Estimation of potential area of preparatory irrigation for rainy season lowland rice and supplemental irrigation for dry season cropping using existing reservoirs constructed for aquaculture: a case study in semi-mountainous village,Lao PDR

Paddy and Water Environment - The rural area in Lao PDR has a low yield of rainy season lowland rice, and most rice fields are not utilized for crop cultivation during the dry season. Delay in...     

Water use in rice crop through different methods of irrigation in a sodic soil

Sodic soils are characterized by high exchangeable sodium on exchange sites, soil pH greater than 8.5, relatively low electrical conductivity, low infiltration rate and dispersed clay. These characteristics restrict the capacity of soil to absorb water, resulting in poor infiltration. Evidently, these soils require application of irrigation water at shorter intervals for crop production. Thus, irrigation strategy for sodic soils differs from that of normal soils. An experiment to determine the suitable irrigation strategy along with methods of application namely: surface (farmer’s practice), sprinkler (double nozzle impact sprinkler), and low-energy water application device (LEWA) were initiated in the year 2012 for rice crop. Irrigation depths of 6 cm in case of surface method and 4 cm in case of sprinkler and LEWA methods were applied at each irrigation event. The irrigation events for rice were scheduled at 2-DAD (days after the disappearance of the ponded water), 3-DAD, and 4-DAD through surface method, and at daily, 1- and 2-day intervals (after initial ponding disappeared) by sprinkler and LEWA methods. Sprinkler and LEWA methods resulted in highest rice yield of 4.4 t ha^?1 in irrigated plots at the 2-day interval which was at par with the highest yielding surface-irrigated plot scheduled at 2-DAD. At the same time, irrigation strategy of 2-day interval through sprinkler and LEWA methods registered water saving to the extent of 30–40% over 2-DAD under surface irrigation method. Results revealed that there could be substantial saving of water and energy (electricity and diesel) through the use of sprinkling devices for irrigating rice under sodic soil environments.     

Physiology of yield determination of mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) under various irrigation regimes in the dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka

Drought is a major factor limiting yield improvement of mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) in the sub-humid, dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the yield response of mung bean to irrigation at various phenological stages in terms of radiation interception, radiation-use efficiency and harvest index. Four field experiments were carried out at two sites (Maha-Illuppallama and Kundasale) during the short, dry yala season over two years (1995 and 1996). The life cycle of mung bean was divided into three stages: vegetative (from germination to appearance of first flower); flowering (from appearance of first flower to 75% pod initiation); and pod-filling (from 75% pod initiation to maturity). Eight irrigation treatments were defined as all possible combinations of irrigation during the three stages. Maximum potential soil water deficits (PSWD) ranging from 127 to 376 mm developed as a result of keeping different combinations of stages unirrigated. Maximum LAI (L_m) and the fraction of incoming radiation intercepted (F) increased significantly with the number of stages irrigated. Specifically, treatments which included irrigation during the vegetative stage achieved large L_m and F. Radiation-use efficiency (RUE), maximum total biomass (W_m), harvest index (HI) and seed yield (Y) also showed a significant positive response to the number of stages irrigated. However, all the above parameters were significantly greater in treatments which included irrigation during the pod-filling and flowering stages. The treatment which received irrigation only during the vegetative stage had significantly lower RUE, W_m, HI and Y despite having higher L_m and F. Therefore, irrigation is critical during pod-filling and flowering stages mainly because of the higher LAI during these periods and, consequently, the greater demand for water. Lack of irrigation during these critical stages resulted in the development of significant PSWD with adverse effects on photosynthesis and consequently decreased RUE. Moreover, water stress during flowering and pod-filling stages significantly reduced pod initiation and pod growth rates and thereby reduced HI. It is concluded that to maximize mung bean yields in the dry season of the sub-humid zones of Sri Lanka, irrigation should extend across all phenological stages, specially the pod-filling stage.     

Crisis management of water shortage in an irrigation area with a pipeline network system

Problems caused by water shortage in a paddy-field district with a pipeline network system are different from those in a district with an open channel system. Abnormally low rainfall in Japan caused a very serious water shortage in 1994. A survey was carried out in the Hokuriku region, about 300 km in the north of Tokyo, and a typical paddy cultivation area, to determine problems in irrigation practices caused by water shortage and to find countermeasures for the problems. The following results were obtained. A tank model was proposed to estimate water requirements at the field level. The results showed that the amount of rainfall during the irrigation period in 1994 was only 27.1% of an average year and the rate of water sufficiency at the field level was 70.6%. Then, a simulation method was proposed to estimate hydraulic phenomena in a pipeline network system. The result showed that the pipeline network system distributed water to each hydrant unequally during water shortage. Based on simulations, the methods to equalize water supply to each hydrant and to set up reuse system of water were proposed.     

