Low Rice Production Research Articles

Effect of Crop Establishment Method, Residue and Nutrient Management on Productivity of Rice-Wheat Cropping System at Rupandehi, Bhairahawa, Nepal

The puddling operation and multiple tillage operations done in traditional rice-wheat system have negative impact on soil resulting into low productivity of rice - wheat system. A field experiment was conducted to find the alternate practices for enhancing the productivity of rice-wheat system at National Wheat Research Program, Bhairahawa during 2018/19. Three crop establishment methods: surface seeded wheat (SSW) followed by (fb) unpuddled transplanted rice (U-TPR), zero tilled wheat (ZTW) fb zero tilled direct seeded rice (ZT-DSR) and conventionally tilled wheat (CTW) fb puddled transplanted rice (PTR) were tested in two levels of residue management: residue removed (R0) and residue retention (R50). Three levels of nutrient management: recommended dose of NPK (F100), 25% higher dose of NPK (F125) and farmer’s practice (FP) were assigned in wheat. Strip-split plot design with 3 replications was used in wheat while strip-plot design with 9 replications was used in rice. Crop establishment methods (CSM) were assigned in vertical strips; residue management in horizontal blocks and nutrient management were assigned in subplots. The number of tillers at maximum tillering stage, maximum leaf area index, effective tiller per square meter and number of grains per spike of wheat were significantly affected by CSM, where ZTW had shown better results (413.7 tillers, 2.12 LAI, 224.1 effective tiller per square meter and 34.27 grains per spike) than SSW and CTW but the CSM had no significant effect on grain yield of both rice and wheat crop. R0 had produced significantly higher straw yield than R50 of both rice and wheat, whereas, R50 had produced significantly higher harvest index than R0 in rice. The application of 25% more nutrients than the recommended dose resulted in the significantly better growth, yield attributes, and yield of wheat. The ZTW fb ZT-DSR had produced significantly higher system yield than SSW fb U-TPR where, CTW fb PTR was statistically at par with both systems. The recommended dose of nutrients (F100) and 25% higher than F100 (F125) had produced significantly higher system yield than farmer’s practice (FP) dose. Research results revealed that ZTW fb ZT-DSR system can be suggested instead of traditional CTW fb PTR system without significant yield differences.

Edaphic Factors Modulating Phosphorus Availability in Lowland Rice Systems, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The low rice production level in Africa is attributed to poor soil fertility despite the potential for rice cultivation in the inland valleys. This study was conducted to evaluate soil characteristics in some lowlands that have been continuously and intensively used for rice production for over two decades in southwestern Nigeria. Soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties, as well as phosphorus sorption characteristics, were assessed in soil samples collected from diagnostic horizons of profiles in six benchmark soils. The results show kaolinite, quartz, potassium(K)-feldspars, and mixed-layered smectite as the predominant minerals. The iron oxide fractions indicate that the soils are at varying degrees of development where the soils at the advanced stage of development are predominantly rich in kaolinite and quartz with a high concentration of total pedogenic iron oxide and generally low in soil fertility. Soil phosphorus buffering capacity is low and varies inversely with pH, confirming the deficiency of phosphorus at low pH. Short-range-order (SRO) iron (Fe) oxides show a strong affinity for phosphorus and this is stronger at lower soil horizons and mediated by some redoxomorphic reactions. The SRO iron oxide concentration has more influence on phosphorus retention in soils rather than the absolute concentration of iron oxides. The study concludes that SRO Fe oxides and soil pH are the major edaphic factors playing a prominent role in phosphorus retention and availability in the wetland soils rather than the clay minerals.

Identification and characterization of drought-tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes using morpho-physiological and biochemical traits

Drought stress is a major constraint and the primary cause of low rice production in rainfed ecosystems. The results obtained from the study revealed the existence of significant variation among all the genotypes studied for different physiological and biochemical parameters. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were wide-ranging, with traits like PC and grain yield showing higher values. Moderate to high heritability and genetic advance percentage of mean suggested the feasibility of selection for improved traits. The mean performance of genotypes revealed specific genotypes, such as Gin, excelling in root-related traits and filled grains per panicle. Leaf rolling and drying responses varied among genotypes, providing insights into drought tolerance. Positive correlations between grain yield and traits like flag leaf length, panicle length, and spikelet fertility were observed. Path coefficient analysis identified direct relationships between yield and traits such as flag leaf breadth, chlorophyll content, and root volume. So, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of genetic variability and trait relationships among rice genotypes, offering valuable insights for the selection of resilient varieties with improved root, shoot, and yield traits, particularly crucial for addressing drought stress.

