Mulching Improves Water Productivity, Yield and Quality of Fine Rice under Water‐saving Rice Production Systems

Abstract

Water-saving rice production systems are inevitable in the wake of severe water shortage in rice-growing regions of the world. Mulches can improve water productivity, yield and quality of rice through increase in water retention. Studies were conducted for two consecutive years to assess the potential role of mulches (plastic and straw) in improving the performance of water-saving rice production systems in comparison with no mulch used and conventionally irrigated transplanted rice. Water-saving rice production systems in this study comprise aerobic rice and transplanted rice with intermittent irrigation. These systems saved water (18-27 %) with improved water productivity more than the conventional system. However, these systems caused a yield penalty of 22-37 %; nevertheless, these yield losses were compensated with the application of mulches under water-saving rice production systems. Both plastic and straw mulches were helpful in improving moisture retention and water productivity (0.18-0.25 kg grain m À3 water) relative to non-mulch treatments (0.19-0.29 kg grain m À3 water). Mulch application was also helpful in reducing the number of non-productive tillers and sterile spikelets, and improving the productive tillers, kernel number and size, and kernel quality. Plastic mulch was more effective than straw mulch in improving water retention, water productivity and reducing spikelet sterility. In conclusion, the mulching improved the soil moisture retention, and thus enhanced the rice water productivity, spikelet fertility, paddy yield and quality of rice. This signifies the importance of mulching in water-saving rice production systems.

Mulching Improves Crop Growth, Grain Length, Head Rice and Milling Recovery of Basmati Rice Grown in Water-saving Production Systems

“…Plastic mulch was more effective than straw mulch for increasing the crop growth as well as grain quality (Jabran et al, 2015). The results of recent studies indicate lower soil evaporation and higher soil moisture retention with plastic mulch than straw mulch (Jabran et al, 2015;Zribi et al, 2015).…”

“…Nevertheless, the quick moisture loss from the rice fields sown by AR and AWD methods can be avoided applying mulches . Mulch application has important significance in agricultural systems (Zhou et al, 2009;Jordán et al, 2014;Jabran et al, 2015). Although enhanced moisture retention resulting from reduced evaporative losses has been reported as the salient advantage of mulch application , however, the role of mulch application in improving the fine grain rice growth and grain quality was desired to be explored and exploited.…”

“…Mulch application not only results in reduced evaporative losses but also has enhanced leaf growth, root growth and root biomass production (Zhang et al, 2011). Plastic mulch was more effective than straw mulch for increasing the crop growth as well as grain quality (Jabran et al, 2015). The results of recent studies indicate lower soil evaporation and higher soil moisture retention with plastic mulch than straw mulch (Jabran et al, 2015;Zribi et al, 2015).…”

“…Time and amount of water supply for crop was decided by the monitoring of soil moisture contents using gravimetric method. AWD plots were irrigated when soil moisture contents dropped to ~80% of field capacity, while AR plots were irrigated when soil moisture contents reached to ~50% of field capacity (Awan et al, 2014;Jabran et al, 2015). AWD and AR plots were separated with help of strong bunds and plastic sheet to avoid the water seepage.…”

“…For example, a study from China indicated that plastic and straw mulch application in rice crop helped to increase the soil organic carbon, nitrogen contents and soil aggregation (Fan et al, 2012). In another study, rice fields applied with plastic and straw mulch were found to have lower spikelet sterility, higher productive tillers and grain yield than the rice fields without mulch application (Jabran et al, 2015). Recently, Zribi et al (2015) reported that plastic film, vine residue and pine bark were helpful in reducing evaporative moisture losses from soil surface.…”