Nursery Technique Research Articles

Evolving Promising Redgram (Cajanas cajan L.) Transplanting Techniques for Better Crop Establishment under Resource Constraint Dryland Areas of Southern India

Background: Redgram a predominant dryland crop is vulnerable to the whims of rainfall at initial stages of crop growth. Moreover, the wider spacing promotes transplanting over conventional method but, appropriate nursery technique is yet to be standardised to prevent root coiling which leads to poor plant stand under main field conditions. Methods: A field experiment was conducted during 2020-21 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai to identify suitable nursery techniques for raising redgram seedlings. Redgram was raised in poly bag, 98 cone protray, 50 cone protray and high density poly ethylene (HDPE) woven fabric mat for 20 and 30 days before transplanting. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design replicated thrice. Result: The results revealed that, raising redgram seedlings in HDPE woven fabric mat and transplanting at 20 DAS resulted in lesser root length, root volume but with lesser root coiling coefficient which is highly favourable. Moreover, after being transplanted the seedlings recorded higher plant height, leaf area index with increased photosynthetic activity, respiration andchlorophyll content. Similarly, higher yield and benefit cost ratio was attained over the conventional line sowing. Therefore, raising red gram seedlings in HDPE woven fabric mat can be considered as a cost-effective technology to attain higher yields and with the possibility to gap fill under poor seedling establishment without differential harvest maturity under the dry land tracts of southern Tamil Nadu, India.

Pengaruh Konsentrasi Pemberian Urine Sapi Fermentasi Terhadap Pertumbuhan Stek Tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.) Single Bud

The bud chip nursery technique is a nursery with one bud which is commonly used in sugarcane. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the concentration of fermented cow urine on the growth of single bud sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cuttings. This study used a randomized block design experiment (RAK) with 5 replications and 5 treatment levels, namely: P0 = without giving fermented cow urine concentration; P1 = Concentration of 25% fermented cow urine; P2 = Concentration of 20% fermented cow urine; P3= Concentration of fermented cow urine 75%; and P4 = Concentration of 100% fermented cow urine. Testing data with Polynomial Orthogonal Test. The results of this study indicate that the concentration of fermented cow urine has a significant effect on the growth of sugarcane cuttings. The higher the concentration of fermented cow urine given, the better the growth of sugarcane cuttings on the variable number of leaves, root length, fresh weight of roots, fresh weight of shoots, and dry weight of shoots. However, giving various concentrations of cow urine did not affect the variable percentage of sprouted cuttings.

Application Technique and Dosage of Halotolerant Nitrogen Biofertilizer for Increasing Soil Total N, N Uptake, Chlorophyll Content, Photosynthate Accumulation and Growth of Rice Plants in Saline Ecosystem

Utilization of halotolerant nitrogen biofertilizer can increase N uptake and promote growth and yield of rice plants in saline ecosystem. Halotolerant nitrogen biofertilizer can be applied to seed and seedling in certain dosage. The aim of this study was to obtain the application technique and dosage that can increase N uptake and promote growth and yield of rice plants in saline ecosystem. The research was conducted in the greenhouse in Kawarang District (Indonesia) from September until November 2020. There was used randomized block design which consisted of two factors with three replications. The first factor was application techniques, i.e. seed treatment, nursery treatment, and seed + nursery treatment. The second factor was dosage of halotolerant nitrogen biofertilizer, i.e. 0, 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 g ha-1. The results showed that halotolerant nitrogen biofertilizer applied in seed and nursery treatment can increase N uptake and plant height by 3.95 g plant-1 and 34.50 cm, respectively. Dosage of 1,500 g ha-1 can increase the total N of soil (0.26%), chlorophyll content (46.97 SPAD), photosynthate accumulation (3.33 g), and rice yield (13.40 t/ha). Application of halotolerant nitrogen biofertilizer in seed and nursery technique at a dosage of 1,500 g ha-1 can be further recommendation in rice cultivation on saline ecosystems.