Application of Planting System and Organic Fertilizer on the Yield of Inpari IR Nutri Zinc in Lampung

The low rice productivity in Lampung needs to be increased. The objectives of this study were to introduce new superior Inpari IR Nutri Zinc rice and determine the effect of planting systems and biofertilizer on the growth and yield of Inpari IR Nutri Zinc rice in technically irrigated rice fields in Lampung. The experiment was carried out in technically irrigated rice fields in Kalirejo Village, Negeri Katon District, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung Province, using a split-plot design in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments tested were three rice planting systems as the main plot and the dose of biofertilizer as a sub-plot. The parameters observed components of growth and yield components. Data were analyzed with the SAS software 5.4 version. The results showed that the application of biofertilizers gave effects on rice yield. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the use of biofertilizers can increase rice yields by 10-12% compared to those without biofertilizers, in the three cropping systems. The application of biofertilizers resulted in the highest harvested dry grain production, namely 6.61 tons per hectare and significantly different than that without biofertilizers, namely 5.96 tons per hectare. The production of dry grain harvested by the three cropping systems was not significantly different at an average of 6.28 tons per hectare.

Indigenous Peoples’ Phronetic Leadership: A Trailblazing Case Study of Bacut Man-Made Lake for Agri-Eco-Tourism, Apayao, Philippines

Indigenous Phronetic Leaders inspired and promoted immense developments in communities through collective organizational knowledge creation. The study aimed to identify the problem of farmers, determine how phronetic leadership was practiced by the key informant, and describe the present situation of Bacut, Santa Marcela, Apayao, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines. Mr. Elorde P. Anniban, an indigenous phronetic leaders was the main participant and the protagonist. He is an indigenous respected elder or “pangat” who, despite being physically disabled, initiated reforms in Bacut. In-depth interviews and document reviews were applied in this management case study. Results revealed that the main problem of the farmers was low rice production because there was no water system to irrigate their farmlands. Without the knowledge of the key participant, he applied the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization (SECI) model and encouraged the mining of bright ideas of the people, engaged stakeholders and relentlessly sought government intervention to address the problem of farmers. Through the phronetic leadership of the key informant, the farmers, and the government leaders, an environment-friendly dam, fondly called the Bacut Lake was constructed irrigating farmlands and doubling and even tripling rice production addressing poverty in Santa Marcela, Apayao. In addition, indigenous peoples' phronetic leadership, the province of Apayao has now an astounding agri-eco-tourism site, a national park, rich in biodiversity, and several existing organizations are working together to boost the economy of the farmers and the province. On the other hand, Ifugao State University, a government higher education institution in the country, crystallized a phronetic leadership framework as an offshoot of the study.
 
 Received: 28 September 2023 / Accepted: 23 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

Germination, Physiochemical, and Morphology Changes of TR10 Rice Seeds Irradiated to Filtered and Unfiltered Neutron

In 2020, Sabah’s rice production was 117, 846 metric tonnes with a planted area of 40, 446 ha is relatively low compared to other states such as Selangor, which has 36,004 ha less planted area but can produce up to 159,535 metric tonnes more than Sabah. Low rice production in Sabah has contributed to the shortage of supply. Thus, new varieties could be needed that sufficiently produce yields that comparable to the efforts and cost of rice planting. One of the methods is producing new varieties that probably produce high yields using physical mutagen. From the literature available, gamma and neutrons were found to be the most common agents to increase rice production per unit planting area but used they were used separately. Theoretically, using fast neutron irradiation was found to produce a superior mutant. Thus, this paper aims to study the effect of rice seeds irradiated to both gamma and neutron simultaneous, and compare with neutron alone on the germination rates and physiochemical of rice seeds after the irradiations at different dosages. TR10 rice seeds were irradiated simultaneously to gamma and neutrons in the nuclear reactor core using Pneumatic Transfer System–PTS facility, while irradiation to neutrons alone was performed in a neutron chamber using Beam ports–BP facility at Nuclear Malaysia. The germination study shows a linear decrease as the irradiation doses increase in BP and fail to germinate in PTS. Yet, seeds irradiated in PTS showed no hazardous compounds and a remarkable increase in mineral content in seeds, particularly potassium and magnesium at 14 Gy. Similarly, to the shape of the starch granules in both facilities, the starch structure changes after being exposed to 14 Gy in PTS and 35 Gy in BP. As a result, seeds exposed to neutron alone induced considerably more inclusive effects and may raise growth performance and improve rice quality with optimal neutron dosage range from 7 to 14 Gy.

