Impact of water management on yield and water productivity with system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional transplanting system in rice

The system of rice intensification (SRI) reportedly enhances yield with less water requirement. This claim was investigated to determine the effects of alternative cultivation methods and water regimes on crop growth and physiological performance. Treatment combinations compared SRI with the conventional transplanting system (CTS) using standard practices, evaluating both along a continuum from continuous flooding to water applications at 1, 3, 5, or 7 days after disappearance of ponded water (DAD), subjecting plants to differing degrees of water stress while reducing total water expenditure. SRI methods gave significant changes in plants’ phenotype in terms of root growth and tillering, with improved xylem exudation and photosynthetic rates during the grain-filling stage compared to CTS. This resulted in significant increases in panicle length, more grains and more filled grains panicle^?1, greater 1,000-grain weight, and higher grain yield under SRI management. Overall, averaged across the five water regimes evaluated, SRI practice produced 49 % higher grain yield with 14 % less water than under CTS; under SRI, water productivity increased by 73 %, from 3.3 to 5.7 kg ha-mm^?1. The highest CTS grain yield and water productivity were with the 1-DAD treatment (4.35 t ha^?1 and 3.73 kg ha-mm^?1); SRI grain yield and water productivity were the greatest at 3-DAD (6.35 t ha^?1 and 6.47 kg ha-mm^?1).     

Influence of field re-ponding pattern and plant spacing on rice root–shoot characteristics,yield, and water productivity of two modern cultivars under SRI management in Indian Mollisols

A 2-year field experiment was conducted during the wet seasons (July–October) of 2008 and 2009 on a Typic Hapludoll Mollisol in Indo-Gangetic Plains Region (IGPR) to: (i) investigate the effects of field water re-ponding intervals and plant spacing on the growth, yield, and water productivity (WP) of two rice cultivars under system of rice intensification (SRI) management, and (ii) assess comparative performance of SRI versus ‘best management practices’(BMP) of rice cultivation. This experiment was designed with 14 treatments, 12 under SRI, and 2 BMP (controls). SRI treatments comprised of 3 irrigation regimes viz, irrigation at 1, 3, and 5 day(s) after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW), 2 plant spacings (20 × 20, 25 × 25 cm), and 2 rice cultivars (Pant Dhan 4 and Hybrid 6444). Two BMP (control) treatments comprised of standard cultivation recommendations for flooding and spacing. The experiment was laid-out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Statistical analysis of data revealed significant variations in root–shoot characteristics and rice yield under SRI between years, reflecting different rainfall patterns. During 2009, a low rainfall year, the panicle numbers m^?2, dry root weight m^?2, root volume m^?2, filled spikelet number panicle^?1, and filled spikelet weight panicle^?1 were significantly higher, which resulted in a rice grain yield enhancement by 5.1 % over 2008, when there was unusually heavy rainfall. Climate × irrigation regime interaction revealed a non-significant influence of irrigation regimes on growth and yield during 2008, whereas in 2009, irrigation at 1 DADPW and 3 DADPW increased grain yield by 12.8 and 8 %, respectively over 5 DADPW. Better root–zone soil moisture regimes, balancing water, and oxygen availability were responsible for higher yields under irrigation at 1 and 3 DADPW. In 2008, soil moisture content (SMC) in 0–15 cm layer was 91, 86, and 82 % of field capacity (FC) at panicle initiation, and 88, 80, and 77 % at panicle emergence stage when irrigation was at 1, 3, and 5 DADPW, respectively; the lower layers (15–30, 30–45 cm) retained their SMC between 87 and 94 % of FC at both stages. During 2009, SMC in all the three layers at both stages was more than 85 % of FC when irrigating at 1 DADPW, and a little more than 70 % for the 0–15 cm layer and >80 % for the other two layers when irrigation was done at 3 DADPW. SMC dropped to below 60 % of FC in the 0–15 cm layer and remained between 67 and 77 % of FC in the other two layers, with lower yield resulting when irrigations were applied at 5 DADPW. However, WP was the highest with irrigation at 5 DADPW (38.5 kg ha cm^?1). Wider plant spacing (25 × 25 cm) resulted in generally and significantly higher grain yield and WP. On an average, SRI (6.1 t ha^?1) resulted in yield advantage of 0.9 t ha^?1 over BMP (5.2 t ha^?1). Overall, it is inferred that in SRI, wider planting (25 × 25 cm) with field re-ponding at 3 DADPW if there is adequate water availability and at 5 DADPW under limited water supply conditions, may lead to higher rice yields and WP in sub-humid tarai Mollisols of IGPR and comparable agro-climatic conditions in Indian sub-continent.     