Morphological variation and quality in Anatolian black pine seedlings

There are many biological and environmental factors in success of forest establishment including afforestation, industrial plantation, and other forestry practices such as nursery technique and provenance. Forest establishment is also getting importance for the Anatolian Black pine [Pinus nigra Arnold. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe] because of its widely using in afforestation and higher unproductive forest area, and other practices (i.e., landscape planning). It is known that seedling morphology and quality play key role in biological and economical success in these practices. This study was carried out on 1+0, 3+0 and 5+0 years containerized seedlings grown in Adana-Kicak and Konya-Seydisehir Forest Nurseries to contribute nursery practices (such as grown quality seedlings) and success of forest establishment and other practices For the purpose, seedling height and root-collar diameter of 100 seedlings randomly chosen in each age group were measured at the end of 2017. Averages of seedling height of 1+0, 3+0 and 5+0 years were 9.9 cm, 22.6 cm, and 59.8 cm, respectively, while they were 2.6 mm, 7.8 mm and 14.3 mm for root-collar diameter. Coefficient of variation was the highest at 3 years old seedlings for both characters (27% & 25.3%) but the lowest at 5 years old ones (16% &18.3%). 1% of seedlings for height (height<5cm) and 17% of seedlings for root-collar diameter (diameter<2mm) of 1+0 year seedlings were cull/unsuitable for plantation, while they were no any cull seedlings at age 3 and 5 years according to quality classes of Turkish Standard Institute. Positive and significant (p<0.05) correlation was found between height and diameter at all age groups. It emphasized seedling height could be used in the selection of quality seedlings for easy practices by nursery managers.

Raising of Farm Friendly Mat Nursery for Machine Transplanting of Rice

Mechanized rice cultivation can play a vital role in transforming rice production. In the context of labour shortage and growing commercialization of agriculture, mechanization is very important for ensuring timeliness and precision of operation. Mechanized transplanting is a key link to the entire mechanization of paddy cultivation. However, lack of farmer adoptable mat nursery production technologies appears to be one of the major hurdles against the appropriate exploitation of transplanting machineries. The present study entitled “Raising of farm friendly mat nursery for machine transplanting of Rice” was carried out during 2018 at Rice Research Centre, Hyderabad with the objectives of standardization of production technology of mat nursery raising on sheet for mechanical transplanting and evaluation of efficiency of nursery technique under field condition. The nursery raising on polythene sheet with puddled soil is farmer adoptable, suitable for machine transplanting and its cost is cheaper compared to tray method.

Effect of nutripriming treatments on growth parameters of riceseedlings in nursery tray

An experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Kerala to evaluate the effect of nutripriming on tray nursery technique in rice. Nutripriming treatments viz. priming with 0.1% urea, 0.01% borax, 0.05% ZnSO4, combinations of urea with borax and ZnSO4, combination of urea, borax and ZnSO4, 1% Pseudomonas fluorescens and 1% PGPR mix I were applied to seeds grown in seedling trays filled with growing media containing 60% rice husk 154 charcoal + 20% soil + 20% coir pith compost. Combined application of urea, zinc and borax was superior with respect to growth parameters of seedling and mat characteristics. Higher Ca, Mg, S and B uptake was also observed in this treatment. Hence, nutripriming with 0.1% Urea + 0.05% ZnSO4 + 0.01% Borax was found to be a better practice for quality tray nursery production in rice.