The identification of pests and diseases of rice plants using sentinel-2 satellite imagery data at the end of the vegetative stage

One of the factors that affect production yield of cultivation crops, including rice plants, is pest/disease attacks. Various types of pests/diseases are often found in rice cultivation such as rats, stem borers and rice leaf folders. The damage caused by these pests/diseases can lead to production decreases and crop failure. To prevent an increase in pest infestation, monitoring can be carried out by employing remote sensing technologies such as Sentinel 2 satellite imagery. The identification of rice plant pests/diseases can be done using Vegetation Indices such as NDVI and NDRE, due to their sensitivity to plant chlorophyll. The purpose of this study was to identify infected pest and disease of rice plants in paddy fields by using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The methods of this study were spatial analysis and simple linear regression analysis, by looking at the relation between Vegetation Indices and rice productivity. The research results showed that based on the low value of NDVI and NDRE at the end of vegetative stage, some of rice fields were infected with pests and diseases. From field observation, it was found that the pests and diseases included rats, rice leaf folders, borers and blasts. Pests/diseases infestation in paddy fields lead to a low Vegetation Index value which results in low rice production. Comparing the NDVI and NDRE, NDRE was better in detecting pests and diseases due to its sensitivity to the plants’ chlorophyll.

Evaluasi Kesesuaian Lahan Sawah Berdasarkan Status Hara di Kecamatan Seluma Selatan Kabupaten Seluma

The low productivity of rice in Seluma Selatan District is caused by fertilization actions based on general recommendations and not based on site-specific recommendations. In fact, fertilization should be based on soil nutrient status, especially N, P and K. This study aims to determine the nutrient status and evaluate the suitability class of lowland rice in Seluma Selatan District, Seluma Regency. This study used survey methods, soil sampling, and laboratory analysis, then matched it with the soil fertility level classification system and land suitability classification. The results showed that the nutrient status of paddy fields in Seluma Selatan sub-district in low-medium rice fields was categorized. It is characterized by an acidic pH value and low P2O5 in providing nutrients for lowland rice plants. Evaluation of land suitability in Seluma Selatan sub-district shows that the land suitability classes are S2 and S3. The results of the evaluation of the most suitable land suitability for land unit 2 (Au.1.1.1) were quite suitable for S2n with available nutrient limiting factors at the P2O5 level and marginally suitable for S3n on land unit 4 (Hab.1.1.1) with available nutrient limiting factors at P2O5 and K2O levels. Efforts to improve the suitability class S2 (fairly suitable) can be increased to S1 class (very suitable) and the S3 land suitability class (marginally appropriate) can be increased to S2 (quite suitable) . Keywords: Land suitability, lowland rice, nutrient status

Food self-sufficiency: Managing the newly-opened tidal paddy fields for rice farming in Indonesia (A case study in West Kalimantan, Indonesia)

The Indonesian government continues to develop a sustainable food self-sufficiency program by increasing national food security through an extension program. One of the instruments is by opening new rice fields. The area of new rice fields in Indonesia is 222,442 ha spreading on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua. This new rice field is estimated to produce 1.2 million tons of rice per year. In the case of West Kalimantan Province, it has opened new rice fields cover an area of 23,384 ha, mostly in tidal lands. Expansion of newly-opened rice fields does not increase land productivity. Moreover, rice productivity in the newly-opened paddy fields is only an average of 2 t ha−1. The low rice productivity is caused by biophysical factors of land in agriculture, and social-economic, and institutional factors of farmers at the village level. Therefore, it is necessary to have a rice farming model in newly-opened rice fields involving farmer groups, researchers, agricultural extension agents, government agencies, the private sector, and banks. The purpose of this study was to present a sustainable rice farming model in the newly-opened tidal rice fields. The results of this study showed that application of the rice farming model in newly-opened tidal rice fields could increase rice productivity from 2 to 5.7 t ha−1 and farmer income of IDR 10.6 million, involving good collaboration among farmer groups and farmer economic organizations supported by banks for sustainability.

