Effects of Land Preparation and Iron-coated Rice Seeds on Yield, Growth Parameters, and Soil Properties in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of land preparation methods and iron-coated (Fe-coated) rice seeds on the growth, yield, and Fe uptake of rice in alluvial soils in the Mekong Delta region. The experiment was conducted in the 2020 summer-autumn cropping season under the triple rice cultivation system in Chau Thanh district, An Giang province. The field experiment was designed as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were: (T1) puddled + water seeding + Fe-coated seeds; (T2) non-puddled + dry seeding + Fe-coated seeds; (T3) zero-tillage + non-puddled + dry seeding + Fe-coated seeds; (T4) puddled + water seeding + sprouted + non-Fe-coated seeds; (T5) puddled + wet seeding + sprouted + non-Fe-coated seeds; and (T6) puddled + transplanting + sprouted + non-Fe-coated seeds. The results showed that changes in the land preparation, planting method, and Fe-coated seeds did not significantly affect the number of tillers, plant height, yield components, soil chemical properties, grain yield, or Fe uptake of the rice plants and grains. However, the T3 and T6 treatments tended to have higher grains yields (5.86-5.90 tons ha-1), and higher total Fe content in grains (93.0-94.3 mg kg-1) and rice plants (83.1-84.0 mg kg-1). The findings from this study confirmed that the new planting method using zero-tillage + non-puddled + dry seeding + Fe-coated seeds can maintain the germination rate, growth, and grain yield of rice.