Small scale shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) nursery technology at high stocking density

One of the potential management measures to improve shrimp production is by the application of progressive system of vannamei shrimp cultivation, which is applied by many cultivators by spreading fingerlings. The advantage is that the fry has a high level of vitality and is adapted to the pond environment, which can be used by compensators to catch up during the rearing process, and shorten the rearing time in the enlargement phase. However, the need for a high number of fries, especially in the intensive and super-intensive technology, requires a nursery technique with the principle of high stand density and narrow volume. This research examines the vannamei shrimp nursery technology at high density. The container used was a 20 m3 volume round fiber tank, equipped with aeration, scattered with PL-10 vannamei shrimp at a stocking density of about 5,000 - 20,000 PL/m3, and maintained for 21 days. The results have an average vannamei fry weight of 0.26 ± 0.11 g / ind, a survival rate of 97.63 ± 1.93%, a feed conversion ratio of 0.52 ± 0.13, and a productivity of 3.20 ± 1.03 kg / m3. The average production cost of vannamei fingerling was IDR. 61.1 ± 6.56 per individu with the highest profit rate of IDR. 6,419,294 obtained at a stocking density of 20,000 PL/m3 per production cycle.

Growing Zero Cost Seedlings of Peepal (<i>Ficus religiosa</i> L.) in Hi-Tech Nursery

Growing the seedlings of Ficus religiosa L. is very difficult by conventional nursery technique because of poor survival of seedlings up to transplantation stage. Poor germination per cent, less seed viability, very tender nature in early stage and damage due to watering, handling and transplantation are the main reasons responsible for this low survival. The present paper describes outcome of a field experiment by which more than 10,000 seedlings were successfully raised without any additional cost up to transplantation stage. The seedlings were successfully transferred and established in root trainers and polythene tubes with more than 90% survival. These seedlings were planted and established in field with 100% survival. Besides monetary value, the saving was also made in terms of resources like water, land and time by their effective utilization. The present field experiment may not be a standard method and getting desired number of seedlings may not be ensured. However, a fairly large number of seedlings can be obtained by avoiding the damage and without additional cost.

Growth of Shorea Leprosula Seedlings Prepared in Combo Nursery Technique to Support Mine Reclamation

Combo nursery technique is a technique where seedlings/cuttings of Shorea leprosula, Gliricidia sepium, and Brachiaria decumbens grass were planted in one polybag to support mining reclamation. To reduce competition effects among the three species, optimum media and size of polybag need to be investigated. The objective of this experiment is to analyse the effect of size of polybag and media composition on the growth of S. leprosula, G. sepium, and B. decumbens grass in the combo nursery technique. The experiment used Randomised Complete Design in Factorial with two factors, i.e. media compositions (soil : compost (2 : 1, v/v), (1 : 1, v/v), (1 : 2, v/v), and soil : compost : rice husk (7:3:1, v/v/v); and size of polybag (15 x 20 cm, 20 x 20 cm, dan 25 x 25 cm). Each treatment had four replications, and each replication consisted of four polybags. The results showed no significant interaction effects between the composition of media and the size of polybag; however, media compositions of soil: compost (1:1) and (1:2), and the sizes of polybag 20 x 20 cm and 25 x 25 cm significantly eliminated competition and significantly increased the growth of S. leprosula and the number of tiller of B. decumbens grass.

Growth of Shorea Leprosula Seedlings Prepared in Combo Nursery Technique to Support Mine Reclamation

Combo nursery technique is a technique where seedlings/cuttings of Shorea leprosula, Gliricidia sepium, and Brachiaria decumbens grass were planted in one polybag to support mining reclamation. To reduce competition effects among the three species, optimum media and size of polybag need to be investigated. The objective of this experiment is to analyse the effect of size of polybag and media composition on the growth of S. leprosula, G. sepium, and B. decumbens grass in the combo nursery technique. The experiment used Randomised Complete Design in Factorial with two factors, i.e. media compositions (soil : compost (2 : 1, v/v), (1 : 1, v/v), (1 : 2, v/v), and soil : compost : rice husk (7:3:1, v/v/v); and size of polybag (15 x 20 cm, 20 x 20 cm, dan 25 x 25 cm). Each treatment had four replications, and each replication consisted of four polybags. The results showed no significant interaction effects between the composition of media and the size of polybag; however, media compositions of soil: compost (1:1) and (1:2), and the sizes of polybag 20 x 20 cm and 25 x 25 cm significantly eliminated competition and significantly increased the growth of S. leprosula and the number of tiller of B. decumbens grass.

