Nitrogen Use and Crop Performance of Rice under Aerobic Conditions in a Semiarid Subtropical Environment

Aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) is gaining in popularity across South Asia, mainly because it saves water and labor. Under warm (sub) tropical conditions of this region, this unconventional system aimed at improved resource use efficiency is still in the development phase. We tested crop performance...

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Published inAgronomy journal Vol. 106; no. 1; pp. 199 - 211
Main Authors Awan, Masood Iqbal, Bastiaans, Lammert, Oort, Pepijn, Ahmad, Rashid, Ashraf, Muhammad Yasin, Meinke, Holger
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Madison The American Society of Agronomy, Inc 01.01.2014
American Society of Agronomy
Subjects
Aerobic conditions
Cereal crops
dry-seeded rice
grain-yield
lowland rice
n-fertilizer
oryza-sativa l
oxide emissions
productivity
Semiarid environments
soil
upland rice
water-saving irrigation
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Summary:Aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) is gaining in popularity across South Asia, mainly because it saves water and labor. Under warm (sub) tropical conditions of this region, this unconventional system aimed at improved resource use efficiency is still in the development phase. We tested crop performance and N uptake of three local genotypes in relation to different water and N supply rates under aerobic conditions at the research station of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. In field experiments during 2009 to 2010, covering two rice seasons, three irrigation levels (high, moderate, and low), three N rates (0, 170, and 220 kg N ha–1), and three genotypes (KSK133, IR6, and RSP1), crop performance and total N uptake (TNU) were strongly influenced by irrigation and differed among genotypes. At the highest level of irrigation, genotype KSK133 performed better than RSP1 and IR6, resulting in an accumulated aboveground biomass of 13 Mg ha–1 and a grain yield of 5 Mg ha–1. The TNU ranged from 34 to 126 kg ha–1 in 2009 and from 52 to 123 kg ha–1 in 2010. For all genotypes, we observed a strong positive correlation between TNU and grain yield. Surprisingly, the N application rate did not influence TNU, but the high irrigation regime increased TNU. The limited response to N application suggests significant losses of the applied N. This highlights the need for careful N management in aerobic rice systems; N application should match periods of sufficient soil moisture availability and the greatest crop N demand.
Bibliography:All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISSN:0002-1962
1435-0645
DOI:10.2134/agronj2013.0262