Rice Production Research Articles

How Do Greenhouse Gases and Other Factors Affect Rice Production in Bangladesh? An Insight from Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach

Purpose: The study aims to elucidate the impact of greenhouse gases and other factors on rice production in Bangladesh. By considering the influences of greenhouse gases, technological factors, and industrial activities, the research unveils significant insights into the long-term and short-term effects on rice production. Methodology: This research employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to investigate the impact of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, agricultural land, agriculture as percentage share of GDP, and industry on rice production in Bangladesh through EViews-12 Software. Findings: Our findings suggest that CO2 emissions, industrial and agricultural share as percentage of GDP exhibit a negative impact, decreasing rice production, while N2O and agricultural land have a notable positive effect. Technical factors such as the area under rice cultivation, agriculture and industry are identified as pivotal contributors to rice production. Practical Implications: Finally, the study concludes with policy implications and recommendations based on our findings for sustainable agricultural practices, technological advancements, and policy interventions tailored to enhance rice production and secure food sustainability in the unique agricultural landscape of Bangladesh. Originality/Value: As per as our knowledge, no research has been carried out in Bangladesh to investigate the impact of greenhouse gases and selected factors on rice production. Research Limitations: Due to difficulties in data collection procedure, we could not include all variables of greenhouse gases. We expect in future, there will be more data sources which would help many researchers to contribute to rice production related researches.

Effects of Long-Term Sustainable Inorganic Fertilization on Rice Productivity and Fertility of Quaternary Red Soil

Soil microbial communities play a critical role in soil fertility and crop productivity. The present study investigated the impact of long-term chemical fertilization on microbial communities, rice productivity, and fertility of Quaternary red soil. A long-term experiment was conducted from 1984 to 2018 with the following treatments: unbalanced nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) fertilization (NP, NK, and PK) and balanced inorganic fertilization (NPK) and non-fertilization (CK) as control. The results indicate that alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen (AhN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) were higher with the application of NPK fertilizers than in the initial stage of the experiment. The crop yield of fertilizer groups was also higher than that of CK, and the maximum yield was observed in the NPK group. The relative abundance of dominant bacteria, such as Acidobacteriaceae and Proteobacteria, was significantly different among different fertilizer treatments. Different fertilization strategies also had significant effects on soil fungi. For instance, Mortierella had a positive correlation with the soil N content, and Arnium showed a negative correlation with the balanced fertilization of N and P. Therefore, long-term balanced inorganic fertilization can effectively improve rice productivity and fertility of Quaternary red soil.

Effect of Irrigation and Nitrogen Application at Early Tillering, Panicle Initiation and Flowering Stages on the Yield and Yield Attributes of Boro Rice

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of irrigation scheduling and nitrogen splitting on the yield and yield attributes of boro rice, with particular emphasis on critical growth stages including early tillering, panicle initiation and flowering stages. The experiment was executed at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi, from December 2022 to May 2023. The experiment setup was demonstrated using a split plot design, incorporating three replications. Two factors were determined for the experiment: the first included three different watering schedules aiming critical growth stages: early tillering (I1), early tillering and flowering (I2), and early tillering, panicle initiation and flowering panicle initiation (I3). The second factor was distinct nitrogen splitting techniques, which consisted of four levels: control (N0), 138 kg N ha-1 as basal (N1), 69 kg N ha-1 at early tillering and flowering stages (N2), and 46 kg N ha-1 at early tillering, panicle initiation and flowering stages (N3). The highest reading of chlorophyll content was noticed in I3 along with productive tillers (15.67), grains (115.25) and yield outcome (4.44 t ha-1). Regarding nitrogen application, the greatest chlorophyll content, number of functional tillers (13.32), productive grains (112.44) panicle-1 and grain yield (4.48 t ha-1) was recorded in treatment N3. Therefore, the research finding suggest that the application of water at early tillering, panicle initiation and flowering stages along with the application of 46 kg N ha-1 will be helpful to maximize the production of rice in drought prone areas. This approach not only maximizes yield but also helps to mitigate water wastages associated with excessive irrigation.