Effect of elevated [CO_2] and nutrient management on wet and dry season rice production in subtropical India

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of elevated [CO_2] with varying nutrient management on rice–rice production system. The experiment was conducted in the open field and inside open-top chambers(OTCs) of ambient [CO_2](≈ 390 μmol L-1) and elevated [CO_2] environment(25% above ambient) during wet and dry seasons in 2011–2013at Kharagpur, India. The nutrient management included recommended doses of N, P, and K as chemical fertilizer(CF), integration of chemical and organic sources, and application of increased(25% higher) doses of CF. The higher [CO_2] level in the OTC increased aboveground biomass but marginally decreased filled grains per panicle and grain yield of rice, compared to the ambient environment. However, crop root biomass was increased significantly under elevated [CO_2]. With respect to nutrient management, increasing the dose of CF increased grain yield significantly in both seasons. At the recommended dose of nutrients, integrated nutrient management was comparable to CF in the wet season, but significantly inferior in the dry season, in its effect on growth and yield of rice. The [CO_2] elevation in OTC led to a marginal increase in organic C and available P content of soil, but a decrease in available N content. It was concluded that increased doses of nutrients via integration of chemical and organic sources in the wet season and chemical sources alone in the dry season will minimize the adverse effect of future climate on rice production in subtropical India.     

Responses of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) to irrigation and nitrogen in a hot,dry climate: I. Water use

The effects of differential irrigation and fertiliser treatments on the water use of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desirée) were studied over 2 years in the hot dry climate of northeast Portugal. Total actual evapotranspiration (ET_c) ranged from 150 to 320 mm in 1988, and from 190 to 550 mm in 1989 depending mainly on irrigation treatment, potential evaporation rates (ET_p) and duration of the growing season. By comparison, the effects of nitrogen fertiliser on total water use were relatively small. Although nitrogen increased transpiration (larger leaf canopy), it reduced evaporation from the soil surface, in frequently irrigated plots, by similar amounts. As a result, in well-irrigated crops, the ET_c/ET_p ratio averaged 0.85 over the season, regardless of nitrogen level. Evaporation from the soil surface represented 15–25% of total water use by well-fertilised plants, but as much as 30–50% from the sparse stands of unfertilised crops. The proportion of water extracted from each depth increment of the silt-loam soil declined logarithmically, from the surface to 1.1 m depth, the maximum measured, for irrigated crops, and linearly when rain-fed. The ET_c/ET_p ratio fell below unity when 25–30% of the available water in the top metre had been depleted, equivalent to soil water deficits (SWDs) of 45–50 mm. By comparison, ET_c declined to zero when 75–90% of the available water had been extracted, corresponding to actual deficits of 135–150 mm. Peak ET_c rates reached 12–13 mm per day on days immediately following irrigation, nearly twice ET_p (possibly due to the influence of advection) but then declined logarithmically with time to about 3 mm per day within 5 days. Using the same data, a companion paper reports the influence of climatic conditions on the yield responses to water of potato crops grown in the region.     

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.     

The reasonable scale of water reuse system in irrigation area: a case study of Chitong irrigation district in Taiwan

The aim of this study is to assess the potential of the irrigation return-flow in a water reuse system, for the supply of other local water users. Both field survey and water-budget analysis were conducted, and the Chitong irrigation district in Taiwan was selected as the case study area. The results indicate that through the regulation of a pond with the effective capacity of 20,000 m³, a stable supply of 10,000 CMD of reuse water can be generated if the return-flow from the irrigation area of 200 hectares, which is about the size of a rotation plot, is intercepted. However, as the irrigation and effective rainfall are low from December to March, which are considered high risk for water supply, the irrigation return-flow decreases accordingly, and a series of responding measures are also suggested.     