Farmers' Perception of Climate Change: A Case Study from Subsistence Farming in Lalehun Kovama of Kailahun in Eastern Sierra Leone

This study looks at the impact of climate change on subsistence farming. Farmers in the rural areas of Sierra Leone mostly practice subsistence agriculture. A lot of predictions have been done by the scientific community through climatic and crop modeling techniques concerning the impact of climate change on agriculture as well as all other spheres of life. This research aims to explore the knowledge and perceptions of subsistence farmers regarding the impacts of climate change on their farming activities and well-being. This study will broaden the research on subsistence farmers' perceptions of climate change. This study employed a mixed study design (quantitative and qualitative methods). Samples of 77 respondents were selected from a sample frame of 220 heads of households in the area listed for the study. A simple random sampling technique was used. It was revealed in the study that most of the farmers (67.5%) were illiterate and, hence, lacked knowledge of the concept of climate change; some farmers (27.3%) exhibited competencies to sense some of the changes that have occurred in the climatic pattern. The majority of the respondents (49.4%) agreed that the farming calendar for rice as a major crop has changed. This, according to the respondents, was responsible for the low productivity of rice in the study area. There is an urgent need to provide education related to agriculture to empower farmers with the methods and techniques involved in climate-smart agriculture and to sensitize them to the impacts of climate change in extremely rural areas.

Integrated Nitrogen Management on Weed Growth and Yield Performance of Transplant Aman Rice

Rice requires nitrogen in larger quantities than any other nutrient, and it is the most critical limiting factor that influences grain yield. But inappropriate sources and management of nitrogen is considered to be the most critical one among the various reasons of low rice productivity. In order to address the problem, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during June to October 2020 to determine the effect of integrated nitrogen management (INM) on weed growth and yield of transplant aman rice. The experiment comprised five aman rice varieties, viz. Binadhan-7 (V1), BRRI dhan56 (V2), BRRI dhan66 (V3), BRRI dhan71 (V4) and BRRI dhan75 (V5) and four nitrogen management approaches: control (no nitrogen) (N0), 100% of recommended dose (RD) of nitrogenous fertilizer as prilled urea (150 kg ha-1) (N1), 2.5 t ha-1 poultry manure + 75% of RD of nitrogenous fertilizer as prilled urea (112.5 kg ha-1) (N2) and application of USG (1.8 g per 4 hills) (N3). Results reveal that maximum weed density and dry weight were found in BRRI dhan56 whereas minimum ones were observed in BRRI dhan66. In case of INM, application of 100% of RD of nitrogenous fertilizer as prilled urea showed maximum weed density and dry weight but minimum ones were found with application of USG. In combine, weed density and dry weight were found highest in BRRI dhan56 with 100% of RD of urea and the lowest weed density was found in BRRI dhan66 with no nitrogen treatment at 20 DAT and in BRRI dhan66 with application of USG at 35 DAT and lowest weed dry weight was obtained from Binadhan-7 with application of USG (1.8 g per 4 hills) at 20 and 35 DAT. Variety Binadhan-7 showed superior performance in terms of yield and yield attributes. Application of USG showed the highest number of grains panicle-1 and grain yield. Interaction of Binadhan-7 with application of USG produced highest number of grains panicle-1 (116.60), highest grain yield (5.21 t ha-1), biological yield (10.94 t ha-1), harvest index (47.65%) and highest BCR (1.57). So, results indicated that Binadhan-7 with application of USG (1.8 g per 4 hills) might be recommended for obtaining highest grain yield with higher nitrogen use efficiency, highest BCR as well as to control weed more effectively in aman season.

