Impact of tillage and crop establishment methods on rice yields in a rice-ratoon rice cropping system in Southwest China

Peng Jiang,Lin Zhang,Hong Xiong,Yongchuan Zhu,Xiaoyi Guo,Fuxian Xu,Mao Liu,Xingbing Zhou

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98057-x

Peng Jiang, Lin Zhang + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98057-x

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Sep 16, 2021
Citations: 11	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Abstract

Simplified cultivation methods for rice production offer considerable social, economic, and environmental benefits. However, limited information is available on yield components of rice grown using simplified cultivation methods in a rice-ratoon rice cropping system. A field experiment using two hybrid and two inbred rice cultivars was conducted to compare four cultivation methods (conventional tillage and transplanting, CTTP; conventional tillage and direct seeding, CTDS; no-tillage and transplanting, NTTP; no-tillage and direct seeding, NTDS) in a rice-ratoon rice system from 2017 to 2020. Main season yields for CTDS and NTDS were higher than for CTTP by 6.1% and 2.8%, respectively; whereas ratoon season yields for CTDS and NTDS were equal to or higher than for CTTP. Annual grain yields for CTDS and NTDS were higher than for CTTP by 4.4% and 3.2%, respectively. The higher CTDS and NTDS yields were associated with higher panicle numbers per m2 and biomass production. Rice hybrids had higher yields than inbred cultivars by 15.8–19.3% for main season and by 15.6–19.4% for ratoon season, which was attributed to long growth duration, high grain weight and biomass production. Our results suggest that CTTP can be replaced by CTDS and NTDS to maintain high grain yields and save labor costs. Developing cultivars with high grain weight could be a feasible approach to achieve high rice yields in the rice-ratoon rice cropping system in southwest China.

Highlights

Rice is the main staple food crop that supports a large segment of the global p opulation[1]
The adoption of simplified cultivation technologies for producing the main rice crop in place of conventional transplanting is continuously increasing in Asia, because this can potentially reduce production costs through savings on fuel and labor while maintaining grain yields and increasing system productivity and resource use efficiency compared with conventional transplanting[23,24]
The higher rice grain yields of direct-seeded rice in the conventional tillage and direct seeding (CTDS) and no-tillage and direct seeding (NTDS) treatments were associated with higher panicle number per m2 and biomass production

Summary

Introduction

Rice is the main staple food crop that supports a large segment of the global p opulation[1]. The crop establishment method used for the main season crop is mainly seedling transplantation, which is still the dominant method used in China. Simplified cultivation technologies for rice production have become increasingly attractive because the potential benefits include savings on labor, reduced water use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced environmental risks as well as improved rice yield if the crop is properly m anaged[22]. The adoption of simplified cultivation technologies for producing the main rice crop in place of conventional transplanting is continuously increasing in Asia, because this can potentially reduce production costs through savings on fuel and labor while maintaining grain yields and increasing system productivity and resource use efficiency compared with conventional transplanting[23,24]. The effects of simplified cultivation technologies on rice yields in the rice-ratoon rice cropping system is still unknown

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