Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency With System of Rice Intensification and Conventional Management Practices in Mkindo Irrigation Scheme, Tanzania

Abstract

AimThis study investigated the impacts of system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional management practice (CP) on rice growth, grain yield, and nitrogen use efficiency by nitrogen application.MethodsField experiments were conducted in wet and dry seasons; each season, the experiment was set in a split-plot randomized complete block design in triplicate with crop management practices in main plots and nitrogen levels in subplots.ResultsThe average grain yield by SRI was 7.1 and 6.7 t ha−1, while by CP it was 6.1 and 4.4 t ha−1in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. The grain yield of the SRI practice was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that of the conventional practice (CP) at all levels of nitrogen application. The average yield under the treatment interaction of SRI and nitrogen levels were increased by 13.1% in the wet season and 35.8 % in the dry season. Roots of SRI plants had significantly (p < 0.05) greater fresh weight, length, and volume as indicated by increased root dry weight per hill. SRI improved crop growth, effective tillers, filled grains per panicle, grain filling rate, panicle weight, spikelet per panicle, straw yield, and 1,000-grain weight. Nitrogen application rate had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE). As the N application rate was increased beyond 90 kg N ha−1, the ANUE and partial factor productivity (PFP) under both SRI and CP were significantly decreased in both seasons.ConclusionOverall, the SRI production system with 60 kg N ha−1 improved rice growth, yield, and nitrogen use efficiency compared to the CP.

Critical Yield Components for Achieving High Grain Yield in Ratoon Rice

“…High temperature reduces the rate of dry matter transport to the panicle, decreasing the accumulation of dry matter in the panicle and thus lowering the grain lling rate 28 . Alternate wetting and drying irrigation can signi cantly increase the grain lling rate and shorten the grain lling period 29 . This is particularly important for improving the grain weight and uniformity of grain lling in ratoon rice.…”

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Growth and Yield Responses to Yara Fertilizer Formulations in Rain-fed Lowland Condition

“…From this study, at the internode elongation (green ring) through the start of head establishment, nitrogen was made available in a timely and appropriate quantity to promote the maximum number of grains. The effect of main nutrients, particularly N, on this yield attribute may be attributed mostly to assimilate build-up, which increased N supply of photosynthates to grains [38][39][40]. In the same way, the sufficient N dose may have positively influenced some critical physiological processes, resulting in a considerable increase in spikelet number per panicle.…”

Promising physiological traits associated with nitrogen use efficiency in rice under reduced N application

“…AE significantly increased with increasing N levels up to 165 kg N ha −1 and decreased with further uplift in N application in some recently released Egyptian rice varieties (Ghoneim and Osman, 2018). AE decreased at N120 and N150 (Mboyerwa et al, 2022). Similarly, ANRE increased at first, reached the maximum under optimum N application, and thereafter declined significantly under higher N levels (Ye et al, 2007) and at N160 (Katuwal et al, 2021).…”