The response of roots and the rhizosphere environment to integrative cultivation practices in paddy rice

Integrative cultivation practices(ICPs)are essential for enhancing cereal yield and resource use efficiency.However,the effects of ICP on the rhizosphere environment and roots of paddy rice are still poorly understood.In this study,four rice varieties were produced in the field.Each variety was treated with six different cultivation techniques,including zero nitrogen application(0 N),local farmers’practice(LFP),nitrogen reduction(NR),and three progressive ICP techniques comprised of enhanced fertilizer N practice and increased plant density(ICP1),a treatment similar to ICP1 but with alternate wetting and moderate drying instead of continuous flooding(ICP2),and the same practices as ICP2 with the application of organic fertilizer(ICP3).The ICPs had greater grain production and nitrogen use efficiency than the other three methods.Root length,dry weight,root diameter,activity of root oxidation,root bleeding rate,zeatin and zeatin riboside compositions,and total organic acids in root exudates were elevated with the introduction of the successive cultivation practices.ICPs enhanced nitrate nitrogen,the activities of urease and invertase,and the diversity of microbes(bacteria)in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil,while reducing the ammonium nitrogen content.The nutrient contents(ammonium nitrogen,total nitrogen,total potassium,total phosphorus,nitrate,and available phosphorus)and urease activity in rhizosphere soil were reduced in all treatments in comparison with the non-rhizosphere soil,but the invertase activity and bacterial diversity were greater.The main root morphology and physiology,and the ammonium nitrogen contents in rhizosphere soil at the primary stages were closely correlated with grain yield and internal nitrogen use efficiency.These findings suggest that the coordinated enhancement of the root system and the environment of the rhizosphere under integrative cultivation approaches may lead to higher rice production.

Rice Cultivation under Film Mulching Can Improve Soil Environment and Be Beneficial for Rice Production in China

Rice cultivation under film mulching is an integrated management technology that can conserve water, increase soil temperature, improve yield, and enhance water and nitrogen use efficiencies. Despite these advantages, the system does have its drawbacks, such as soil organic matter reduction and microplastic pollution, which impede the widespread adoption of film mulching cultivation in China. Nonetheless, the advent of degradable film, controlled-release fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and film mulching machinery is promoting the development of rice film mulching cultivation. This review outlines the impact of rice cultivation under film mulching on soil moisture, soil temperature, soil fertility, greenhouse gas emissions, weed control, and disease and pest management. It also elucidates the mechanism of changes in rice growth, yield and quality, water use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency. This paper incorporates a review of published research articles and discusses some uncertainties and shortcomings associated with rice cultivation under film mulching. Consequently, prospective research directions for the technology of rice film mulching cultivation are outlined, and recommendations for future research into rice cultivation under film mulching are proposed.

Effects of Six Cultivation Patterns on Occurrence of Major Diseases and Pests and Yield of Rice

The occurrence rules of major diseases and pests in rice were investigated under six cultivation patterns, i.e., mechanical plowing-artificial transplanting, mechanical plowing-mechanical transplanting, mechanical plowing-scattered transplanting,cattle plowing-artificial transplanting, cattle plowing-mechanical transplanting and cattle plowing-scattered transplanting. The results showed that the six cultivation patterns showed small effects on the occurrence of rice sheath blight, second-generation rice planthopper, rice stem borer and rice false smut, but showed great effects on the occurrence of rice leaf folder, third-and fourth-generation rice planthopper and weeds; there were certain differences in the rice yield among different cultivation patterns, and the rice yield under the pattern of mechanical plowing-mechanical transplanting ranked first, while that under the pattern of cattle plowing-scattered transplanting ranked last.

Effects of Cultivation Methods on Yield Formation and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Zhuliangyou 4024 and H You 159 as Doublecropping Rice

To explore the high-yield cultivation methods of Zhuliangyou 4024 and H You 159 when planted as double-cropping rice, the effects of two cultivation meth- ods, i.e., seedling broadcasting and transplanting, were studied on SPAD value, photosynthetic rate, grain yield and yield components. The results showed that the seedling broadcasting cultivation was conducive to Zhuliangyou 4024 and H You 159 to obtain higher yield. The higher chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate and their slower decrease of flag leaf after full heading of the seedling broadcasting cultivation were thought to be the physiological basis of high yield.