Optimized Tillage Method Increased Rice Yield in Rice Ratooning System

Ratoon rice occupies an important position in rice production owing to its time-saving, labor-saving and low-pollution planting, and increased benefits. However, the impact of tillage management on the yield in rice ratooning system has not yet been reported. Thus, field experiments were carried out to investigate the impact of seven tillage methods on the yield of ratoon rice crop in Jingzhou City in 2021–2022. The managements included winter plowing + rotary 2 times (PTw + RT2) or 3 times (PTw + RT3), spring plowing + rotary 2 times (PTs + RT2) or 3 times (PTs + RT3), no plowing + rotary 2 times (P0 + RT2) or 3 times (P0 + RT3) and no tillage (NT). PTw + RT3 had the highest total rice yield. The experimental data were collected in 2021 and 2022. In terms of main season rice yield, the order of ranking was PTw > PTs ≈ NT ≈ P0, while for ratoon rice yield, the ranking was NT > PTw ≈ PTs > P0. Generally, the root function ranked as PTw > PTs > P0 > NT. The photosynthetic capacity of the main season rice always maximized in PTw, those of the ratoon rice all maximized in NT, and those of both the main season rice and ratoon rice always minimized in P0. In the three tillage modes (PTw, PTs, P0), an additional rotary tillage did not affect the growth or yield of rice. PTw + 3RT was the highest yielding tillage management, but it is still necessary to explore other PTw + 3RT methods and more economical tillage management to increase the yield of ratoon rice.

IDENTIFIKASI KELEMBAGAAN PERTANIAN DAN PERANANNYA PADA SUBSISTEM PRODUKSI TANAMAN PADI SAWAH DI DESA BUKIT PARIAMAN KECAMATAN TENGGARONG SEBERANG

Agricultural Institutions are a driving factor in achieving agricultural resource management that encourages the achievement of farmer welfare. The existence of important physical and management aspects is studied, especially in rice producing centers, in relation to their contribution to the food supply. The objective of this research to identify existing agricultural institutions in Bukit Pariaman Village, to identify the role of farming institutions in the rice farming production subsystem, and analyze farmers' access to existing agricultural institutions in Bukit Pariaman Village. The research was conducted in Bukit Pariaman Village, Tenggarong Seberang District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency in May-July 2024. The sampling method was purposive sampling. Data analysis used descriptive analysis and perception analysis of access to agricultural institutions. The research results showed that agricultural institutions in Bukit Pariaman Village are adequate and well accessible. The role in the production subsystem was demonstrated by the achievement of an annual rice production surplus of 88.81%.

Farm Mechanization Innovation Capacity and Rice Productivity: Evidence from Small Scale Rice Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

Rice is a staple diet eaten by more than fifty percent of households in the whole world. There is a deficit currently in the demand- supply production of rice when carefully observed and this is traceable to the use of crude implements and traditional methods of farming. It is to this effect that this study addresses farm mechanization innovation and rice productivity using small scale rice farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 261 rice farmers were used for this study out of which only 78 rice farmers adopted the farm mechanization innovation while 183 rice farmers did not. The focus group discussion (FGD) employed revealed that majority of the rice farmers do not have capacity for farm mechanization, hence the low adoption of the innovation. The FGD revealed that 65.90percent of the rice farmers had medium innovation capacity, 28.74percent had low innovation capacity and 5.36percent had high innovation capacity. Employing the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method to evaluate the impact of farm mechanization on the productivity of rice farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria; the rice farmers that adopted the use of farm mechanization have a higher productivity of 12.68 kg/m2 as against the rice farmers who do not adopt the use of farm mechanization in their farming activities with their own productivity standing at 6.31kg/m2 . This outcome implies that farm mechanization has a positive impact on the productivity of the farmers. It is therefore recommended that quality extension services be put in place in the study area on the benefits of adopting farm mechanization. Also, the government should provide machineries for lease to the rice farmers so as to boost their productivity.

Greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potential of crop production in Northeast China

Agricultural management practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been identified as effective mitigation strategies. However, research on carbon emissions from major crops in Northeast China focuses on national and provincial data, overlooking city-scale variability and uncertainties, which prevents fine-scale assessment of crop emissions reduction potential. To address this, a life cycle assessment (LCA) combined with the Monte Carlo method was conducted to estimate the carbon footprint of rice, maize, and soybean production for different cities in Northeast China from 1991 to 2020. The results showed that the top one-third of cities with the highest total carbon emissions (TCE) account for approximately 40 % of the region's TCE. Nitrogen losses and production processes related to nitrogen fertilizer application were identified as the primary contributors to TCE from crop production, accounting for 29.6–62.5 % of the total, with a relative importance of 58.5–78.2 %. Scenario analysis indicated that optimizing nitrogen fertilizer management and reducing active nitrogen losses are the most effective strategies for reducing TCE from major crop production, offering a reduction potential of 34.5–60.6 %. Recommended strategies include phased application of nitrogen fertilizer, the addition of nitrification inhibitors, or using slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, combined with appropriate increases in crop planting density, straw return decomposition technologies and water-saving irrigation methods to reduce GHG emissions. These strategies aim to achieve low-carbon sustainable grain production and provide a foundation for exploring the emissions reduction potential of agricultural inputs and optimizing regional crop layouts, offering new insights for developing more effective GHG reduction strategies.

The effect of the Fitostemin-WP® biostimulator on yield and quality characteristics of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

In order to avoid yield and quality reduction of rice, it is essential to provide nutrition rice plants require. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the research area of the Institute of Agriculture - Skopje, Department of Field Crops, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, in Kochani, a rice production region. The experiment was set up to determine the effects of the Fitostemin-WP® biostimulator on some yield and quality properties of an Italian rice variety Opale during the vegetative seasons in 2020 and 2021. Standard agrotechnical methods for crop production were applied. Fitostemin-WP® is an herbal product in the form of powder and it consists of herbal extracts and minerals. It is used for increasing crop yield. The field experiment was arranged in a Zade method with a Fitostemin-WP® treatment and a control one in 3 replications. Only basic fertilizers (350kg/ha NPK and 200kg/ha Urea (46% N)) were applied on the control plot, while the treatment plot, besides basic fertilization, was also treated with Fitostemin-WP® with 100 g/ha dosage once during the vegetation period (tillering stage). The following parameters were examined in this study, namely the biological, grain and straw yield, the number of productive tillers/m2, panicle weight, and milling fractions. Results were analyzed with the ANOVA and LSD test. According to the results from this study, statistically significant differences were not found in these two years of field experiments for the examined parameters. However, the values for the brokens have shown some significant differences between the years, but not between the treatment and the control. This can result from the environmental impact during the vegetative period. More frequent usage of Fitostemin-WP® during the vegetation period of the rice plant may show more significant results.

Strategi Pemerintah Kota Surabaya dalam Menghadapi Kenaikan Harga Beras

The phenomenon of rising rice prices often occurs due to several influencing factors, one of which comes from the climate and the existence of a bumper harvest. In addition, higher market demand than production is also one of the causes. Surabaya as a city that is predicated as a consumer rather than a producer of rice is very careful in maintaining the existing rice supply. Public panic over the increase in rice prices has led the government to issue programs as a strategy to overcome it, one of which is consistently implemented to date is the Cheap Market Movement. The purpose of this research is to describe the government's strategy in overcoming the price of rice based on the five indicators of Geoff Mulgan's theory. This research uses descriptive qualitative research methods by taking results from interviews as primary data and secondary data obtained from literature reviews such as articles, journals, and relevant references. The results of this study reveal that the Cheap Market Movement program and the existence of SPHP rice can help people's lives and achieve the success rate of strategies issued by the Surabaya city government, especially by the Food Security and Agriculture Office.

Transcriptomic Analysis of the CNL Gene Family in the Resistant Rice Cultivar IR28 in Response to Ustilaginoidea virens Infection.

Rice false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, threatens rice production by reducing yields and contaminating grains with harmful ustiloxins. However, studies on resistance genes are scarce. In this study, the resistance level of IR28 (resistant cultivar) to U. virens was validated through artificial inoculation. Notably, a reactivation of resistance genes after transient down-regulation during the first 3 to 5 dpi was observed in IR28 compared to WX98 (susceptible cultivar). Cluster results of a principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the transcriptome exhibited longer expression patterns in the early infection phase of IR28, consistent with its sustained resistance response. Results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses highlighted the suppression of immune pathways when the hyphae first invade stamen filaments at 5 dpi, but sustained up-regulated DEGs were linked to the 'Plant-pathogen interaction' (osa04626) pathway, notably disease-resistant protein RPM1 (K13457, CNLs, coil-coiled NLR). An analysis of CNLs identified 245 proteins containing Rx-CC and NB-ARC domains in the Oryza sativa Indica genome. Partial candidate CNLs were shown to exhibit up-regulation at both 1 and 5 dpi in IR28. This study provides insights into CNLs' responses to U. virens in IR28, potentially informing resistance mechanisms and genetic breeding targets.