Assessment of Nursery Methods and Manures for Cultivation of Chirayita (Swertia chirayita Buch-Ham.) in Lauri Gewog, Bhutan

Chirayita (Swertia chirayita) is a medicinal plant and is native to the temperate Himalayas. It is widely used in traditional and modern medicines with an increased global demand, leading to unsustainable harvesting, causing the decline, and critically endangering the species. Hence, we hypothesized that chirayita could be domesticated and tested this hypothesis at Lauri Gewog in southeastern Bhutan. Four nursery methods and four organic manure treatments were tested using Completely Randomized Design with three replicates. The average seedling density across the four treatments at mid altitude was 2356 seedlings/m2, and that of high altitude was 1202 seedlings/m2. The seedling density at mid altitude was 96% higher compared to that of high altitude; however, there were significant differences between the treatments only in high altitude (P = 0.003) and not in mid altitude. The methods were non-significant at mid altitude, mainly due to the large variability of data. Interestingly, the manure treatments were not significant compared to the control implying that the chirayita could be non-responsive to the application of manures in the study conditions. Fresh weight of chirayita in the control plot was 14, 19 and 29% higher than ‘compost’, ‘FYM’ and ‘compost+FYM (1:1)’ treatment plots. Further, this research provides an alternative low-cost nursery technique for adoption by chirayita farmers while also providing information for policymakers and environmental conservationists in developing strategies for conservation of a critically endangered species like chirayita.

Farmers’ perceptions of soil block nursery techniques on shallot seeds in Grobogan District, Central Java

The research aimed to know the performance of seedlings and farmers’ perceptions of Shallot seed nursery techniques using soil blocks. The study was conducted in Grobogan Regency from September - November 2018. The research method used three nursery techniques, namely a seedbed with soil block, plastic bags, and plumbing. The data collected included technical data, namely data on the growth and productivity of shallots, and data on farmers’ perceptions of nursery techniques obtained by interviewing 30 farmers. Technical data were analyzed descriptively use an average value and t-test, evaluated farmer’s perceptions using 11 attributes and five evaluation scales, which were analyzed using a 5-scale interval scoring technique. The results showed that the average shallot productivity obtained by the soil block nursery technique was higher than the other nursery techniques. Farmers have a good perception of soil block nursery techniques compared to other methods because shallot seeds are very easy to grow, seedlings are very easy to move to the planting area, seedlings are very easy to grow in planted area, seedlings thrive in planted area, and size of the resulting bulbs is very big. The soil block nursery technique is an alternative to increasing shallot production.

Seed handling of specific forest tree species : Recalcitrant and intermediate seed

Indonesia is a tropical country with an area of rain forests around 128 million ha. Forests have economic, social and environmental functions, therefore those functions must be sustained. Seeds are a very important part for maintaining the sustainability of forest functions, by providing good quality of seeds and seedlings. Nearly 70% of the seeds of forest plants in Indonesia are recalcitrant and intermediate, dominated by species of Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Araucariaceae, and Verbenaceae. In general, the characteristics of the seeds can be divided into 3 groups based on their sensitivity of drying and storability, namely orthodox, recalcitrant and intermediates. The viability of orthodox seeds can be maintained for long storage periods in low temperatures, whereas recalcitrant seeds are difficult to store for long periods and loseitsviability in a short time. Intermediate seeds are in between of the two characters, that the viability can be kept for a longer time (generally less than 1 year) than recalcitrant seeds. The main problems for recalcitrant and intermediate seeds are their short life time and for some species, the flowering and fruiting periods do not occur every year, especially for the species of Dipterocarpacae. These problems makedifficult to get large quantities of high-quality seeds. Therefore, seed handling techniques of recalcitrant and intermediates seeds are urgently needed. A proper seed handling is the key to maintain the physical, physiological and genetic quality of seeds which should be carried out by involving several activities including techniques of seed production, seed testing, seed storage, and nursery technique.