Pemanfaatan Machine Learning dengan Algoritma X-Means untuk Pemetaan Luas Panen, Produktivitas, dan Produksi Padi

Rice plants are essential for the world, especially Indonesia because it is a rice-producing plant that is useful as a staple food for its people. A decreased harvest area, production, and rice productivity can affect food availability. Therefore, this research aims to classify and map the harvested area, production, and productivity of rice in Indonesia based on each province. The research data used in this paper is data on the harvested area (ha), production (tons), and rice productivity (Ku/ha) by Provinces in Indonesia for 2020-2022 obtained from the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics website. In this study, the algorithm used is X-Means Clustering with the help of the Rapid Miner application. The results of this study are in the form of grouping or mapping of harvested area, production, and productivity of rice, divided into 3 (three) regions, including 1. Harvested Area (divided into five groups: Very high Harvested Area consists of 3 provinces, High Harvested Area consists of 1 province, Medium Harvest Area consists of 3 Provinces, Low Harvest Area consists of 8 Provinces, and Very low Harvest Area consists of 19 Provinces 2. Rice Production Area (divided into five groups: Very high rice production consists of 3 provinces, Rice production High rice production consists of 1 province, Medium rice production consists of 3 Provinces, Low rice production consists of 8 Provinces, and Very low rice production consists of 19 Provinces 3. Regions of Rice Productivity (divided into five groups: Very high rice productivity consists of 6 provinces, High Rice Productivity consists of 13 provinces, Medium Rice Productivity consists of 7 Provinces, Low Rice Productivity consists of 4 Provinces, and Very Low Rice Productivity consists of 4 Provinces. This can be information for the Indonesian government, especially for the respective provincial governments, to be able to maintain the harvested area, production, and productivity of rice in Indonesia to remain stabel.

Willingness to Pay and Factors Affecting the Income of Rice and Corn Farmers in the Use of Superior Seeds in North Raman Sub District

One of the agricultural sub-sectors is food crops, such as rice and corn which is the main sources of carbohydrates. The factor of productivity’s food crops is due to the use of seeds. Raman Utara is a region that has the potential to have high productivity in rice and corn. However, the quality of seeds in the region has a problem that has an impact on the low productivity of rice and corn. Superior seed is the best solution to increase productivity but the high price will make it difficult for farmers to buy them. So farmers' willingness to pay for certified superior seed is one of the problems because of low farmer’s income. The purpose of this study is to analyze farmers' income and willingness to pay for using seeds. The data were used in the study from 100 respondents with 60 farmers of rice and 40 farmers of maize. Data was collected using the purposive sampling method. Multiple linear regression (OLS), logistic regression, and contingent valuation methods were used as analysis methods. The results of the study showed that the variable of land area has negative and significant and the fertilizer’s variable has positive and significant to the selection of hybrid and inbred rice seeds. The other results showed that the variable of revenue has positive and significant and the fertilizer and labor variables have negative and significant to the income of corn farmers. The willingness to pay farmers for seed is more than the actual market price.

Aplikasi Ekstrak Kulit Lidah Buaya (Aloe vera L.) untuk Mengendalikan Cendawan Terbawa Benih Padi

Rice plant (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most widely grown food crops in Indonesia, but the average productivity of rice in Indonesia is still low. One of the causes of low rice production is the attack by plant pest organisms. There is no research on aloe vera peel extract as an antifungal against fungus growth, so it is necessary to investigate whether aloe vera peel extract is also efficacious as an antifungal against rice seed-borne fungi.This study aims to determine the application of aloe vera peel extract and obtain a good concentration of aloe vera peel extract to control pathogenic fungi carried by rice seeds. Isolation of the fungus carried by rice seeds was carried out by the Blotter test method and the pathogenicity test by the Bioassay method. Then made several extract concentrations, namely 0 ppm, 250 ppm, 500 ppm, 750 ppm and 1000 ppm. The test results showed that aloe vera peel extract was able to suppress the growth of rice seed-borne fungi, but it was phytotoxic and the best concentration to be applied to control rice seed-borne fungi was a concentration of 250 ppm.

Management practices and rice grain yield of farmers after participation in a joint experimentation