Arsenic in Rice and Rice-Based Products with Regard to Consumer Health.

Most articles on the exposure to arsenic (As) associated with rice and rice products come from Asia where these products are consumed in the largest quantities; relatively few of the articles have focused on European consumers. Since rice products can represent a significant contribution to overall arsenic exposure, the aim of the study was to determine the total arsenic content (tAs) in rice and the most commonly-consumed rice products available on the Polish market. The tAs determination was performed by hydride generation coupled to inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (HG-ICP-OES). Because an inorganic form of As (iAs) is mutagenic and carcinogenic and about 100-fold more toxic than the organic form, an additional aim of the study was to assess the risk of its ingestion, assuming that it constitutes 67.7%, 72.7%, or 90% of tAs. In all products tested, the calculated iAs content was below the maximum permissible levels, and no threat was found for any of the analyzed Polish consumers, based on the mean rice consumption in Poland and the mean calculated iAs content. However, a potential health risk was noted among infants and young children, assuming maximum iAs levels and threefold higher consumption (16.2 g d-1). To avoid a risk of developing cancer, infants up to one year of age should consume no more than 32.2 g of the studied products per week, children under three years of age up to 68.7 g, and adults 243 g. Consumers should strive to include a variety of cereals in their daily diet and choose products shown to have low arsenic contamination levels based on testing and inspection rankings.

Energy Consumption in Wheat-Rice Cropping System in Punjab

Energy consumption for crop production depends on the availability of energy sources and the capacity of the farmers. This study analyzed energy sources used by farmers for wheat and rice production and identified agricultural operations where energy consumption can be reduced so that operational costs in wheat-rice production system can be lowered. Data on energy use in wheat and rice cropping system was collected by interviewing the farmers using specially designed questionnaire. Relevant information pertaining to human labour use, sources of irrigation, number of irrigations to each crop, quantity of farm inputs, utilization of mechanical power sources and grain yield etc. were collected. The average output energy of grain, input energy, energy ratio and specific energy for wheat crop in the state of Punjab were 68347 MJ ha-1, 15644 MJ ha-1, 8.4 and 3.08 MJ kg-1, respectively. The average output energy of grain, input energy, energy ratio and specific energy for rice were 115888 MJ ha-1, 16438 MJ ha-1, 14.8 and 2.09 MJ kg-1, respectively. For wheat-rice cropping system, the average output energy of grain, input energy, energy ratio and specific energy were 184234.4 MJ ha-1, 32081.4 MJ ha-1, 11.7 and 2.48 MJ kg-1, respectively. Energy ratio (output energy to input energy ratio) of rice is higher than the wheat, indicating rice efficiently utilized energy resources to convert into output of the harvested crop. Similarly, lower specific energy (input energy to yield ratio) of rice as compared to wheat also indicates lower energy consumption to produce per unit of rice. This analysis clearly indicates that rice production is more energy efficient than wheat production in rice-wheat production system. Further, the energy ratio, specific energy and energy productivity of wheat-rice cropping system were estimated as 11.6 to 11.9, 2.44 to 2.51 MJ kg-1 and 0.40 to 0.41kg MJ-1, respectively. This study will be helpful to identify the agricultural operations and implementing suitable interventions for improving energy use efficiency.