Using field and nursery treatments to establish Quercus suber seedlings in Mediterranean degraded shrubland

Abstract: Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a suitable species for restoring Mediterranean ecosystems due to its capacity to resprout after wildfires and its economic importance for the use of cork. Several studies have focused on improving the seedling quality and abiotic conditions at the outplanting site to favour the field performance of Q. suber, however, most studies have been conducted by independently testing treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the combined effect of three techniques that focused on reforestation success with Q. suber in Mediterranean degraded shrubland: (i) a nursery technique to improve root system development, such as the use of deep containers to develop a longer tap root, combined with two field techniques such as (ii) the use of tree shelters to diminish solar radiation stress, and (iii) shrubland treatments to reduce competition for soil water and nutrients. For this purpose, 1-year-old Q. suber seedlings were grown in two containers types: a shallow container (CCS-18) and a deep container (CCL-30). Seedlings were established in a degraded shrubland at three experimental sites in the Calderona mountain range of Castellon, Spain. A factorial design was combined based on container type (CCS-18 and CCL-30), shrubland management (undisturbed shrubland and cleared shrubland in strips) and tree shelters (vegetable fibre tree shelters and no tree shelters). After 2 years of monitoring, the outplanting results indicated that using: (i) a deep container produced a longer taproot, but did not favour better survival or better field performance of seedlings; (ii) tree shelters improved the microweather conditions around seedlings, particularly by reducing excess incoming solar radiation; (iii) cleared shrubland strips reduced competition for soil water by favouring a higher water potential, better maximum photochemical PSII efficiency and higher survival rates for the seedlings established into cleared sites. The results indicate that the cleared shrubland treatment effects overlap the effects of using deep containers and tree shelters. This, in turn, reveals that shrubland clearing is the most suitable technique for favouring the introduction of a resprouter species like Q. suber into ecosystems characterized by predominantly degraded shrublands.

The Nursery Technique of Juvenile Sandfish, Holothuri scabra

Sea cucumbers are an Indonesian fisheries export commodity. Sea cucumber populations that are endangered in nature encourage sea cucumbers to be produced through hatchery and nursery. Through nursery, it is expected that sea cucumber juveniles are stronger and can increase survival rate when stocked in growth containers or restocked. This study aims to provide better sandfish nursery techniques and local area characteristics to support hatchery activities. This study was conducted in May - July 2018 at the Hatchery CV Pesona Manir Rat, Southeast Maluku Regency. Juvenile sandfish 30-36 days old, rearing in hapa measuring 100 x 100 x 70 cm with a density of 200 individuals/hapa. In one tank rearing is placed one hapa. During rearing, 100-150% of water is changed and given one-liter Navicular sp. every day. Aeration was installed 4 points on each hapa and water quality measurement was conducted every day. At the end of the study, body length measurements and mortality calculations were conducted. The result is that sea cucumber juvenile which is maintained has absolute growth ranging from 1.98 to 2.1 cm with an average absolute growth of 2.03 cm. The average mortality obtained was 53.83% with a range of 53% - 55%. Based on the discussion it was concluded that this technique can be applied in sandfish nursery. ABSTRAKTeripang merupakan komuditi eksport perikanan Indonesia. Populasi teripang yang terancam di alam mendorong teripang harus diproduksi melalui pembenihan dan pendederan. Melalui pendederan diharapakan anakan teripang lebih kuat dan dapat bertahan hidup lebih baik ketika ditebar pada wadah pembesaran atau direstoking. Penelitian ini bertujuan memberikan informasi teknik pendederan teripang pasir yang lebih baik dan berkarakteristik daerah setempat guna menopang kegiatan pembenihan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Mei – Juli 2018 di Hatchery CV Pesona Manir Rat, Kabupaten Maluku Tenggara. Juvenil teripang pasir berusia 30 – 36 hari, dipelihara pada hapa berukuran 100 x 100 x 70 cm dengan kepadatan 200 individu / hapa. Pada satu bak pemeliharaan ditempatkan satu buah hapa. Selama pemeliharaan dilakukan pergantian air sebanyak 100 – 150 % dan diberikan satu liter Navicular sp. setiap hari. Aerasi dipasang sebanyak 4 titik pada setiap hapa dan dilakukan pengukuran kualitas air setiap hari. Diakhir penelitian, dilakukan pengukuran panjang tubuh dan perhitungan mortalitas. Hasilnya juvenile teripang yang dipelihara mengalami pertumbuhan mutlak berkisar antara 1,98 – 2,1 cm dengan rata-rata pertumbuhan mutlak sebesar 2,03 cm. Mortalitas rata-rata yang diperoleh sebesar 53, 83 % dengan kisaran 53 % - 55 %. Berdasarkan pembahasan disimpulkan bahwa teknik ini dapat diterapkan dalam pendederan teripang pasir.