Agronomic fortification of rice grains with secondary and micronutrients under differing crop management and soil moisture regimes in the north Indian Plains

Although the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been reported to produce higher paddy (Oryza sativa L.) yields with better-quality grains, little research has addressed the latter claim. This study investigated the interactive effects of rice cultivation methods with different irrigation schedules and plant density on the uptake and concentration of sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the grain and straw of two rice cultivars during two rainy seasons in the northern plains of India. As the two seasons differed in amounts of rainfall, there were impacts of soil moisture differences on nutrient uptake. Plots with SRI cultivation methods enhanced the grain uptake and concentrations of S, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu by 36, 32, 28, 32 and 63%, respectively, compared to conventional transplanting (CT). Under SRI management, the highest concentrations of S, Zn and Cu in the grain and straw occurred with irrigation intervals scheduled at 3 days after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW; 3_D), whereas Fe and Mn concentrations in the grain and straw were higher with irrigation at 1 DADPW (1 _D ) compared with plots under 3 _D or 5 DADPW (5 _D ). The higher nutrient uptakes were also manifested in higher grain yield in 1 _D and 3 _D plots (by 9 and 6%, respectively) compared with 5 _D . Wider spacing (25 × 25 cm) compared with closer spacing (20 × 20 cm) significantly increased yield and the uptake and concentrations of all the said nutrients in the grains. When comparing the performance of two cultivars, the total uptakes of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in both grain and straw were significantly more in Hybrid 6444 than the improved variety Pant Dhan 4. Overall, SRI crop management compared to CT practices led to more biological fortification of rice grains with respect to S and the four micronutrients studied, giving a concomitant yield advantage of about 17% on average in this region.     

Effect of intermittent irrigation following the system of rice intensification (SRI) on rice yield in a farmer’s paddy fields in Indonesia

System of rice intensification (SRI) has been disseminated in many countries because of its high yield, although the mechanism of yield increase has yet to be fully understood. The aims of this study were to clarify the actual water management of a skilled SRI farmer in irrigated paddy field of Indonesia and to examine the effect of intermittent water management on rice growth and yield. Yield and yield components were compared in the field experiments in the farmer’s fields under intermittent (SRI) or flooded (FL) irrigation for 4 years from 2013 to 2016. The daily mean water depth of SRI plots during 0–40 days after transplanting showed very shallow (ca. 2 cm) or little lower than soil surface and continued to be lower than soil surface during reproductive stage when panicles were formed. The yield of SRI significantly exceeded that of FL for 4 years by 13% (P?=?0.0004), so did the panicle numbers per area (P?=?0.036). The yield increase in SRI was associated with the increased number of panicles, which should have resulted from enhanced tiller development under shallow water level during the vegetative stage. The increased number of panicles was, however, counteracted by the reduced number of spikelets per panicle and resulted in nonsignificant increase in the spikelet density, defined as number of spikelets per unit area of crop. This dampening change in spikelet number per panicle could have been caused by limited supply of either nitrogen or carbohydrate during the panicle development stage under the intermittent water supply. A greater yield increase by SRI could be expected by improving nutrient or water management during the reproductive stage.     

