Abstract
Information on maximum grain yield and its attributes are limited for double-season rice crop grown under the subtropical environment. This study was conducted to examine key characteristics associated with high yielding double-season rice crop through a comparison between an integrated crop management (ICM) and farmers’ practice (FP). Field experiments were conducted in the early and late seasons in the subtropical environment of Wuxue County, Hubei Province, China in 2013 and 2014. On average, grain yield in ICM was 13.5% higher than that in FP. A maximum grain yield of 9.40 and 10.53 t ha−1 was achieved under ICM in the early- and late-season rice, respectively. Yield improvement of double-season rice with ICM was achieved with the combined effects of increased plant density and optimized nutrient management. Yield gain of ICM resulted from a combination of increases in sink size due to more panicle number per unit area and biomass production, further supported by the increased leaf area index, leaf area duration, radiation use efficiency, crop growth rate, and total nitrogen uptake compared with FP. Further enhancement in the yield potential of double-season rice should focus on increasing crop growth rate and biomass production through improved and integrated crop management practices.
Highlights
Transplanting to Maturity double-season rice systems in both China and elsewhere in Asia increases multiple cropping index and contributes substantially to global rice supply[4]
Radiation use efficiency (RUE), and N use efficiency (NUE) under various crop management practices have been intensively studied for single-season rice crop in China[18,19,20]
A maximum grain yield of 9.40 and 10.53 t ha−1 was achieved under ICM in the early- and late-season rice, respectively, indicating the potential to further increase the grain yield of double-season rice following a holistic and integrated agronomic approach[12]
Summary
Transplanting to Maturity double-season rice systems in both China and elsewhere in Asia increases multiple cropping index and contributes substantially to global rice supply[4]. Grain yield of single-season rice crop is higher than that of double-season rice crop[17]. Wu et al demonstrated that grain yield of double-season rice can be increased with improved nitrogen (N) management and proper plant density, especially for the early-season rice[15]. It is necessary to determine if ICM can further increase grain yield of double-season rice crop. Radiation use efficiency (RUE), and N use efficiency (NUE) under various crop management practices have been intensively studied for single-season rice crop in China[18,19,20]. Objectives of this study were to (i) compare grain yield and RUE between ICM and FP, (ii) determine maximum grain yield of double-season rice crop in central China, and (iii) identify the traits for improving yield potential of double-season rice
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