Cultivation Technology Regulation of Organic Rice in Yellow Rive Irrigated Area of Ningxia

With the improvement of people＇s standard of living, the demand for or- ganic rice is increasing and its production has also attracted more and more atten- tion of people. Studies have shown that the organic products contain more iron, magnesium, calcium and other trace elements and vitamins C, and lower contents of heavy metals and carcinogenic nitrates. In recent years, organic rice wins the fa- vor of consumers due to its pure natural and pollution-free advantages. Based on the planting area selection, organic rice variety screening, fertilization, control of dis- eases and insect pests and harvesting, this article specifically discussed the cultiva- tion techniques of organic rice and developed the cultivation technology regulation of organic rice in Yellow Rive irrigated area of Ningxia, in order to lay the foundation for speeding up the development of organic rice industry and establishing highly standardized and normalized organic rice production base, thereby promoting the standardization of organic rice production.

The Historical Status of Guizhou Province on Glutinous Rice Cultivation Sphere of China

Guizhou Province is part of the glutinous rice cultivation sphere in our country.Its rice production and germplasm resources play an important role.The southeast region is the centre of the Guizhou glutinous rice cultivation and characterized by waxy wo,which is treasure of the original farming culture of southeast Guizhou region and an important symbol for ethnic cultural identity of the region.

Analysis on Input-Output in Rice Cultivation Based on Cobb-Douglas Production Function

[Objective] To analyze the input and output in rice cultivation based on CD function. [Method] Based on the input factors, Cobb-Douglas production （CD） function was used to do the quantitative analysis on the input-output in rice production with rice growers as the objective. [Result] Considering the substitution effect of labor in- put and capital input, under the same technical conditions, the effect of increasing labor input on the rice production in per 667 m2 was negative, based on which 2 pieces of policy suggestions were put forward to promote the transfer of surplus la- bor force of rice growers and ensure the capital supply for rice production. [Conclusion] This study laid the foundation for the realization of reasonable allocation of rice production resources.

Simplified High-yielding Cultivation Technology of Rice

[Objective] The aim was to select simplified high-yielding cultivation technology of rice. [Method] The research explored three methods of farmland prepara- tion, transplanting, and fertilization including shallow rotary tillage and deep ploughing, mechanical transplanting and hand transplanting, controlled-release fertilizer and quantitative fertilization in order to investigate effects of different treatment groups on rice characteristics, economic characteristics, as well as labor saving, yield increasing and profit improving. [Result] Rice increased by 596.4-809.55 kg/hm2, labor saving reached 120-135 per hm2, and profit improved in the range from 5 521.39 to 8 727.48 yuan/hm2 in the treatment groups by combinations of shallow rotary tillage, mechanical transplanting, and controlled-release fertilizer, of shallow rotary tillage, mechanical transplanting, and quantitative fertilization, and of deep ploughing, mechanical transplanting, and controlled release fertilizer. [Conclusion] The three models are of promising prospects in production.

Effects of Water Stress on Economic Characters of Water-saving Rice Variety Luhan No.1

[Objective] This study aimed at exploring the utilization rate of water of the new water-saving rice variety ＂Luhan No.1＂ and providing references and basis for the further demonstration and extension.[Method] Water-saving rice variety ＂Luhan No.1＂ and original receptor ＂6527＂ were used for dry processing without aquifer,and rice under regular irrigation conditions was used as the control.[Result] Under conditions which had economized on 67.4% of water compared with the regular irrigation,decreasing rates of 1 000-seed weight,seed setting rate,plant height and effective panicles of ＂Luhan No.1＂ were relatively small and had not achieved a significant level,while the decreasing rates of production of the region,total grains per panicle,theoretical production and filled grains per panicle of the original receptor ＂6527＂ were all over 25% and had attained very significant levels（P0.01）.[Conclusion] ＂Luhan No.1＂ had shown stable production,energy conservation,reducing environmental pollution and other advantages under water-conservating cultivation conditions.

Performance and Cultivation Techniques of a Promising Super Hybrid Rice Combination Chaoyou 1000 in High-latitude Area

The performance and cultivation techniques of Chaoyou 1000 in Junan County, Shandong Province were summed up.

