Effect of tillage and fertilizer levels on wheat yield, nitrogen uptake and their correlation with carbon isotope discrimination under rainfed conditions in north-west Pakistan

Appropriate cultural practices need to be determined for enhancing crop yields with low inputs under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of tillage practices and fertilizer levels on yield, nitrogen (N) uptake and carbon (C) isotope discrimination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under semi-arid conditions at three sites in north-west Pakistan: NIFA, Urmar and Jalozai. Two fertilizer levels, 60 kg N ha⁻¹+30 kg P ha⁻¹ (L1) and 60 kg N ha⁻¹+60 kg P ha⁻¹ (L2), were applied to wheat grown under conventional tillage (T1) and no-tillage (T0) practices. Labeled urea having 1% ¹⁵N atom excess at 60 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied as aqueous solution in microplots within each treatment plot. A pre-sowing irrigation of 60 mm was applied and during the growing season, the crop relied entirely on rainfall (268 mm). Biomass yield, N uptake and stable C isotope composition (δ¹³C) of plants were determined at maturity. Yield of wheat was improved by tillage at two sites (Sites 1 and 2), while at the third site yield was reduced by tillage as compared with the no-tillage treatment. At Sites 1 and 2, nutrient addition (L2, 60 kg N ha⁻¹+60 kg P ha⁻¹) increased the yield of all plant parts (straw, grain and root) in contrast to Site 3 where only grain yield was increased significantly. Maximum grain yield of wheat was observed with tillage under nutrient level L2 at all sites. Generally, the tillage treatment did not affect the N content in plant parts compared with no-tillage (T0) treatment at all three sites. However, fertilizer N uptake by wheat was variable under different fertilizer levels and tillage practices. Nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff) for grain at Site 2 was higher in tilled plots but was not affected by tillage practice at the other sites. The C isotope (δ¹³C) values varied from −28.96 to −26.03‰ under different treatments at the three sites. The δ¹³C values were less negative indicating more effective water use at Sites 2 and 3 compared to Site 1. The C isotope discrimination (Δ) values were positively correlated with yield of wheat straw (r=0.578^*), grain (r=0.951^**) and root (r=0.583^*). Further, the Δ in grain had significant negative relationship (r=0.912^**) with Ndff (%). The tillage practice exerted a positive effect on yield, N uptake and plant N derived from fertilizer by wheat compared to no-tillage. The positive correlation of Δ with grain, straw and root yields and negative correlation with the Ndff (%) by wheat suggest that this value (Δ) could be used to predict these parameters. However, further studies on different crops under varied environmental conditions are necessary.     

Relay-Intercropping of Stylosanthes guianensis in Rainfed Lowland Rice Ecosystem in Northeast Thailand

We evaluated the usefulness of the Stylosanthes guianensis (stylo)- rice relay-intercropping system for increasing agricultural productivity in Northeast Thailand. Although large production variability was observed, the relay-intercropping system produced an average of 350 g m-² stylo dry matter during the dry season under non-irrigated and non-fertilized conditions in the experimental fields at the Ubon Rice Research Center. Utilization of the stylo production as green manure increased rice yield, but only slightly. The relay-intercropping also slightly improved soil chemical properties, but not significantly. The trial of the relay-intercropping in farmer’s fields produced a maximum of 367 g m-² stylo dry matter. Since the stylo production did not decrease the subsequent rice production, the rice-stylo relay-intercropping system is worth considering as one way to utilize the paddy fields during the dry season in Northeast Thailand.     

渭北旱原东部耕地资源及其人口承载力的研究

在综合调查渭北旱原东部典型县的农业资源基础上,运用正交多项式、逐步回归、灰色预测等方法对旱原耕地资源、生产力、人口发展、粮食供求关系等项目进行了分析,得出在一定生产水平下的人口承载量,并指出提高该区耕地人口承载量的关键是增加物质技术投入,努力改造中低产田。     

麦秸覆盖旱地棉田少耕培肥效果

1988--1990年连续3年在河北省黑龙港地区旱地棉田上进行了麦秸覆盖少耕研究，结果表明：麦秸覆盖旱地棉田，有调节地温，保持土壤水分，抑制杂草，提高土壤生物活性和培肥地力的良好功能，有明显增产效果，增产量随着麦秸覆盖量而递补增，每亩覆盖麦秸450公斤>300公斤>150公斤；覆盖时期以蕾期产量最高，花期次之。蕾期每亩覆盖麦秸450公斤是最佳组合，3年平均比对照增产11.9%。     

