AWD can enhance NUE, save water, and maintain high rice yield. Experiments were conducted in a split-plot design with four replications in the 2004 and 2005 dry seasons (DS) at IRRI. The main plots were three water treatments: CF, AWD that involved irrigation application when the soil dried to soil water potential at 15-cm depth of −20 kPa (AWD₋₂₀) and −80 kPa (AWD₋₈₀) in 2004, and AWD₋₁₀ and AWD₋₅₀ were used in 2005. The subplots were five N management treatments: zero N (N₀), 180 kg N ha⁻¹ in four splits (N₁₈₀), and three SPAD-based N-management treatments in which N was applied when the SPAD reading of the youngest fully extended leaf was less than or equaled 35 (N_SPAD35), 38 (N_SPAD38), and 41 (N_SPAD41). In 2005, N_SPAD32 was tested instead of N_SPAD41. A good correlation between leaf N content per unit leaf area and the SPAD reading was observed for all water treatments, suggesting that the SPAD reading can be used to estimate leaf N of rice grown under AWD in a way similar to that under CF. SPAD readings and leaf color chart (LCC) values also showed a good correlation. There were no water × nitrogen interactive effects on rice yield, water input, water productivity, and N-use efficiency. Rice yield in AWD₋₁₀ was similar to those of CF; yields of other AWD treatments were significantly lower than those of CF. AWD₋₁₀ reduced irrigation water input by 20% and significantly increased water productivity compared with CF. The apparent nitrogen recovery and agronomic N-use efficiency (ANUE) of AWD₋₁₀ and AWD₋₂₀ were similar to those of CF. The ANUE of N_SPAD38 and N_SPAD35 was consistently higher than that of N₁₈₀ in all water treatments. N_SPAD38 consistently gave yield similar to that of N₁₈₀ in all water treatments, while yield of N_SPAD35 about 90% of that of CF. We conclude that a combination of AWD₋₁₀ and SPAD-based N management, using critical value 38, can save irrigation water and N fertilizer while maintaining high yield as in CF conditions with fixed time and rate of nitrogen application of 180 kg ha⁻¹. Treatments AWD₋₂₀ and N_SPAD35 may be accepted by farmers when water and N fertilizer are scarce and costly. The findings also suggested LCC can also be a practical tool for N-fertilizer management of rice grown under AWD, but this needs further field validation.     

Dissolved nitrogen model for paddy field ponded water during irrigation period

Based on an experimental field study in Japan, a model was developed to simulate dissolved nitrogen in water ponded in a paddy field. As input data, the model uses meteorological data, water balance in the field, nitrogen concentration in inlet water, and the nitrogen contribution of applied fertilizer. Five model parameters need calibration. A practical application of the model is the simulation of NH₄-N and NO₂₊₃-N concentrations in water ponded in a paddy field. The model improves our understanding of the interactions between forms of dissolved nitrogen in ponded water and can explain the complex changes in dissolved nitrogen concentrations in water ponded on a paddy field.     

Proposal of new return flow analysis by replacement-in-order method for paddy irrigation water

Return flow and repeated use of irrigation water for paddies is the most important issue in the Asian monsoon region, because sometimes this water is applied in greater quantity than that of evapotranspiration plus percolation. A new return flow analysis, the “replacement-in-order method”, which introduces a unique numbering system for very complicated irrigation and drainage networks, is proposed for the main canal with the dual purposes of irrigation and drainage. The method is applied to the Shichika irrigation district in the ordinal (season) irrigation period, resulting in a return flow ratio of 45 % for the entire area. Of this amount, 25 % is available for irrigation again. The remaining 20 % is unavailable, because the return flow discharged directly into a canal lacking a diversion weir in the drainage system, or into the Japan Sea. The return flow ratio is very different at the main canal location, from no return flow to 88 %. With the aid of the above method, theoretical analysis of return flow for paddy irrigation water can be done. This includes the deterministic return flow ratio inside and outside the irrigation area, plus precise information of return flow ratios at various main canal locations and routes of irrigation and drainage water.     

A comparative analysis of two paddy irrigation schemes under contrasting water management of participatory and top-down systems in Uganda

Paddy and Water Environment - This research focused on two large-scale paddy irrigation schemes of Doho (1000 ha) and Lwoba (700 ha) in Uganda for a comparative analysis of major...     