豆粕和米糠中植酸含量的测定方法研究

采用分光光度法测定豆粕和米糠中的植酸含量.通过正交试验确定了最佳的提取、分离工艺为提取温度45℃、提取时间3 h、D201大孔阴离子交换树脂、流速0.5 mL/min,测得米糠中植酸含量为70.39 mg/g,豆粕中植酸含量为21.42 mg/g.该方法操作简单、准确度较高,适用于农副产品中植酸含量的定量测定.     

杂交稻新组合特优航2号早季高产特性与栽培技术

“特优航2号”是福建省农业科学院水稻研究所通过航天育种高技术与传统育种技术结合利用所育成的。其恢复系航2号是1996年用强恢复系明恢86干种子通过卫星搭载进行高空辐射,从F2代分离世代中重点选出抗倒性、穗型大、结实率高、株叶形态好、米质较明恢86有所改善、形态有不同点的优良单株97个。F3代开始,按系谱法在福州、     

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...     

Flow regime shapes seasonal patterns of fish species richness and abundance in main and branch channels of a rice irrigation system

Current modernization of an irrigation system degrades fish habitats in quantity and quality and is a significant concern for biodiversity conservation and management of ecosystem services in rice farming landscapes. Irrigation systems consist of various types of channels, whose hydrological and hydraulic heterogeneities can contribute to the coexistence of diverse fish species in this flooded habitat. We compared seasonal patterns of fish species richness and abundance between main and branch channels which have different functions in an irrigation system with different flow temporality and magnitude: the main channels (mean width 425 cm and mean discharge 0.467 m³/s in irrigation period) and the branch channels (176 cm and 0.115 m³/s, respectively). The branch channels are small and temporary, but densities of fish species richness and abundance were not smaller than the main channels during the irrigation period. Further, clear positive hysteretic loops in species richness and abundance with discharge were found in the branch channels, which indicates that fish species richness and abundance gradually increased with discharge during this hydroperiod. Water velocity strongly constrained species richness and abundance in the main channels but not in the branch channels partially because of slow-flow patches at microhabitat scale with a larger vegetation coverage. We also found that the main channels provided deeper habitats in the non-irrigation period and contributed to maintain fish species richness and abundance. Therefore, managing both the main and branch channels as an indispensable, interconnected channel network can be a key for fish habitat conservation in an irrigation system.     

Water use and yield of wheat/maize intercropping under alternate irrigation in the oasis field of northwest China

A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of alternate irrigation (AI) on the yield, water use and water use efficiency (WUE) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping system in an oasis region of northwest China in 2006-2008. Three planting patterns, i.e., sole wheat, sole maize and wheat/maize intercropping. Three irrigation levels were applied for each treatment during 3 years. Results showed that land use efficiency of wheat and maize was significantly enhanced by intercropping system; land equivalent ratio (LER) of wheat/maize intercropping system in different treatments was all greater than 1.0. Moreover, significant difference in grain yield was observed between intercropping treatment and sole cropping treatment, in which the yield of intercropped wheat was 55.37-74.88% of sole wheat, and intercropped maize was 66.63-78.87% of sole maize. Wheat/maize intercropping treatments increased water use by 1.8-16.4% than half of the total water use of sole-cropping wheat and maize. Compared to sole cropping wheat treatments, wheat/maize intercropping with alternate irrigation significantly improved water use efficiency (WUE) by 30.5-57.7%, 55.5-71.4% and 12.0-19.8%, and increased by 32.7-37.8%, 9.5-15.8% and 4.0-20.8% than sole cropping maize treatments in 2006-2008, respectively. Our results suggest that AI should be a useful water-saving irrigation method on wheat/maize intercropping in arid oasis field where intercropping planting is decreased because of limited water resource.     

Individual lift irrigation: a case study in the Cau Son irrigation and drainage area, Red River Basin, Vietnam

The irrigation trend in Asia has been characterised as a shift from gravity to lift irrigation, but the importance of individual lift irrigation using surface water remains to be documented. Surveys on field water application by farmers using lift were undertaken in three sites and across the 44,600 ha Cau Son irrigation and drainage area in the spring crop season. Lift irrigation was found to be practised by 82 % of households. The main lift technology was mechanical pump (petrol and electric), followed by traditional swing and long-handle baskets. The main source for lifting was on-farm canals. Although gravity irrigation was the dominant field application method, the area solely irrigated by individual lift ranged from 25 to 52 % of the irrigated areas. Scaling up from the sites, individual lift accounted for 29 % by irrigation area and volume, with 17 and 12 % attributed to mechanical and manual lift. The application of mechanical pumps was a response to locally high-field elevations and significantly increased with the distance of water delivery from the main canal. The impact of mechanical pumping on flexibility and reliability was significant and positive. Petrol driven pumps had relatively high operational and investment costs, but farmers gained higher flexibility and reliability and compensated by applying less water. Farmers using electric pumps applied significantly more water and thereby wasted electric energy as a compensation for uncertain electric power supply. The importance of individual lift irrigation suggests that it should be explicitly considered in irrigation management policies and performance assessments.     