Effect of Biostimulants on the Growth Attributes and Yield of Rice

A field investigation was conducted at Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu during September - February 2022 to study the effect of biostimulants on the growth attributes and yield of rice. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of T1 - 100% RDF (150:50:50 kg of N, P2O5 and K2O), T2 - 100% RDF + 3% Panchagavya spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T3 - 100% RDF + 5% Jeevamirtham spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T4 - 100% RDF + 3 % Dasagavya spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T5 - 100% RDF + 2% Humic acid spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T6 - 100% RDF + 5% Seaweed liquid fertilizer (Sargassum wightii) spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T7 - 100% RDF + 2% Effective microorganism inoculation spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT, T8 - 100% RDF + 1% Liquid biofertilizer spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT and T9 - 100% RDF + 5% Seaweed liquid fertilizer (Ascophyllum nodosum) spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT. Among these treatments, it is observed that the application of a recommended dose of fertilizers along with 2 per cent humic acid spray at 30, 45 and 60 DAT had a remarkable effect on the resulted in enhanced values of growth attributes and yield viz., plant height (95.6 cm), number of tillers hill-1 (25.01), leaf area index (5.43), dry matter production (12927 kg ha-1), root length (24.63 cm), root volume (34.73 cc), grain yield (5540 kg ha-1) and straw yield (8200 kg ha-1) of rice.

Optimizing rice (Oryza sativa) growth, productivity, profitability and nutrient uptake with coated urea and organic manure in the new alluvial zone of West Bengal

A two-year field experiment was carried out at experimental farm of BCKV, Nadia, West Bengal during kharif seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21 to study the effect of combined application of coated urea and organic manure on performance of rice. The experiment was laid-out in a randomized complete block design with four replications and treatment comprised 5 treatment combinations, such as T1 , control plot (without N); T2 , 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through neem-coated urea (NCU); T3 , 75% RDN through NCU + 25% RDN through FYM (farm yard manure); T4, 100% RDN through polymer sulphur coated urea (PSCU); T5, 75% RDN through PSCU+25% RDN through FYM. The results showed that 75% RDN through PSCU+25% RDN through FYM re- sulted in maximum growth attributes, viz. plant height (110.8 cm), maximum number of effective tillers per square meter (416/m2 ), highest dry-matter accumulation (DMA) (740 g/m2 ), leaf area index (LAI) (4.47) and crop growth rate (CGR) (6.56 g/m2 /day), highest yield components like panicle length (23.5 cm), panicle weight (9.95 g), num- ber of filled grains/panicle (113), test-weight (21.3 g) and maximum grain yield (4.79 t/ha) and straw yield (5.53 t/ ha). Similarly, maximum amount of total nutrient uptake by crop (99.7, 40.1 and 208 kg/ha NPK), protein yield (418 kg/ha), gross returns (` 71.8 × 103 /ha), net return (` 52 × 103 /ha) and B: C ratio (2.73) were noticed under T5 treat- ment. Therefore, it is advisable to implement a comprehensive nutrient management strategy T5 (75% RDN through PSCU + 25% RDN through FYM) in rice cultivation. This approach enhances growth, yield, nutrient absorption, and quality, ultimately boosting agricultural productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

Optimizing transplanting densities for lowland rice production under low-yielding environments in the Madagascar highlands

ContextRice yield is low at 2.1 t ha−1 in sub-Saharan Africa. Increased yield is a critical challenge to food security and environmental conservation in this region. However, smallholder farmers have limited access to irrigation, mineral fertilizers, and improved crop varieties. One approach that even resource-limited farmers can easily manipulate is to optimize planting densities. However, there is limited empirical evidence to provide technical recommendations under such low-yielding conditions. ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the effect of dense transplanting on lowland rice yields under low-yielding conditions, with a target range below 5 t ha−1. MethodsMulti-field trials were implemented with transplanting densities of a regular rate at 25–26.7 hills m−2, a doubled rate at 50–53.3 hills m−2, and a tripled rate at 88.9 hills m−2 in the central highlands of Madagascar, where rice yields are limited by nutrient deficiency and low temperature. Canopy coverage and cumulative intercepted radiation (CIR) were monitored from transplantation to maturity using digital imagery analysis. Field observations (n=306) and four-year household surveys (n=356) were combined to calculate the costs and benefits of changing transplanting densities. ResultsDoubling densities from 25.0–26.7 hills m−2 to 50.0–53.3 hills m−2 had a consistent yield advantage by approximately 0.4 t ha−1 across a yield range of 1.8 t ha−1–4.4 t ha−1. The yield was further increased by tripling the transplanting densities to 88.9 hills m−2 when the yield range was 1.9–2.3 t ha−1. The yield advantage of higher transplanting densities was attributed to a greater CIR at the initial growth stages and a significantly greater panicle number. Household surveys and field observations indicated that the benefit of yield gain was more than three times greater than the additional cost of doubling the seed amounts. No significant yield differences were observed by changing the transplanting densities when the yield level was higher than 5 t ha−1 or lower than 1.3 t ha−1 where substantial reductions in grain fertility occurred owing to low-temperature stress. ConclusionsA relatively high transplanting density of 50–53.3 hills m−2 or even higher is recommended to ensure initial canopy development and panicle number in low-yielding conditions where individual plant growth is stagnant, except in fields with high risks of grain set failure. ImplicationsThis study provides an easy-to-use opportunity for smallholder farmers to increase their rice yield. Further studies are required to determine whether these findings apply to warmer climatic conditions.