Advance of Rice Drought Resistance,Water Saving Cultivation and Genetic Breeding

The water shortage faced with rice production in China was comprehensively analyzed,and the seasonal as well as spatial and temporal differences were the factors limiting rice production,which would be a severe test for grain production safety.Therefore,solving strategies had been proposed from the following aspects：the improvement of irrigation practices was of significant effect on improving the high efficient utilization of water;the screening of drought resistance cultivars and upland rice cultivation could also greatly improve the ability of drought resistance;the combination of traditional breeding techniques with modern transgenic technology as well as the QTL analysis had made considerable progress on improving the soil moisture productive potential of rice from the perspective of genetics.The development of China＇s rice industry would face greater water scarcity in the future,but the conventional water-saving technologies could only reduce water consume to a certain extent,while the exploration and improvement of the water saving potential of wetland rice to give full play to the biological water-saving function would become the goal of agricultural development in China.

Optimizing integrative cultivation management improves grain quality while increasing yield and nitrogen use efficiency in rice

A major challenge in rice(Oryza sativa L.)production is to cope with increasing grain yield and fertilizer use efficiency without compromising grain quality.This study was designed to determine if optimizing integrative cultivation management in rice could improve grain quality while increase yield and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).An indica-japonica hybrid rice cultivar and a japonica rice cultivar were grown in the field,with five cultivation managements including no N application(0 N),local farmer's practice(LFP),and three optimizi ng in teg rati ve cultivati on managements,reducing N rate and increasi ng plant density(ND),ND+alternate wetting and moderate soil drying irrigation(NDW),and NDW+applying rapeseed cake fertilizer(NDWR).The results showed that the optimizi ng integrative cultivati on man ageme nts could not only in crease grain yield,but also enhance NUE compared to LFP.Compared to LFP,NDWR sign ifica ntly in creased brow n,milled,head milled rice rate,ratio of the kern el le ngth to breadth and breakdown value of starch,whereas decreased amylose content,gel consiste ncy,prolamin con tent,setback value,perce ntage of chalky kern els,and chalki ness.The three optimizing in tegrative cultivation managements increased con tents of total protei ns,albumin and glutelin,activities of the key enzymes involved in the sucrose-starch con version in grains,root oxidati on activity,and malic and succinic acid concentrations in root exudates during the grain-filling period.The results suggested that optimizing integrative cultivation managements could improve grain quality meanwhile increase grain yield and NUE by enhancing physiological activities of rice plants.

Rice cultivation changes and its relationships with geographical factors in Heilongjiang Province,China

Rice planting patterns have changed dramatically over the past several decades in northeast China （NEC） due to the combined influence of global change and agricultural policy. Except for its great implications for environmental protection and climate change adaption, the spatio-temporal changes of rice cultivation in NEC are not clear. In this study, we conducted spatio-temporal analyses of NEC＇s major rice production region, Heilongjiang Province, by using satellite-derived rice cultivation maps. We found that the total cultivated area of rice in Heilongjiang Province increased largely from 1993 to 2011 and it expanded spatially to the northern and eastern part of the Sanjiang Plain. The results also showed that rice cultivation areas experienced a larger increase in the region managed by the Reclamation Management Bureau （RMB） than that managed by the local provincial government. Rice cultivation changes were closely related with those geographic factors over the investigated periods, represented by the geomorphic （slope）, climatic （accumulated temperature）, and hydrological （watershed） variables. These findings provide clear evidence that crop cultivation in NEC has been modified to better cope with the global change.

Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Three Paddy Rice Based Cultivation Systems in Southwest China

To understand methane （CH4） and nitrous oxide （N2O） emissions from permanently flooded rice paddy fields and to develop mitigation options, a field experiment was conducted in situ for two years （from late 2002 to early 2005） in three rice-based cultivation systems, which are a permanently flooded rice field cultivated with a single time and followed by a non-rice season （PF）, a rice-wheat rotation system （RW） and a rice-rapeseed rotation system （RR） in a hilly area in Southwest China. The results showed that the total CH4 emissions from PF were 646.3±52.1 and 215.0±45.4 kg CH4 hm^-2 during the rice-growing period and non-rice period, respectively. Both values were much lower than many previous reports from similar regions in Southwest China. The CH4 emissions in the rice-growing season were more intensive in PF, as compared to RW and RR. Only 33% of the total annual CH4 emission in PF occurred in the non-rice season, though the duration of this season is two times longer than the rice season. The annual mean N2O flux in PF was 4.5±0.6 kg N2O hm^-2 yr^-1. The N2O emission in the rice-growing season was also more intensive than in the non-rice season, with only 16% of the total annual emission occurring in the non-rice season. The amounts of N2O emission in PF were ignorable compared to the CH4 emission in terms of the global warming potential （GWP）. Changing PF to RW or RR not only eliminated CH4 emissions in the non-rice season, but also substantially reduced the CH4 emission during the following rice-growing period （ca. 58%, P〈0.05）. However, this change in cultivation system substantially increased N2O emissions, especially in the non-rice season, by a factor of 3.7 to 4.5. On the 100-year horizon, the integrated GWP of total annual CH4 and N2O emissions satisfies PF〉〉RR≈RW. The GWP of PF is higher than that of RW and RR by a factor of 2.6 and 2.7, respectively. Of the total GWP of CH4 and N2O emissions, CH4 emission contributed to 93%, 65% and 59% in PF, RW and RR, respectively. These results suggest that changing PF to RW and RR can substantially reduce not only CH4 emission but also the total GWP of the CH4 and N2O emissions.