Influence of crop establishment methods on yield,economics and water productivity of rice cultivars under upland and lowland production ecologies of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field study on assessment of crop establishment methods on yield, economics and water productivity of rice cultivars under upland and lowland production ecologies was conducted during wet seasons (June–November) of 2012 and 2013 in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The experiment was laid-out in a split-plot design (SPD) and replicated four times. The main-plot treatments included three crop establishment methods, viz. dry direct-seeded rice (DSR), system of rice intensification (SRI) and puddled transplanted rice (PTR). In sub-plots, five rice cultivars of different groups like aromatic (Improved Pusa Basmati 1 and Pusa Sugandh 5), inbreds (PNR 381 and Pusa 834) and hybrid (Arize 6444) were taken for their evaluations. These two sets of treatments were laid-out simultaneously in two production ecologies, upland and lowland during both years. In general, lowland ecology was found favourable for rice growth and yield and resulted in 13.2% higher grain yield as compared to upland ecology. Rice grown with SRI method produced 19.4 and 7.0% higher grain yield in 2012 and 20.6 and 7.1% higher in 2013, over DSR and PTR. However, PTR yielded 13.1 and 14.5% higher grain over DSR during 2012 and 2013, respectively. On an average, Arize 6444 produced 26.4, 26.9, 28.9 and 54.7% higher grain yield as compared to PS 5, P 834, PNR 381 and IPB1, respectively. Further, the interaction of production ecologies × crop establishment methods revealed that, in upland ecology, SRI recorded significantly higher grain yield as compared to PTR and DSR, but in lowland, grain yield resulting from SRI was similar to the yield obtained with PTR and significantly higher than DSR. The latter two methods (PTR and DSR) yielded alike in lowland ecology in both study years. The production ecologies × crop establishment methods × cultivars interaction on grain yield showed that the growing of Arize 6444 cultivar using SRI method in upland ecology resulted in the higher grain yield (8.87 t/ha). But the cost of production was also highest in SRI followed by PTR and DSR across production ecologies and cultivars. Cultivation of hybrid (Arize 6444) involved higher cost of production than all other cultivars. Irrespective of crop establishment methods and cultivars, gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio were significantly higher in lowland compared to upland ecology. Owing to higher grain yield, SRI method fetched significantly higher gross returns and net returns over PTR and DSR. Average increase in net return with Arize 6444 was 68.8, 41.0, 37.7 and 33.1% over IPB 1, PNR 381, P 834 and PS 5, respectively. There was a saving of 30.7% water in SRI and 19.9% in DSR over PTR under upland ecology. Similarly in lowland ecology, water saving of 30.2% was observed in SRI and 21.2% in DSR over PTR. Due to higher yield and saving on water, SRI returned significantly higher total water productivity (TWP) (5.9 kg/ha-mm) as compared to DSR (3.5 kg/ha-mm) and PTR (3.6 kg/ha-mm) under upland ecology. In lowland ecology, also SRI (6.2 kg/ha-mm) resulted in higher TWP as compared to other two methods. However, DSR gave significantly higher TWP as compared to PTR. Among cultivars, hybrid Arize 6444 recorded the highest TWP in both upland and lowland production ecologies across crop establishment methods. Hence, growing of hybrid Arize 6444 with SRI method can enhance rice productivity and water-use efficiency in lowland and upland production ecologies of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains and in other similar regions.     

水稻强化栽培对植株生理与群体发育的影响

以粳稻品种武香粳9号为材料,研究了SRI（system of rice intensification）下植株生理特性、群体发育特点及高产栽培技术。结果表明,在SRI方式下,水稻根系活力增强,叶片可溶性糖、非蛋白氮、丙二醛和脯氨酸含量增加,营养器官的物质转运率提高,群体质量明显改善;但群体茎蘖数和穗数不足,限制了SRI的产量。在SRI条件下,双本栽插能显著提高水稻群体茎蘖数,改善营养器官物质的运转和群体质量,有助于提高SRI的产量;增施氮肥在提高水稻群体茎蘖数的同时降低了营养器官物质的转运,因此不宜过分依赖增加氮肥来提高SRI的产量。     

Assessment of different methods of rice (Oryza sativa. L) cultivation affecting growth parameters, soil chemical, biological, and microbiological properties, water saving, and grain yield in rice–rice system

Field experiments were conducted at DRR farm located at ICRISAT, Patancheru, in sandy clay loam soils during four seasons, Kharif 2008, Rabi 2008–2009, Kharif 2009 and Rabi 2009–2010, to investigate growth parameters, water-saving potential, root characteristics, chemical, biological, and microbial properties of rhizosphere soil, and grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by comparing the plants grown with system of rice intensification (SRI) methods, with organic or organic + inorganic fertilization, against current recommended best management practices (BMP). All the growth parameters including plant height, effective tillers (10–45 %), panicle length, dry matter, root dry weight (24–57 %), and root volume (10–66 %) were found to be significantly higher with in SRI-organic + inorganic over BMP. With SRI-organic fertilization, growth parameters showed inconsistent results; however, root dry weight (3–77 %) and root volume (31–162 %) were found significantly superior compared to BMP. Grain yield was found significantly higher in SRI-organic + inorganic (12–23 and 4–35 % in the Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively), while with SRI-organic management, yield was found higher (4–34 %) only in the Rabi seasons compared to BMP. An average of 31 and 37 % of irrigation water were saved during Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively, with both SRI methods of rice cultivation compared to BMP. Further, total nitrogen, organic carbon%, soil dehydrogenase, microbial biomass carbon, total bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were found higher in the two SRI plots in comparison to BMP. It is concluded that SRI practices create favorable conditions for beneficial soil microbes to prosper, save irrigation water, and increase grain yield.     