A biochar-based amendment improved cadmium (Cd) immobilization, reduced its bioaccumulation, and increased rice yield

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil threatens human health, food security, and ecosystem sustainability. The in situ stabilization of Cd has been recognized as a potentially economical technology for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil. Recently, biochar (BC) and activated carbon (AC) have received widespread attention as eco-friendly soil amendments that are more beneficial for plant growth, soil health, and remediation of contaminated soil. An experiment was performed in a paddy field to investigate the effects of two different types of BC (maize straw biochar and bamboo biochar) and AC (coconut shell activated carbon) in combination with rape organic fertilizer (R), calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (P), and fulvic acid (F), respectively, on soil Cd immobilization, Cd accumulation in rice, and yield. The results indicated that the BC/AC-based amendments reduced soil bioavailable Cd (DTPA-Cd) and brown rice Cd by 9.58%–27.06% and 19.30%–71.77%, respectively. The transformation of exchangeable Cd (Ex-Cd) to carbonate-bound Cd (Ca-Cd), Fe-Mn oxide bond (Ox-Cd), and residual (Re-Cd) in soil accounted for the mitigation of Cd uptake and enrichment by rice. Additionally, BC-/AC-based amendments altered soil physicochemical properties, which significantly increased the soil pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), soil organic carbon (SOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), directly promoting soil health. All BC-/AC-based amendments significantly increased FeIMP and MnIMP concentrations by 47.31%–160.34% and 25.72%–73.09% in the Fe/Mn plaque (IMP), respectively. Maize straw and bamboo biochar-based amendments significantly increased rice yield by 10.46%–20.41% and 9.94%–16.17%, respectively, while coconut shell-activated carbon severely reduced rice yield by 65.06%–77.14%. The correlation analysis revealed that leaf Cd and IMP primarily controlled Cd uptake by rice, and soil pH, Eh, CEC, SOC, IMP, and TP influenced DTPA-Cd in soil. This field study demonstrated that maize straw and bamboo biochar-based amendments not only reduced soil DTPA-Cd in paddy fields but also decreased the accumulation of Cd in brown rice, as well as improved rice yield, which has potential application in Cd-contaminated agriculture fields. Coconut shell-activated carbon severely decreased rice yields, which is not appropriate for rice production.

Effects of different cold-resistant agents and application methods on yield and cold-resistance of machine-transplanted early rice.

Cold stress is a critical factor affecting rice production worldwide. The application of cold-resistant agents may improve the cold resistance and yield of crops. To screen for suitable cold-resistant agents for machine-transplanted early rice, the effects of uniconazole, abscisic acid, and zinc-amino acids chelate and their spraying times (seed soaking stage, one leaf and one heart stage, two leaves and one heart stage, 7 days before the transplanting stage, and regreening stage) on the yield and cold resistance of machine-transplanted early rice were investigated. Moreover, the application method (spraying amount: 750 and 1125g ha-1; spraying time: 7 days before the transplanting stage, transplanting stage, regreening stage, and transplanting stage and regreening stage) for the most suitable cold-resistant agent was optimized. The zinc-amino acids chelate was better than the other two cold-resistant agents for promoting rice tillering and increasing the leaf area index, dry matter weight, antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, POD) and yield (i.e., 9.22% and 7.14% higher than uniconazole and abscisic acid, respectively), especially when it was applied in the regreening stage. The examination of spraying amounts and times indicated that the zinc-amino acids chelate dosage had no significant effect on the yield and cold resistance of early rice. However, the rice yield and antioxidant enzyme activities were highest when samples were sprayed once in the transplanting stage and the regreening stage. On the basis of the study results, 750g ha-1 zinc-amino acids chelate applications in the transplanting and regreening stages of machine-transplanted early rice plants may be ideal for increasing cold stress resistance and yield.