Growth Characteristics and Yield of Late-Season Rice under No-tillage and Non-flooded Cultivation with Straw Mulching

A long-term field experiment （started at 2003） was conducted to determine the effects of different dce cultivation methods on growth characteristics and grain yield of late-season rice under double-rice cropping system in seasonal drought region of southeast China （Yujiang County, Jiangxi Province）. The rice cultivation methods included no-tillage and flooded rice cultivation （N-F）, no-tillage and non-flooded rice cultivation with straw mulching （N-SM）, and no-tillage and non-flooded rice cultivation without straw mulching （N-ZM）. There was no significant difference in rice grain yield between the N-SM and N-F treatments. However, the rice grain yields in the N-SM and N-F treatments were significantly higher than that in the N-ZM treatment. The late-season rice plants in the N-SM treatment had significantly higher numbers of effective panicles and total grains per hill compared with those in the N-ZM treatment. The above-ground dry matter of late-season rice was similar between the N-SM and N-F treatments. Compared with the N-F treatment, the N-ZM and N-SM treatments significantly decreased the leaf area at the heading stage. Moreover, the N-SM treatment could significantly increase total root length and root tip number at the grain-filling stage compared with the N-ZM treatment.

Effects of Non-flooded Cultivation with Straw Mulching on Rice Agronomic Traits and Water Use Efficiency

A field experiment was conducted to study water use efficiency and agronomic traits in rice cultivated in flooded soil and non-flooded soils with and without straw mulching. The total amount of water used by rice under flooded cultivation （FC） was 2.42 and 3.31 times as much as that by rice under the non-flooded cultivation with and without straw mulching, respectively. The average water seepage was 13 560 m^3/ha under the flooded cultivation, 4 750 m^3/ha under the non-flooded cultivation without straw mulching （ZM） and 4 680 m^3/ha under non-flooded cultivation with straw mulching （SM）. The evapotranspiration in the SM treatment was only 38.2% and 63.6% of the FC treatment and ZM treatment, respectively. Compared with the ZM treatment, straw mulching significantly increased leaf area per plant, main root length, gross root length and root dry weight per plant of rice. The highest grain yield under the SM treatment （6 747 kg/ha） was close to the rice cultivated in flooded soil （6 811.5 kg / ha）. However, the yield under the ZM treatment （4 716 kg/ha） was much lower than that under the FS treatment and SM treatment. The order of water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency were both as follows： SM〉 ZM〉 FC.

Effects of Land Management Practices on Labile Organic Carbon Fractions in Rice Cultivation

A research trial with four land management practices, i.e., traditional tillage-fallow (TTF), traditional tillage-wheat (TTW), conservation tillage-fallow (CTF) and conservation tillage-wheat (CTW), was sampled in the 15th year after its establishment to assess the effects of different management practices on labile organic carbon fractions (LOCFs), such as easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in a typical paddy soil, Chongqing, Southwest China. The results indicated that LOCFs were significantly influenced by the combination of no-tillage, ridge culture and crop rotation. And, different combination patterns showed different effectiveness on soil LOCFs. The effects of no-tillage, ridge culture and wheat cultivation on EOC, DOC, POC and MBC mainly happened at 0-10cm. At this depth, soil under CTW had higher EOC, DOC, POC and MBC contents, compared to TTF, TTW and CTF, respectively. Moreover, the contents of LOCFs for different practices generally decreased when the soil depth increased. Our findings suggest that the paddy soil in Southwest China could be managed to concentrate greater quantities of EOC, DOC, POC and MBC.

