Variability of Micro-elevation,Yield, and Protein Content within a Transplanted Paddy Field

Due to the nature of waterlogged fields used for rice production, we hypothesized that micro-elevation (micro-relief, micro-topography, or differences in elevation) is an important factor for site-specific management within rice fields. A 0.5-ha transplanted and weed-free paddy field was selected as the observation site, where there was micro-elevation in a range of 100 mm within the field. Combine-monitored grain yield and the surveyed micro-elevation were compared at 96 locations in the field, and 60 hand-taken grain samples were analysed for protein content. Grain yield and protein content showed significant negative correlations with micro-elevation (r=-0.50^*** and -0.67^***, respectively), indicating that at lower elevations, grain yield increased gradually with protein content. Spatial variation in yield and protein content was attributed to availability of water and nutrient uptake at locations with different micro-elevation. Therefore, micro-elevation is expected to be one of the important factors for managing spatial variation in a small paddy field.