Youth involvement in rice production: A panacea for youth restiveness in Anambra State, Nigeria

There is a great concern about youth restiveness due to growing unemployment in Nigeria, whereas agriculture is a huge business space with the potential for youth involvement and employment. The study sought to ascertain the level of youths' involvement in rice production in Anambra State, Nigeria. Eighty youths were purposively selected because of the preponderance of rice production in the area. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule and were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and multiple linear regression. The study revealed that youths were into the planting of rice seedlings, buying and selling of seedlings, harvesting, and fertilizer application. Sex and level of education significantly influenced youths' involvement in rice production. The youths were constrained majorly by the high cost of inputs, and lack of funds to expand production. Adequate and comprehensive training on rice production and enforcement of practical agriculture curricula in schools were identified as possible strategies for improving youths' involvement in rice production. The study concluded that youth were into rice production though influenced by their level of education and sex. The government should make rice production attractive to the youth by eliminating the constraining factors associated with it.

Can Rice Farming through the National Strategy Food Estate Increase Regional Production?

Food estate is a large-scale food development program that is carried out in an integrated manner. This includes agriculture, plantations and livestock within an area. This research aims to (1) analyze the production factors of lowland rice farming as an effort to increase rice production in the national food estate strategy program in Central Kalimantan; (2) analyze the technical efficiency of lowland rice farming in an effort to increase rice production in the national food estate strategy program in Central Kalimantan. This research was carried out at the Siam Village Food Estate (COE). The sampling method used a random sampling method with a total sample of 89 people. The analysis method uses Cobb-Douglas production function analysis and Frontier Stochastic technical efficiency analysis. Research results: (1) land (X1), seeds (X2), lime (X3), and fertilizer (X4) have a significant effect (α<0.05) on lowland rice production results in the Balanti Siam village food estate, while pesticides (X5), labor (X6), machinery (X7), planting system dummy (D1), and planting pattern dummy (D2) do not have a significant effect on lowland rice production results on food aesthetic land in Balanti Siam village; (2) Farmers in Balanti Siam village are classified as technically efficient with an average technical efficiency of 96.5% (cut-off > 0.70), while individually there are 88 farmers who are classified as technically efficient. The production factors used in rice farming play an important role in production results. By using production factors efficiently, this can increase maximum rice production yields.

Variability of soil chemical properties and rice productivity in salt-affected soil in the north coastal rice field of Central Java, Indonesia

A coastal rice field is generally characterized by salt-affected soil and low soil quality for rice cultivation. Identifying soil chemical properties in these areas is necessary to determine soil management options for rice production. Therefore, soil samples were collected from 33 sampling points in the Wedung Sub-district of Demak Regency in the late dry season of 2021 to evaluate the variation among soil chemical characteristics in a coastline rice field. Soil samples were obtained beneath the topsoil (0-20 cm soil depth) and observed for electrical conductivity, exchangeable potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and cation exchange capacity. Soils in the research field were categorized as slightly salty (0.75-2 dS m-1) to lightly salty (2.0-4.0 dS m-1) with very high sodium (>2 cmol(+) kg-1). Exchangeable potassium was dominated by moderate (0.3-0.7 cmol(+) kg-1) and low categories (0.2-0.3 cmol(+) kg-1). Based on soil calcium-to-magnesium ratios, around 6% of all samples were classified as calcium-deficient. The range of soil cation exchange capacity was 22-30 cmol(+) kg-1 and classified as high soil cation exchange capacity. Rice productivity in the salt-affected soil was around 4 t ha-1. Strategies for soil and controlling plants, such as soil amelioration and salt-tolerant rice cultivars, should be pursued to support plant growth and enhance rice productivity in the salt-affected soil, particularly in the coastal area.