强化栽培下水稻穗分化期叶片光合速率与水分利用率的研究

 用超级杂交稻两优培九、Ⅱ优7954和国稻1号作为研究材料，比较SRI水稻穗分化期不同移栽密度叶片光合速率和水分利用率。结果表明，SRI水稻稀植后能保持一定的叶面积指数，随着移栽密度从1.95×105丛/hm2下降到0.75×105丛/hm2，群体透光率增加，各叶位(第9叶至第13叶)叶片的光合速率和水分利用率明显提高，蒸腾速率降低，抽穗整齐度下降，第9叶和第10叶的光合速率和水分利用率提高的幅度较大。在试验条件下，水稻强化栽培的产量在移栽密度为165×105丛/hm2 时最高。     

Effects on rice plant morphology and physiology of water and associated management practices of the system of rice intensification and their implications for crop performance

Field experiments were conducted in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, during the dry season (January–May) in 2008 and 2009 to investigate whether practices of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), including alternate wetting and drying (AWD) during the vegetative stage of plant growth, could improve rice plants’ morphology and physiology and what would be their impact on resulting crop performance, compared with currently recommended scientific management practices (SMP), including continuous flooding (CF) of paddies. With SRI practices, grain yield was increased by 48% in these trials at the same time, there was an average water saving of 22% compared with inundated SMP rice. Water productivity with AWD-SRI management practices was almost doubled (0.68 g l⁻¹) compared to CF-SMP (0.36 g l⁻¹). Significant improvements were observed in the morphology of SRI plants in terms of root growth, plant/culm height, tiller number per hill, tiller perimeter, leaf size and number, leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf weight (SLW), and open canopy structure. These phenotypic improvements of the AWD-SRI crop were accompanied by physiological changes: greater xylem exudation rate, crop growth rate, mean leaf elongation rate (LER), and higher light interception by the canopy compared to rice plants grown under CF-SMP. SRI plants showed delayed leaf senescence and greater light utilization, and they maintained higher photosynthetic rates during reproductive and grain-filling stages. This was responsible for improvement in yield-contributing characteristics and higher grain yield than from flooded rice with SMP. We conclude that SRI practices with AWD improve rice plants’ morphology, and this benefits physiological processes that result in higher grain yield and water productivity.     

【Short Report】Influence of the Improved System of Rice Intensification (SRI) on Rice Yield,Yield Components and Tillering Characteristics under Different Rice Establishment Methods

Abstract

The impacts of the system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional management (CM) on grain yield, yield components and tillering capacity were examined under 4 rice establishment methods transplanting (TP), seedling casting (SC), mechanical transplanting (MT) and direct seeding (DS). SRI produced significantly higher grain yield than CM under TP and MT but not under DS or SC. DS and SC produced much higher seedling quality than TP or MT, suggesting that robust seedlings with vigorous roots weaken the positive effect of SRI on rice yield. SRI produced a higher tillering rate than CM, but did not affect ear-bearing tiller rate significantly. Moreover, the net photosynthetic rate of the recent fully expanded leaf at mid-tillering stage was significantly higher in SRI than in CM under MT and TP. The obtained results also indicated that SRI increased biomass accumulation before heading and improved utilization of photosynthates in the grain-filling stage.     

