Grain yield and termite damage in rice by compaction on the furrow and seed treatment

Veneraldo Pinheiro,Luís Fernando Stone,Adriano Stephan Nascente,José Alexandre Freitas Barrigossi

doi:10.1590/s0100-204x2016001100003

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this work was to determine the effects of soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow and of seed treatments with insecticides on grain yield and on termite damage in upland rice plants under no-tillage, in the Center West region of Brazil. Three experiments were carried out, consisting of five seed treatments combined with three (first experiment) or four (second and third experiments) compaction pressures in a randomized complete block design, in a factorial arrangement. The seed treatments were: T0, without treatment; T1, imidacloprid+thiodicarb; T2, thiamethoxam; T3, carbofuran; and T4, fipronil+pyraclostrobin+thiophanate-methyl. The compaction pressures applied were: 25, 42, and 268 kPa, in the first experiment; and these same pressures plus 126 kPa in the second and third experiments. Seed treatment was effective in increasing rice grain yield, from 1,753 to 4,141 kg ha-1, especially in the lowest compaction pressure of 25 kPa. Soil compaction around 180 kPa in the sowing furrow results in higher rice grain yield and in fewer stems killed by termites. The use of soil compaction on the sowing furrow with seed treatment significantly increases rice grain yield under a no-tillage system.

Highlights

Rice is a grain included in the diet of half of the world’s population, and this cereal is mostly grown under irrigation (Prasad, 2011)
The objective of this work was to determine the effects of soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow and of seed treatments with insecticides on grain yield and on termite damage in upland rice plants under no-tillage, in the Center West region of Brazil
A significant effect was observed on seed treatment x compaction pressures, in terms of rice grain yield in the first experiment (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Rice is a grain included in the diet of half of the world’s population, and this cereal is mostly grown under irrigation (Prasad, 2011). According to Nokkoul & Wichitparp (2014), an area of approximately 20 million hectares is cultivated with upland rice, mainly in Latin America and Africa. Under a NTS, upland rice crops have not had a good development (Nascente et al, 2011). In this system, the 0.00–0.05-m soil layer usually shows high porosity, which is attributed to the following factors: action of the seeder discs; highest concentration of roots and organic matter; greater biological activity; and more cycles of soil wetting and drying (Collares et al, 2006; Reichert et al, 2009), which can hinder the contact of the rice seed with the soil, reducing plant emergence

Objectives

Methods

Results