Evaluation of irrigation water requirements and crop yields with different irrigation schedules for paddy fields in ChiaNan irrigated area,Taiwan

Recent water shortages in reservoirs have caused such problems as insufficient water and fallow rice fields in Southern Taiwan; therefore, comparing irrigation water requirements and crop production of paddy fields using a technique that differs from the conventional flood irrigation method is important. Field experiments for the second paddy field with four irrigation schedules and two repeated treatments were conducted at the HsuehChia Experiment Station, ChiaNan Irrigation Association, Taiwan. Experimental results demonstrate that irrigation water requirements for the comparison method, and 7-, 10- and 15-day irrigation schedules were 1248, 993, 848, and 718 mm, respectively. Compared to the conventional method of flooding fields at a 7-day interval, the 10- and 15-day irrigation schedules reduced water requirements by 14.6 and 27.3 %, respectively; however, crop yields decreased by 7 and 15 %, respectively. Based on the results, it was recommended that the ChaiNan Irrigation Association could adopt 10 days irrigation schedule and plant drought-enduring paddy to save irrigation water requirements for the water resource scarcity in southern Taiwan. The CROPWAT model was utilized to simulate the on-farm water balance with a 10-day irrigation schedule for the second paddy field. A comparison of net irrigation water requirements with the 10-day irrigation schedule from model and field experiment were 818 and 848 mm, respectively, and the error was 3.54 %.     

Study on the water and nitrogen balance in paddy fields with irrigation and drainage dual-purpose channel mode using the tank model

Paddy and Water Environment - In South China’s paddy irrigation area, irrigation and drainage dual-purpose channel mode (IDDCM) is applied to conserve farmland resources in rice cultivation...     

Crop water stress index for potato under furrow and drip irrigation systems

Summary This study was conducted to determine the crop water stress index (CWSI) for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown under furrow and drip irrigation methods and subjected to three different irrigation levels (100, 50 and 0% replenishment of soil water depleted). The lower (non-stressed) and upper (stressed) baselines were determined empirically from measurements of canopy temperatures, ambient air temperatures and vapor pressure deficit values. Tuber yield decreased when mean CWSI prior to irrigation exceeded 0.68 in furrow and 0.81 in drip irrigation. The tuber yield was directly correlated with the seasonal CWSI values and the linear equations for furrow and drip irrigation methods, Y = −45.82 CWSI + 50.69 and Y = −52.65 CWSI + 58.44, respectively, can be used for yield prediction.     

The development of a coupled model (PCPF-SWMS) to simulate water flow and pollutant transport in Japanese paddy fields

A new coupled model (PCPF–SWMS) was developed for simulating fate and behavior of pollutant in paddy water and paddy soil. The model coupled the PCPF-1, a lumped model simulating pesticide concentrations in paddy water and 1 cm-surface sediment compartment, and the SWMS-2D, a finite element numerical model solving Richard's and advection-dispersion equations for solute transport in soil compartment. The coupling involved improvements on interactions of the water flow and the concentration the pollutant of at the soil interface between both compartments. The monitoring data collected from experimental plots in Tsukuba, Japan in 1998 and 1999 were used to parameterise and calibrate hydraulic functioning, hydrodynamic and hydrodispersive parameters of the paddy soil. The analysis on the hydraulic functioning of paddy soil revealed that the hard pan layer was the key factor controlling percolation rate and tracer transport. Matric potential and tracer monitoring highlighted the evolution of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K _S) of hard pan layer during the crop season. K _S slightly decreased after puddling by clay clogging and strongly increased after mid term drainage by drying cracks. The model was able to calculate residential time in every soil layers. Residential time of tracer in top saturated layers was evaluated to be less than 40 days. It took 60 days to reach the unsaturated layers below hardpan layer.     

Yield response,water productivity,and seasonal water production functions for maize under deficit irrigation water management in southern Taiwan

As the challenges toward increasing water for irrigation become more prevalent, knowledge of crop yield response to water can facilitate the development of irrigation strategies for improving agricultural productivity. Experiments were conducted to quantify maize yield response to soil moisture deficits, and assess the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) on water productivity (water and irrigation water use efficiency, WUE and IWUE). Five irrigation treatments were investigated: a full irrigation (I₁) with a water application of 60 mm and four deficit treatments with application depths of 50 (I₂), 40 (I₃), 30 (I₄), and 20 mm (I₅). On average, the highest grain yield observed was 1008.41 g m^?2 in I₁, and water deficits resulted in significant (p < .05) reduction within range of 6 and 33%. This reduction was significantly correlated with a decline in grain number per ear, 1000-grain weight, ear number per plant, and number of grain per row. The highest correlation was found between grain yield and grain number per ear. The WUE and IWUE were within range of 1.52–2.25 kg m^?3 and 1.64–4.53 kg m^?3, respectively. High water productivity without significant reduction in yield (<13%) for I₂ and I₃ compared to the yield in I₁ indicates that these water depths are viable practices to promote sustainable water development. Also, for assessing the benefits of irrigation practices in the region crop water production functions were established. Maize yield response to water stress was estimated as .92, suggesting the environmental conditions are conducive for implementing DI strategies.     

The assessment of rill irrigation and perforated pipes for Lowland paddy rice under the system of rice intensification (SRI)

Paddy and Water Environment - Irrigated paddy rice needs new strategies and tools to improve water use efficiency and productivity by applying just enough to sustain production with huge savings on...     