Low productivity of rice in Uganda is attributed to sub-optimal production practices related to soil nutrient, crop and weed management. Application of improved management practices could enhance productivity. Returning 1 year after a joint experimentation in which different components of recommended agronomic practices (RAP) for rice were tested, we assessed change in management practices and grain yield of participating farmers (participated in joint experimentation) and non-participating farmers (did not participate) with plots in the same irrigation scheme. Participating farmers belonging to the lower-yielding farmers under farmers' practice (FP) during joint experimentation improved their management practices, compared with the middle- and top-yielding farmers. Sixty-one, 24 and 7% of lower-, middle- and top-yielding farmers, respectively, weeded earlier after experimentation compared with weeding time under FP during joint experimentation. Seventy-nine percent of lower-yielding farmers used fertiliser after experimentation compared with 18% during experimentation, with a higher N rate increase than middle- and top-yielding farmers. Overall, participating farmers transplanted and weeded earlier, and applied slightly higher N rates compared with non-participating farmers. Top-yielding farmers had significantly (p = 0.03) higher grain yield, followed by middle- and lower-yielding farmers. However, lower-yielding farmers made significantly (p < 0.001) higher yield gain than middle- and top-yielding farmers. A paired t-test showed that average yield gain was 1,358 (1,027–1,689), 473 (252–695) and −91.7 (−397–213) kg ha−1, respectively, for lower-, middle- and top-yielding farmers. Participating farmers had higher grain yield (4,125 kg ha−1) than non-participating farmers (3,893 kg ha−1). Three farm types were identified that differed in application of RAP, however, with small differences in household characteristics. The farm type with higher fertiliser use in nursery and field, line transplanting, timely weeding and higher N rate had the highest grain yield. We conclude that joint experimentation had a larger effect on raising yield of lower-yielding farmers, bringing farmers closer in their management and outputs. Lack of differences among farm households could indicate that wealth is not crucial in innovation adoption in this production system.

Pengaruh Macam Bahan Seed Coating terhadap Viabilitas dan Vigor Benih Padi

Low rice production can be caused by limited supply of high quality seeds. Physiological quality criteria of seeds can be seen from the value of viability and vigor of seeds. One effort that can be made to maintain or improve seed quality is seed coating technology. The research was carried out from November 2021 to January 2022 at the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) for the Development by Rice and Palawija Seeds, Malang Regency, East Java. The experiment used a completely randomized design with four replications. Seed coating treatment consisted of (1) seeds without coating (control); (2) CMC 1,5% + liquid smoke 0,5% + CaCO3 8 g + gypsum 32 g; (3) CMC 1,5% + liquid smoke 0,5% + CaCO3 8 g + talc 32 g; (4) CMC 1,5% + 0,5% liquid smoke + 8 g CaCO3 + 32 g zeolite; (5) CMC 1,5% + liquid smoke 0,5% + CaCO3 8 g + dolomite 32 g; (6) CMC 1,5% + liquid smoke 0,5% + CaCO3 8 g + quicklime 32 g; and (7) CMC 1,5% + liquid smoke 0,5% + CaCO3 8 g + pumice 32 g. The results showed that the seed coating material CMC 1,5% + 0,5% liquid smoke + CaCO3 8 g + gypsum 32 g was the best treatment that was able to increase germination and maintain the vigor index of rice seeds. This treatment significantly maintained seed germination at 100% with a vigor index of 72,5%.

Rice Productivity, Zn Biofortification, and Nutrient-Use Efficiency as Influenced by Zn Fertilization Under Conventional Transplanted Rice and the System of Rice Intensification

The northwestern Himalayas (NWH) in India have low rice productivity (∼2 t ha−1) and quality due to poor crop and nutrient management in predominantly Zn-deficient soils. Hence, a field experimentation in the NWH compared the conventionally transplanted rice (CTR) and the system of rice intensification(SRI) under three nutrient management practices (NMPs),viz., 1) farmers’ fertilization practice, FYM @ 5 t ha−1+ N:P2O5:K2O @ 50:40:20 kg ha−1(FFP); 2) recommended dose of fertilization, FYM @ 10 t ha−1+ N:P2O5:K2O @ 90:40:40 kg ha−1(RDF); and 3) RDF + Zn fertilization using ZnSO4@ 25 kg ha−1(RDF + Zn). The results revealed that SRI practice harnessed a significantly higher rice yield under different NMPs (6.59–8.69 t ha−1) with ∼1.3–1.4- and ∼3.3–4.3-fold enhancements over the CTR and average rice productivity in NWH, respectively. SRI had the greatest improvement in panicle number hill−1by ∼2.4 folds over the CTR. RDF + Zn had a significantly higher grain (10.7; 7.9%) and straw yield (28.9; 19.7%) over FFP and RDF, respectively, with significant augmentation of Zn biofortification in grains (11.8%) and Zn uptake (23.9%) over the RDF. SRI also enhanced the Zn concentrations in rice grains and straws by ∼4.0 and 2.7% over CTR with respective increases of 36.9 and 25.9% in Zn uptake. The nutrient harvest index and partial factor productivity of applied nutrients (NPK) had a higher magnitude under SRI and RDF + Zn over their respective counterparts, i.e., CTR and RDF. In addition, SRI had higher AE-Zn, CRE-Zn, and PE-Zn to the tune of 119.6, 63.4, and 34%, respectively, over the CTR. Overall, SRI coupled with RDF + Zn in hybrid rice assumes greater significance in enhancing the rice productivity with better Zn-biofortified grains besides higher nutrient use efficiencies to combat widespread malnutrition and acute Zn deficiencies in humans and livestock in the northwestern Himalayas.