Fate of phosphate and nitrate in waters of an intensive agricultural area in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

The chemistry of surface waters and groundwater draining agricultural catchments in the north-central and northwestern areas of Sri Lanka is described. Hydrochemical data from 296 water samples are used to evaluate water quality and to identify the processes that control nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the water. The results indicate that nutrient concentrations in the groundwaters are greater than those in the surface waters. Increased nutrient levels were observed in groundwater in a selected area in the fortnight following fertilizer application. Detailed geochemical investigations of selected groundwater samples reveal a gradual rise of nitrate–N and other solutes along the horizontal flow direction. Compared to the application rates of fertilizer in the area, the average nutrient concentrations in all waters are relatively low (1.5 mg/l nitrate and 0.5 mg/l phosphate) and stable. The results suggest that prevailing reducing conditions, iron-rich overburden soil cover and manmade canal networks control nutrient accumulation in the groundwater.     

籼爪交中稻新组合特优671的选育与应用

利用籼爪杂交育种技术育成亚恢671,与龙特甫A配组育成亚种间杂交中稻新组合特优671,具有高产、稳产、适应广等特点,2004年通过福建省农作物品种审定委员会审定。     

Involvement of carboxypeptidase in the degradation of the mung bean (Vigna radiata) trypsin inhibitor during germination and early seedling growth

Examination of the substrate specifity of the carboxypeptidase activity of ungerminated and germinated mung beans (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) reveals the presence of two distinct enzymes. The first of these, carboxypeptidase I, is maximally active against carbobenzyloxy-Ala-Phe. It is present in large amounts in the cotyledons of ungerminated seeds, and declines rapidly during germination. The second, carboxypeptidase II, is most active against carbobenzyloxy-Phe-Ala. This enzyme increases in the cotyledons during germination and seedling growth.The possible involvement of one or both of these enzymes in the degradation of the native mung bean trypsin inhibitor (MBTI - F) and its proteolytically modified forms (MBTI - E, - C, and - E') during germination was also examined. The enzyme catalyzing one step in the conversion of MBTI - E to MBTI - C has been isolated with 557-fold purification from germinated mung beans. The inhibitor-degrading enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 60,000. It is optimally active against MBTI - E at between pH 4.0 to 4.5. No activity was found with MBTI - F, - E', or - C as substrates. The enzyme has been identified as the carboxypeptidase II on the basis of (1) coelution during chromatography, (2) action on synthetic and natural substrates, (3) sensitivity to enzyme inhibitors, and (4) temporal variation during germination. The MBTI degrading carboxypeptidase removes the two carboxyl-terminal residues from MBTI - E to produce an inhibitor species that co-migrates with MBTI - C on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but has not been subjected to the internal cleavage and proteolysis at the amino-terminus found in MBTI - C.Supported by National Science Foundation Grants PCM 8003854 and PCM 8301202Abbreviations used are: TNBS, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid; Cbz-, carbobenzyloxy-; PMSF, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride; MBTI, mung bean trypsin inhibitor; SDS, sodium dodecylsulfate; PAGE, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Potential of the system of rice intensification for systemic improvement in rice production and water use: the case of Andhra Pradesh, India

As opportunities to enhance the irrigation base for raising food production in the country are dwindling, India needs a more concerted effort to increase the efficiency and productivity of its irrigation systems. This study, based on an analysis of experience from the state of Andhra Pradesh, addresses the potential of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to contribute to systemic corrections in present paddy cultivation, both with regard to agronomic productivity and irrigation water use efficiency. This study points to the considerable increase in rice productivity and farmer incomes, which is being achieved in Andhra Pradesh with substantial reduction in irrigation water application, labor, and seed costs through utilization of SRI methods. Potential public savings on water and power costs could be drawn upon not only for promoting SRI but also to effect systemic corrections in the irrigation sector, to mutual advantage.