旱地冬小麦渗水地膜覆盖下温度及产量效应研究

采用地膜创新产品———渗水地膜,以普通地膜及露地为对照,对渗水地膜覆盖下麦田的土壤温度、产量及水分生产率进行了初步探讨。结果表明:渗水地膜在整个生育期内的保温、增温效果优于普通地膜,同时还可以降低午后极端高温,使土壤温度较为稳定;渗水地膜覆盖与普通地膜覆盖产量差异达0.01极显著水平,较普通地膜覆盖增产505.30 kg.hm-2,产量提高了13.20%;渗水地膜的水分生产率最高,露地最低。渗水地膜水分生产率比露地提高25.1%,比普通地膜提高8.6%。     

Improving drought tolerance in rainfed lowland rice: An example from Thailand

A large portion of the world's poor farm in rainfed systems where the water supply is unpredictable and droughts are common. In Thailand there are approximately 6.2 million ha of rain fed lowland rice, which account for 67% of the country's total rice-growing area. This rice system is often characterised by too much and too little water in the same season. Farmers’ estimates of their annual losses to drought are as high as 45% in the upper parts of the toposequence. In contrast to irrigated rice systems, gains from crop improvement of rainfed rice have been modest, in part because there has been little effort to breed and select for drought tolerance for the target rainfed environments. The crop improvement strategy being used in Thailand considers three mechanisms that influence yield in the drought prone targets: yield potential as an important mechanism for mild drought (where yield loss is less than 50%), drought escape (appropriate phenology) and drought tolerance traits of leaf water potential, sterility, flower delay and drought response index for more severe drought conditions. Genotypes are exposed to managed drought environments for selection of drought tolerant genotypes. A marker assisted selection (MAS) scheme has been developed and applied for selection of progenies in the backcrossing program. The plant breeding program uses rapid generation advance techniques that enable early yield testing in the target population of environments (TPE) through inter-station (multi-location yield testing) and on-farm trials. A farmer participatory approach has been used to identify the TPE for the breeding program. Four terrace paddy levels have been identified, upper (drought), middle (drought prone to favorable) and lower (flooded). This paper reports the change in the breeding program for the drought prone rainfed lowland rice environments of North and Northeast Thailand by incorporating our knowledge on adaptation and on response of rice to drought.     

Water harvesting and supplemental irrigation for improved water productivity of dry farming systems in West Asia and North Africa

In the dry areas, water, not land, is the most limiting resource for improved agricultural production. Maximizing water productivity, and not yield per unit of land, is therefore a better strategy for dry farming systems. Under such conditions, more efficient water management techniques must be adopted. Supplemental irrigation (SI) is a highly efficient practice with great potential for increasing agricultural production and improving livelihoods in the dry rainfed areas. In the drier environments, most of the rainwater is lost by evaporation; therefore the rainwater productivity is extremely low. Water harvesting can improve agriculture by directing and concentrating rainwater through runoff to the plants and other beneficial uses. It was found that over 50% of lost water can be recovered at a very little cost. However, socioeconomic and environmental benefits of this practice are far more important than increasing agricultural water productivity. This paper highlights the major research findings regarding improving water productivity in the dry rainfed region of West Asia and North Africa. It shows that substantial and sustainable improvements in water productivity can only be achieved through integrated farm resources management. On-farm water-productive techniques if coupled with improved irrigation management options, better crop selection and appropriate cultural practices, improved genetic make-up, and timely socioeconomic interventions will help to achieve this objective. Conventional water management guidelines should be revised to ensure maximum water productivity instead of land productivity.     