Yield response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes to drought under rainfed lowland: 3. Plant factors contributing to drought resistance

A series of experiments were conducted in drought-prone northeast Thailand to examine the magnitude of yield responses of diverse genotypes to drought stress environments and to identify traits that may confer drought resistance to rainfed lowland rice. One hundred and twenty eight genotypes were grown under non-stress and four different types of drought stress conditions.Under severe drought conditions, the maintenance of PWP of genotypes played a significant role in determining final grain yield. Because of their smaller plant size (lower total dry matter at anthesis) genotypes that extracted less soil water during the early stages of the drought period, tended to maintain higher PWP and had a higher fertile panicle percentage, filled grain percentage and final grain yield than other genotypes. PWP was correlated with delay in flowering (r=−0.387) indicating that the latter could be used as a measure of water potential under stress. Genotypes with well-developed root systems extracted water too rapidly and experienced severe water stress at flowering. RPR which showed smaller coefficient of variation was more useful than root mass density in identifying genotypes with large root system.Under less severe and prolonged drought conditions, genotypes that could achieve higher plant dry matter at anthesis were desirable. They had less delay in flowering, higher grain yield and higher drought response index, indicating the importance of ability to grow during the prolonged stress period.Other shoot characters (osmotic potential, leaf temperature, leaf rolling, leaf death) had little effect on grain yield under different drought conditions. This was associated with a lack of genetic variation and difficulty in estimating trait values precisely.Under mild stress conditions (yield loss less than 50%), there was no significant relationship between the measured drought characters and grain yield. Under these mild drought conditions, yield is determined more by yield potential and phenotype than by drought resistant mechanisms per se.     

Physiological Basis of Stagnant Flooding Tolerance in Rice

Stagnant flooding(SF) is an important constraint which prolonges partial submergence damages of rice plants and reduces grain yield. Due to the heterogeneity in flood-prone ecosystem, many different types of traditional rice varieties are being grown by the farmers. The local landraces adapted to extreme in water availability could be the sources of new gene(s) which would be utilized to improve the adaptability of rice to SF with high yield. The main goal of this study is to identify new genetic resources tolerant to SF based on morpho-physiological traits. A total of 16 rice varieties were selected after initial screening from more than 400 rice varieties which were collected from eastern states of India. The increase rate of plant height was higher under SF compared to control, whereas no such trend was observed in the increment rate of aboveground total dry weight and culm dry weight. Area of aerenchyma gas spaces per tiller increased whereas root oxidase activity decreased under SF. The reduction of root oxidase activity, leaf area, and leaf dry weight was higher in susceptible varieties under SF compared to control. Stability index for different grain yield and yield attributes revealed that the impact of SF differed among different varieties. Correlation coefficient studies among different parameters taking stability index showed significant association with the grain yield. Based on the findings, it was concluded that maintenance of equivalent panicle weight and panicle number, plant height and harvest index at the maturity stage, leaf area, leaf and culm dry weights, root oxidase activity and tiller numbers at the flowering stage under SF compared to control help the plant to counteract the adverse effects of SF.     

Crop and water productivity as influenced by rice cultivation methods under organic and inorganic sources of nutrient supply

A field experiment was conducted during the wet seasons of 2010 and 2011 at New Delhi, India to study the influence of organic, inorganic, and integrated sources of nutrient supply under three methods of rice cultivation on rice yield and water productivity. The experiments were laid out in FRBD with nine treatment combinations. Treatment combinations included three sources of nutrient supply viz., organic, integrated nutrient management, and inorganic nutrition and three rice production systems viz., conventional transplanting, system of rice intensification (SRI) and aerobic rice system. Results indicated that the conventional and SRI showed at par grain and straw yields but their yields were significantly higher than aerobic rice. Grain yield under organic, inorganic and integrated sources of nutrient supply was at par since the base nutrient dose was same. Plant growth parameters like plant height, tillers, and dry matter accumulation at harvest stage were almost same under conventional and SRI but superior than aerobic rice system. Root knot nematode infestation was significantly higher in aerobic rice as compared to SRI and conventional rice. However, organic, inorganic and integrated sources of nutrient supply did not affect nematode infestation. There was significant advantage in term of water productivity under SRI over conventional transplanted (CT) rice and less quantity of water was utilized in SRI for production of each unit of grain. A water saving of 34.5–36.0 % in SRI and 28.9–32.1 % in aerobic rice was recorded as compared to CT rice.     