Effect of nursery techniques on early growth attributes of minisett-cultivated cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Investigations were done to find out the effect of nursery techniques on minisett-cultivated cassava at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala during April to June 2017. The objective was to find out a viable nursery technique for cassava minisett cultivation. For this two types of minisett cuttings and three types of potting media were tried in the nursery. The three-node cuttings of cassava minisett resulted in significantly higher seedling sprouting, shoot length, shoot biomass, root length and root biomass. Among different potting media used in the experiment, coir pith compost and vermicompost in the ratio of 3: 1 and normal top soil and coir pith compost in the ratio of 1: 1 resulted in higher seedling sprouting compared to normal top soil as potting medium but former treatment performed better with respect to shoot length, shoot biomass, root length and root biomass of minisett seedlings. The interaction of three-node cuttings of cassava minisett and coir pith compost and vermicompost in the ratio of 3: 1 gave better results than other combinations. The results of the study indicated that raising three-noded minisett cassava cuttings in potting medium containing coir pith compost and vermicompost in the ratio of 3: 1 in the nursery performed better wrt shoot length, shoot biomass, root length and root biomass.

Application of deficit irrigation in Phillyrea angustifolia for landscaping purposes

Phillyrea angustifolia is an evergreen shrub of interest for urban landscape design, as well as for use in revegetation projects in Mediterranean areas, which are characterized by an acute scarcity of water. The effect of different levels of water deficit on several physiological, ornamental and morphological parameters of Phillyrea angustifolia plants was studied to evaluate their adaptability to xerogarden and/or landscape conditions. Nursery grown plants were subjected to three irrigation treatments: a control (watered to container capacity) and two deficit irrigation treatments of 60 and 40% of the amount of water supplied in the control treatment (moderate and severe deficit irrigation). After 23 months, plant height was significantly inhibited by both water deficit treatments, although plant compactness (foliar area in relation to plant height) was not affected. Plants under severe deficit irrigation increased their root to shoot ratio and water use efficiency, which are positive aspects for hardening. Plants exposed to both deficit irrigation treatments exhibited slight dehydration throughout the experiment, especially in spring, as indicated by the lower leaf water potential and relative water content. The tolerance of P. angustifolia to drought was mainly related to adjust osmotic and regulated stomatal closure. It is concluded that both deficit irrigation treatments can be used successfully in P. angustifolia plant production to reduce water consumption while maintaining good overall quality. Moderate deficit irrigation is specially recommended for gardening purposes, since this treatment produced plants with of visual quality. Severe deficit irrigation is more suitable for landscaping purposes, as an effective nursery technique to produce plants better adapted to environmental stress during transplanting.