Application of bio-desalinization for reclamation of salt-affected soil under composted cow manure and deficit irrigation with saline water

Paddy and Water Environment - Application of common leaching and flushing methods is often impractical due to freshwater scarcity, groundwater pollution and a lack of suitable drainage systems. To...     

A model for simulating plant N accumulation,growth and yield of diverse rice genotypes grown under different soil and climatic conditions

The objective of this study was to develop a whole-process model for explaining genotypic and environmental variations in the growth and yield of irrigated rice by incorporating a newly developed sub-model for plant nitrogen (N) uptake into a previously reported model for simulating growth and yield based on measured plant N. The N-uptake process model was developed based on two hypotheses: (1) the rate of root system development in the horizontal direction is proportional to the rate of leaf area index (LAI) development, and (2) root N-absorption activity depends on the amount of carbohydrate allocated to roots. The model employed two empirical soil parameters characterizing indigenous N supply and N loss. Calibration of the N-uptake process sub-model and validation of the whole-process model were made using plant N accumulation, and growth and yield data obtained from a cross-locational experiment on nine rice genotypes at seven locations in Asia, respectively. Calibration of the N-uptake process sub-model indicated that a large genotypic difference exists in the proportionality constant between rate of root system development and that of LAI development during early growth stages. The whole-process model simultaneously explained the observed genotypic and environmental variation in the dynamics of plant N accumulation (R² = 0.91 for the entire dataset), above-ground biomass growth (R² = 0.94), LAI development (R² = 0.78) and leaf N content (R² = 0.79), and spikelet number per unit area (R² = 0.78) and rough grain yield (R² = 0.81). The estimated value of the site (field)-specific soil parameter representing the rate of N loss was negatively correlated with cation exchange capacity of the soil and was approximated by a logarithmic function of cation exchange capacity for seven sites (R² = 0.95). Large yearly and locational variations were estimated in the soil parameter for representing the rate of indigenous N supply at 25 °C. With the use of these two soil parameters, the whole-system model explained the observed genotypic and environmental variations in plant N accumulation, growth and yield of rice in Asia.     

A model driven by crop water use and nitrogen supply for simulating changes in the regional yield of rain-fed lowland rice in Northeast Thailand

Climate change will have significant impacts on the rain-fed rice production ecosystem, and particularly on the ecosystem’s hydrology and water resources. Under rain-fed lowland conditions, substantial variations among fields in grain yield are commonly observed, but a method that can account for field-scale yield variability to produce regional-scale yield estimates is lacking, thereby limiting our ability to predict future rice production under changing climate and variable water resources. In this study, we developed a model for estimating regional yields of rain-fed lowland rice in Northeast Thailand, by combining a simple crop model with a crop calendar model. The crop model incorporates the effects of two important resources (water and nitrogen) on crop growth. The biomass accumulation is driven by water use, whereas the nitrogen supply determines canopy development and thereby constrains crop water use. Accounting for the wide range of planting dates and the strong photoperiod-sensitive characteristics of rice varieties through the calendar model is an essential component in determining regional yield estimates. The present model does not account for the effects of mid-season drought or flooding, but was nonetheless able to explain the spatial and temporal yield variations at the province level for the past 25 years. Thus, it can be used as a prototype for simulating regional yields of rain-fed lowland rice.     

Comparison of haymaking strategies for cow-calf systems in the Salado Region of Argentina using a simulation model. 1. Effect of herbage mass at cutting and cow stocking rate under a rigid system of management

A simulation model was used to compare the long‐term performance of cow‐calf farm systems under different haymaking strategies on a 100‐ha farm. In the simulation, farm management was based on that which had been developed on Reserva 6, an experimental cow‐calf farm established in 1966 at Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria‐Balcarce Experimental Station, Argentina, where different technologies, including haymaking, have been adapted and applied in order to increase productivity of cow‐calf systems in the Salado Region of Argentina. The management of the system is based on a restricted mating season (2 months), early weaning (5–7 months of age) and forage conservation. The simulations showed that the effect of using hay with respect to the strategy without hay, in terms of calf liveweight (LW) production per hectare, was greatest at the cow numbers that maximized production (290–320 cows) with a proportionate increase of 0.25. On the other hand, the advantage of using hay was smallest when the herbage mass at cutting for hay was 6 t dry matter (DM) ha^?1, particularly when more than 0.50 of the farm area was allocated to haymaking. The differences among the haymaking policies increased with cow numbers, especially at high herbage masses at cutting for hay. The analysis also suggested that the LW production per hectare of cow‐calf farms would be maximized by harvesting 0.40–0.50 of the total farm area and aiming to cut hay at a herbage mass of 4 t DM ha^?1 and with medium quality.