The Origin of Flooded Rice Cultivation

Rice cultivation has long been considered to have originated from seeding of annual types of wild rice somewhere in subtropics, tropics or in the Yangtze River basin. That idea, however, contains a fatally weak point, when we consider the tremendous difficulty for primitive human to seed any cereal crop in the warm and humid climate, where weed thrives all year round, instead of the accepted theory, we have to see a reality that vegetative propagation of edible plants is a dominant form of agriculture in such regions. The possibility is discussed that Job＇s tears and rice, two cereal crops unique to the region, might have been developed via vegetative propagation to obtain materials for medicine or herb tea in backyard gardens prior to cereal production. This idea is supported by the fact that rice in temperate regions is still perennial in its growth habit and that such backyard gardens with transplanted taro can still be seen from Yunnan Province of China to Laos. Thanks to detailed survey of wild rice throughout China for 1970-1980, it is now confirmed that a set of clones of wild rice exist in shallow swamps in Jiangxi Province, an area with severe winter cold. In early summer ancient farmers may have divided the sprouting buds and spread them by transplanting into flooded shallow marsh. Such way of propagation might have faster improved less productive rice through a better genetic potential for response to human interference than quick fixation in seed propagation, because vegetative parts are heterogeneous. Obviously, such a primitive manner of rice cultivation did include the essential parts of rice farming, i.e., nursery bed, transplanting in flooded field of shallow marsh like. Transfer from the primitive nursery to true nursery by seed may have later allowed rice cultivation to be extended to northern regions. In thus devised flooded cultivation there were a series of unique advantages, i.e.; continuous cropping of rice in a same plot, no soil erosion, slow decline of soil fertility, availability of minerals, and resulting in high yield per unit area, which have collectively attained the highly productive cereal cultivation in the warm and humid region. Rice cultivation in marsh is also favorable to raise fish culture, both of which constituted a nutritionally balanced base. Development of irrigation technology to construct flooded farms gave strong bases for stable rice-cultivating society, which in the end formulated the rise of ancient kingdoms of Yue and Wu in China in BC 6th -5th centuries. They were direct descendents of those people who had developed the unique rice cultivation from the era of Hemudu culture, which is dated back to 5 000 BC. Their movement to the south is considered to have established rice-cultivating communities in South China and Southeast Asia, while to the north it transferred the rice-based technology to ancient Korea and Japan and had established there a base for a civilized society.

Development Prospect and Strategies of Water-saving and Drought-resistance Rice

Water-saving and drought-resistance upland rice has become a preferable choice for cotton farmlands ready for changing crops or paddy fields with water in short,because simplified and mechanical cultivation can be applied for the rice varieties of drought resistance and high yield.At present,it has been applied with an area of 400 000 hm2 in Hunan Province and the area continues growing.The research bred and introduced the relevant cultivation technology standard applicable to local water-saving and drought-resistance rice varieties in order to improve farmer＇s benefits.

Effects of Phosphorus on Grain Quality of Upland and Paddy Rice under Different Cultivation

We investigated how upland and paddy japonica rice responded to phosphorous （P） fertilizer under two cultivation methods. The upland rice Zhonghan 3 and the paddy rice Yangfujing 8 were both grown under moist cultivation （MC, control） and bare dry cultivation （DC） with three P levels, low （LP, 45 kg/hm2）, normal （NP, 90 kg/hm2） and high （HI：）, 135 kg/hm2）. As P level increased, grain yields of both upland and paddy rice increased under DC. There were no significant differences in grain yields between HP and NP for either rice, although upland rice slightly increased and paddy rice slightly decreased in grain yield. Under DC at LP, Zhonghan 3 showed a higher head milled rice rate and better appearance, cooking and eating qualities than at HP or NP. Yangfujing 8 was similar to Zhonghan 3 except that Yangfujing 8 had better appearance quality at NP. Under MC, Zhonghan 3 had a higher head milled rice rate at LP and better cooking and eating qualities at NP. Yangfujing 8 was similar to Zhonghan 3 except in appearance quality. DC improved head milled rice rate and appearance quality of both upland and paddy rice, and cooking and nutrient qualities of paddy rice. Compared with paddy rice, upland rice had better processing, nutrient and eating qualities. The results suggest that upland and paddy rice respond differently to cultivation method and phosphorus level.