Nutrient uptake and water use efficiency as affected by modified rice cultivation methods with reduced irrigation

A field experiment was conducted in 2005 to investigate the effects of modified rice cultivation methods on: water use efficiency, the uptake of nutrients (N, P and K) by plants, and their distribution within plants and their internal use efficiency. The treatments were modified methods of irrigation, transplanting, weeding, and nutrient management, comparing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) with standard rice-growing methods including traditional flooding (TF). Results showed that the uptake of N, P, and K by rice plants during their growth stages was greater with SRI management compared to TF, except during the tillering stage. At maturity stage, SRI plants had taken up more nutrients in their different major organs (leaves, stems, and sheaths; panicle axis; and seeds), and they translocated greater amount of nutrients to the grain. Under SRI, the ratio of N, P, and K in seed grain to total plant N, P, and K was 4.97, 2.00, and 3.01% higher, respectively, than with TF. Moreover, under SRI management, internal use efficiency of the three macronutrients (N, P, and K) was increased by 21.89, 19.34, and 16.96%, respectively, compared to rice plants under TF management. These measurements calibrate the crop’s physiological response to differences in cultural practices, including the maintenance of aerobic versus anaerobic environment in the root zones. With SRI, irrigation water applications were reduced by 25.6% compared to TF. Also, total water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency was increased with SRI by 54.2 and 90.0%, respectively. Thus, SRI offered significantly greater water saving while at the same time producing more grain yield, in these trials 11.5% more compared to TF.     

Influence of Crop Nutrition on Grain Yield, Seed Quality and Water Productivity under Two Rice Cultivation Systems

The system of rice intensification (SRI) is reported to have advantages like lower seed requirement,less pest attack,shorter crop duration,higher water use efficiency and the ability to withstand higher degree of moisture stress than traditional method of rice cultivation.With this background,SRI was compared with traditional transplanting technique at Indian Agricultural Research Institute,New Delhi,India during two wet seasons (2009-2011).In the experiment laid out in a factorial randomized block design,two methods of rice cultivation [conventional transplanting (CT) and SRI] and two rice varieties (Pusa Basmati 1 and Pusa 44) were used under seven crop nutrition treatments,viz.T 1,120 kg/hm2 N,26.2 kg/hm2 P and 33 kg/hm2 K;T 2,20 t/hm2 farmyard manure (FYM);T 3,10 t/hm2 FYM+ 60 kg/hm2 N;T 4,5 t/hm2 FYM+ 90 kg/hm2 N;T 5,5 t/hm2 FYM+ 60 kg/hm2 N+ 1.5 kg/hm2 blue green algae (BGA);T 6,5 t/hm2 FYM+ 60 kg/hm2 N+ 1.0 t/hm2 Azolla,and T 7,N 0 P 0 K 0 (control,no NPK application) to study the effect on seed quality,yield and water use.In SRI,soil was kept at saturated moisture condition throughout vegetative phase and thin layer of water (2-3 cm) was maintained during the reproductive phase of rice,however,in CT,standing water was maintained in crop growing season.Results revealed that CT and SRI gave statistically at par grain yield but straw yield was significantly higher in CT as compared to SRI.Seed quality was superior in SRI as compared to CT.Integrated nutrient management (INM) resulted in higher plant height with longer leaves than chemical fertilizer alone in both the rice varieties.Grain yield attributes such as number of effective tillers per hill,panicle length and panicle weight of rice in both the varieties were significantly higher in INM as compared to chemical fertilizer alone.Grain yields of both the varieties were the highest in INM followed by the recommended doses of chemical fertilizer.The grain yield and its attributes of Pusa 44 were significantly higher than those of Pusa Basmati 1.The seed quality parameters like germination rate and vigor index as well as N uptake and soil organic carbon content were higher in INM than those in chemical fertilizer alone.CT rice used higher amount of water than SRI,with water saving of 37.6% to 34.5% in SRI.Significantly higher water productivity was recorded in SRI as compared to CT rice.     