Sentinel nurseries to assess the phytosanitary risks from insect pests on importations of live plants

Ornamental plants represent a major pathway of invasion for alien pests worldwide. Commodity risk analyses are carried out to assess the risk posed by a new trade in a commodity, but they are restricted by our limited knowledge of the pests carried by traded plants. We used the sentinel nursery technique to identify insects attacking woody plants imported into Europe. We established two sentinel nurseries in China, with five traded Asian plants. These nurseries were monitored for two years to obtain lists of insects that can be expected on these commodities. These records were compared with those obtained from literature surveys, which are usually the sources of information available to pest risk assessors. At each site, 105 insect species and host associations were found on sentinel plants and 90% of these associations had not been found in a previous literature survey of insect pests of the five plants. Nearly 80% of these associations were not found in an a posteriori literature survey. An assessment classified 9%, 7% and 84% of the insect records as presenting a high, moderate and low likelihood of introduction, respectively. These results show the benefit of sentinel nurseries to identify potential infestation of plant commodity imports.

PENGARUH MEDIA ORGANIK SEBAGAI MEDIA SAPIH TERHADAP KUALITAS BIBIT BIDARA LAUT (Strychnos lucida R. Brown)

Timber utilization of Strychnos lucida R. Brown as a medicine caused uncontrolled exploitation. Currently unknown nursery technique appropriate to Strychnos lucida. The aim of this research wastesting the organic media such as eceng gondok compost, rice skin ash and cocopeat as growing media so was produced the best quality of Strychnos lucida seedling. The research used Randomized Complete Block Design with four treatments: B0 (top soil + organic compost (1:1)), B1 (eceng gondok compost + rice husk ash + cocopeat (2:2:1)), B2 (eceng gondok compost + rice husk ash + cocopeat (2:1:2)), and B3 (eceng gondok compost + rice husk ash + cocopeat (1:2:2)). The results showed that growing media only significantly influence on the total of leave, while others parameter such as life percentage, height, diameter, root/shoot ratios (R/S), seedling quality index (QI), and seedling sturdiness were not significantly influence. Duncan test showed average of total of leave was significantly different. The best of total of leave obtained in media B0 (7.4 strands).

Differences in CH4 and N2O emissions between rice nurseries in Chinese major rice cropping areas

Studies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from paddy field have primarily focused on the post-transplanting period, however, recent researches raise new concerns about GHGs emission from rice nursery. In this study, CH4 and N2O fluxes were determined from different nurseries under major rice cropping systems in China. The tested nurseries included flooded nursery (FN), moist nursery (MN) and dry nursery (DN). Methane emissions from FN were significantly higher than those from MN and DN under all the rice cropping systems. When comparing with FN, MN decreased total CH4 emissions by 74.2%, 72.1% and 49.6% under the rice–upland rotation cropping system (RUR), and the double rice cropping system for the early rice (EDR) and the late rice (LDR), respectively. DN decreased CH4 emissions by 99.2%, 92.0%, 99.0% and 78.6% compared to FN under the single rice cropping system (SR), RUR, EDR and LDR, respectively. When comparing with FN, MN and DN increased N2O emissions by 58.1–134.1% and 28.2–332.7%, respectively. Ultimately, compared with FN across the cropping systems, MN and DN decreased net global warming potentials (GWPs) of CH4 and N2O by 33–68% and 43–86%, respectively. The mitigating effect of MN and DN on total GWPs varied greatly across the systems, ranging from 30.8% in the LDR to 86.5% in the SR. Chinese actual emission from rice nurseries was reduced to 956.66 × 103 t CO2 eq from the theoretical estimate of 2242.59 × 103 t CO2 eq if under the flooded nursery scenario in 2012. Taking into account the large rice nursery area (2032.52 × 103 ha) in China, the results of this study clearly indicate the importance to estimate and mitigate GHGs emission from flooded rice nursery. Being effective to reduce GHG emissions and increase rice yield, dry nursery technique is a promising candidate for climate smart rice cropping.