The Capacity of Farmers in Rice Farming in Kabupaten Lampung Tengah

Rice is an important commodity and the availability of rice supply in Indonesia must be maintained, because rice is the staple food of the Indonesian people which must always be fulfilled at all times. However, the fact is that the average productivity of rice produced by farmers is still low. Low rice productivity reflects the capacity of farmers in rice farming. The aims of this research are: (1) to know the level of farmer's capacity? and (2) to find out what factors that affect the capacity of farmers. This research was conducted in Kabupaten Lampung Tengah with the number of respondents as many as 100 farmers. The data analysis method used is multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the level of farmer's capacity was in the medium category. Factors that have a significant effect on farmer’s capacity are farmer’s’ age, farming experience, farmer’s motivation, community support, farmer group support, and agricultural extension support, while formal education, non-formal education, cosmopolitan level, land area, and family support have no significant effect on the capacity of farmers in rice farming.

The Effect of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches on Rice Production (Oryza sativa L.) With a Flood Height of 10 Cm Below Soil Surface

Improper processing of rice field systems and lack of organic matter in the soil to meet the nutrient needs of rice plants resulted in low rice production. Increased production of rice plants can be overcome by giving compost of palm oil empty fruit bunches (TKKS) with the system of rice intensifications (SRI) method, because the organic matter contained in the compost can improve the physical properties of the soil. This study aims to obtain the best dose of empty fruit bunch (EFB) compost and to see its effect on the production of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) by using the modified SRI method. The research was conducted from January-April 2019 at the UPT Experimental Garden, Faperta, Riau University. This study applied a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of 5 treatment levels. They are 0 gr.polybag-1, 50 gr.polybag-1, 75gr.polybag-1, 100 gr.polybag-1 and 125 gr.polybag-1. The results showed that giving empty fruit bunch (EFB) compost with the SRI method gave an effect on productive tillers, pithy grain per panicle and grain weight, but did not affect panicle exit age, harvest age, percentage of pithy grain per panicle and 1000 grain weight of pithy grain. The best treatment dose was found at a dose of 20 ton.ha-1 because it could increase several components of lowland rice production of the Batang Piaman variety.

Effect of irrigation management and organic manuring on the growth and physiological attributes of direct sown rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Aggressive water stress and low productivity of rice are driving the exploration for location specific feasible agronomic management practices to increase water productivity and yield potential in rice farming. Field experiments were conducted to study the rice production using modified methods of irrigation and integrated nitrogen management, at Annamalai University Experimental Farm, Tamil Nadu, India during Kuruvai(June-October) and Navarai(Jan-April) rice growing seasons of 2016 and 2017. Two irrigation regimes viz., alternate wetting and slight soil drying (when soil moisture content reaches 75% level of the field capacity) and alternate wetting and acute soil drying (when soil moisture content reaches 50% level of the field capacity) and four nutrient management practices viz., RDF as control, 50% N through legume based green leaf manuring (GLM), 50% N through non-legume based GLM and 50% N through mixture of legume and non-legume based GLM (1: 1 ratio). The results reveled that irrigation management involving alternative wetting with acute soil drying along with 50 per cent of recommended dose of nitrogen (60 kg/ha) as mixture of legume and non-legume GLM (1: 1 ratio) and remaining 50 per cent of nitrogen as inorganic source registered the higher values of plant height of 101.76 and 97.11 cm, number of tillers/m2 of 438.10 and 384.64, DMP of 11.34 and 11.39 t/ha, root volume of 22.07 and 18.39 cc, LAI of 5.32 and 4.71 and CGR of 15.26 and 14.56 mg/m2/day during Kuruvai and Navarai seasons, respectively. Therefore, this treatment combination is used for wet spot-seeded rice cultivation in coastal regions of Tamil Nadu.