Nutrient management for rainfed lowland rice in northeast Thailand

Average grain yields of rainfed lowland rice in northeast Thailand are the lowest in the region, and they barely changed in the past decade. Improved fertilizer management is one of the few options to enhance cropping system productivity but related results from previous studies were often disappointing and sometimes contradictory, possibly due to the large variability of soil and water resources. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to develop a site-specific nutrient management approach, and to propose a related decision tool for farmers. For this purpose, we conducted on-farm experiments in Kumpa-Oong Village, Roi Et Province, during the 2003–2005 cropping seasons. Tested fertilizer treatments were designed based on topographic field position. A comparison of soil characteristics between lower and upper fields revealed significantly higher soil fertility for lower fields (higher pH, TOC, TSN, CEC, clay, and silt content; lower sand content). Across seasons and treatments, grain yields were higher in the valley bottom (VB; 2.82 t ha⁻¹) than on upper and middle terraces (UMT; 1.68 t ha⁻¹). In all seasons, significant fertilizer treatment effects were detected only in UMT fields. But the comparison of treatment effects in individual fields and in both toposequence positions showed that the limited average fertilizer response was mainly caused by low or even negative responses in fields with a higher control yield, i.e., with higher indigenous nutrient supply. A missing or even negative fertilizer response occurred at lower control yields in UMT fields, most probably because attainable yields in these fields were lower as a result of limited water resources. Thus, site-specific fertilizer recommendations need to take toposequence and the field-specific indigenous nutrient supply into account. Based on these results, we proposed a decision tool that helps farmers to choose the most adequate fertilizer treatment for their fields, based on their knowledge of specific field characteristics. On-farm testing of the proposed decision tool is the next step to show whether this approach is acceptable to farmers and can contribute to higher resource-use efficiency and system productivity.     

半湿润偏旱区沟垄覆盖种植对冬小麦产量及水分利用效率的影响

为探索半湿润偏旱区沟垄集雨种植模式下冬小麦田土壤蓄水保墒和节水增产效果, 于2007-2010年连续3个小麦生长季在渭北旱塬旱农试验站, 研究了不同沟垄集雨种植模式对土壤水分、冬小麦产量和水分利用效率的影响。设置3个沟垄集雨处理, 分别是垄上覆盖地膜+沟内不覆盖(P1)、沟内覆盖小麦秸秆(P2)、沟内覆盖液体地膜(P3)处理, 以传统平作(CK)为对照。P1、P2和P3处理显著提高冬小麦生育前期0~20 cm和20~100 cm的土壤贮水量, 其中以P2处理蓄水保墒效果最显著, P3处理由于液态地膜的降解, 仅在小麦生长前期有一定的蓄水保墒作用, 在小麦的生长后期与P1处理无显著差异;各沟垄集雨处理100~200 cm土壤贮水量与CK无差异。P2处理对冬小麦平均株高和生物量影响最大, 3年平均株高和生物量分别较对照提高26.7%和60.3%。以P2处理增产效果最显著, 3年平均产量和水分利用效率分别较CK对照提高39.3%和35.6%;且P1和P3之间无显著差异。因此, 垄覆地膜、沟覆秸秆的二元沟垄集雨覆盖种植模式能显著提高冬小麦产量和水分利用效率, 适宜在半湿润偏旱区冬小麦生产中应用。     

1961—2010年气候变化对西南冬小麦潜在和 雨养产量影响的模拟分析

利用农业气象试验站作物资料及土壤资料,评价 APSIM-Wheat 模型在西南地区的适应性,应用该模型分析该地区1961—2010年冬小麦潜在和雨养产量的时空变化特征,通过逐步回归分析揭示小麦生长季主要气象因子对潜在产量和雨养产量的影响及相对贡献率。研究结果表明： APSIM 模型对该区5个常用小麦品种的模拟效果较好,模拟与实测生育期的均方根误差(RMSE)在7.0 d 以内,地上部分生物量和产量模拟值与实测值的归一化均方根误差(NRMSE)均低于25%,模型在西南地区具有较好的适应性。1961—2010年研究区域36%的站点冬小麦生长季总辐射显著降低,其中北部、东南部和南部中区最显著;68%的站点生长季≥0℃有效积温显著增加,西部增温显著;30%的站点生长季平均气温日较差显著减小,南部中区最显著;全区生长季总降水大面积减少但不显著,减少区主要位于最南端和东南部。模拟的冬小麦潜在产量在65%的站点呈显著减产趋势,南部中区和北部变化最明显;雨养产量在25%的站点显著降低,北部地区较明显,全区减产趋势较弱。减产显著的站点中,生长季辐射降低、温度升高、气温日较差减小对潜在产量降低的贡献率分别为45%、36%和2%,对雨养产量降低的贡献率分别为36%、39%和－8%,而降水减少对雨养产量降低的贡献率为7%。西南冬小麦生长季辐射降低、温度升高及降水减少共同导致了冬小麦潜在和雨养产量的显著下降,而气温日较差的降低对冬小麦潜在和雨养产量的影响分别表现为负作用和正作用,整体上辐射和温度的影响程度最大。