Yield formation and tillering dynamics of direct-seeded rice in flooded and nonflooded soils in the Huai River Basin of China

Water shortage in the Huai River Basin prompts farmers to adopt water-saving technologies such as direct-seeded nonflooded or aerobic rice. Different cultivation practices impact on tiller growth and development. Improved insight into tiller dynamics is needed to increase yield in these production systems. We conducted field experiments with four direct-seeded rice varieties under flooded and nonflooded conditions in Mengcheng county, Anhui province, in 2005–2006. The soil water content in the nonflooded treatment varied between saturation and field capacity. Yields in nonflooded soil ranged from 3.6 to 4.7 t ha⁻¹, and did not differ significantly from yields in flooded soil that ranged from 3.6 to 5.1 t ha⁻¹. Variety had a significant effect on biomass, yield, panicle number, spikelet number, grain weight, and grain filling percentage. Panicle number was the main factor limiting yield, resulting from a low tiller emergence frequency and a low fraction of productive tillers in both the flooded and the nonflooded soils. On average, the panicle number was 159–232 m⁻², including 34–167 productive tillers per m² for all the varieties under the two water regimes. The contribution of productive tillers to yield varied between 7% and 47%. There were two peaks of tillers that contributed to yield, one at the low (4th or 5th) and one at the high (10th or 11th) phytomer orders. Frequencies of tiller emergence at most phytomer orders were higher in the flooded soil than in the nonflooded soil. There were no significant differences in frequencies of productive tiller emergence and contributions to yield from tillers between the soil water regimes for three of the four tested varieties. To increase yield in direct-seeded nonflooded rice production systems, both the tiller emergence frequency and the fraction of productive tillers should increase through breeding, improved crop management, or a combination.     

Effects of Soil Copper Concentration on Growth, Development and Yield Formation of Rice （Oryza sativa）

Pot experiments were conducted in 2002 and 2003 to investigate the effects of soil copper（Cu） concentration on growth, development and yield formation of rice by using the japonica cultivar Wuxiangjing 14 and hybrid rice combination Shanyou 63. The plant height, leaf number, elongated internode number and heading date of rice plants were not affected at soil Cu levels below 200 mg/kg, but affected significantly at above 400 mg/kg. The inhibitory effects on rice growth and development were increased with the increment of soil Cu levels. The grain yields decreased significantly with raising soil Cu levels. The main reasons for the grain yield reductions under lower soil Cu levels （100, 200 mg/kg） were mainly due to the decrease of number of spikelets per panicle, however, under higher soil Cu levels （more than 400 mg/kg）, both panicle number and number of spikelets per panicle contributed to the yield loss. The decreases of panicle number by Cu stress were mainly attributed to slow recovery from transplanting, delayed tillering and reduced maximum tiller numbers. The reduction of number of spikelets per panicle under soil Cu stress resulted from the decreases of both shoot dry weight （SDW） at the heading date and the ratio of spikelets to SDW. Total biomass at maturity decreased significantly with the increase of soil Cu levels, while economic coefficient showed non-significant decrease except under soil Cu levels above 800 mg/kg.     

氮肥施用对优质晚粳稻浙禾香2号产量和品质的影响

通过不同基蘖肥及穗肥施用量试验,研究在高产、品质及高产品质均衡条件下浙禾香2号的叶片含氮量、籽粒外观品质、营养品质及产量表现。结果表明,浙禾香2号倒4叶叶片含氮量随着基蘖肥用量提高而提高,倒1叶叶片含氮量随穗肥用量变化而变化;同样施氮量,穗肥用量对叶片含氮量影响更大;基蘖肥低氮条件下,不同处理营养品质及外观品质没有显著性差异,基蘖肥纯氮0.12 t/hm²以上,减施穗肥可以降低垩白粒率和蛋白质含量,提高直链淀粉含量;氮肥（纯N）0~0.24 t/hm²范围内,产量随施肥量的增加而提高,穗肥的施用对产量的影响较大,但减施穗肥能明显提高食味值。综合考虑品质与产量,浙禾香2号穗肥施用量以0.045 t/hm²为宜。     

膜下滴灌栽培粳稻品种产量构成与穗部特征研究

为探讨膜下滴灌栽培模式下的粳稻产量构成及其穗部特征,以12个水稻品种(A1~A12)为材料,比较分析了其产量及其构成因素、茎蘖组成及其成穗率、穗部构成特征.结果表明:在膜下滴灌栽培条件下,不同品种的产量及其构成因素平均值以A6最高,膜下滴灌水稻主要依靠主茎和一级分蘖成穗,且主茎和一级分蘖的贡献率占97%以上,群体数量的上升较平稳,成穗率中等;膜下滴灌水稻可以依靠二次枝梗数来增加穗粒数,二次枝梗对穗粒数的贡献率在57%以上.膜下滴灌水稻栽培应选用着粒密度较大、紧实的大穗型品种.     

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.