Can soil remediation agents synergistically mitigate rice Cd content and CH_(4)emission from karst paddies?

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)paddies are increasingly threatened by cadmium(Cd)pollution,and potentially serve as CH_(4)emitters to the atmosphere.Remediation agents widely mitigate Cd pollution in paddy soil,however,we know little about their regulations on CH_(4)emission.Here,via adding biochar(B),sulfhydryl-modified palygorskite(SMP),and selenium foliar fertilizer(SFF),we conducted a pot experiment to investigate soil and rice Cd contents together with in-situ CH_(4)f luxes.Compared to CK,the addition of SMP,SFF,and B-SMP reduced Cd in brown rice by 25%to 50%,25%,and 50%to 75%,respectively.Agents 7%B,7%B-0.01%SMP,and SFF reduced CH_(4)emissions by 8.46%,5.30%,and 4.11%,respectively.CH_(4)emission increased gradually along the growing season,with the cumulative CH_(4)fluxes ranging between 338.82 and 619.13 kg hm^(-2).Our results highlight that mixed 7%B-0.01%SMP and SFF showed collaborative eff ects on Cd remediation and CH_(4)emission.This study reveals the feasibility of reducing Cd pollution and CH_(4)emission in karst rice paddies,which hopes to supplement the knowledge of collaborative controls on soil remediation and carbon emission.

The effects of co-utilizing green manure and rice straw on soil aggregates and soil carbon stability in a paddy soil in southern China

The co-utilization of green manure (GM) and rice straw (RS) in paddy fields has been widely applied as an effective practice in southern China.However,its effects on soil aggregate and soil organic carbon (SOC) stability remain unclear.In the present study,the effect of GM,RS,and co-utilization of GM and RS on particle size distribution of soil aggregates and SOC density fractions were measured in a field experiment.The experiment included six treatments,i.e.,winter fallow (WF) without RS return (Ctrl),WF with 50%RS return (1/2RS),WF with 100%RS return (RS),GM without RS return (GM),GM with 50%RS return (GM1/2RS) and GM with 100%RS return (GMRS).The results showed that the proportion of small macro-aggregates (0.25–2 mm) and the mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates in the GMRS treatment was greater (by 18.9 and 3.41%,respectively) than in the RS treatment,while the proportion of silt+clay particles (<0.053 mm) was lower (by 14.4%).The concentration of SOC in microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm)and silt+clay particles was higher in the GMRS treatment than in GM and RS treatments individually.The concentration and proportion of free light organic carbon (fLOC) in aggregates of various particle sizes and bulk soil was greater in the GMRS treatment than the RS treatment,whereas the concentration and proportion of mineral-associated organic carbon in small macroaggregates,microaggregates,and bulk was lower in the GMRS treatment than in the RS treatment.The proportion of intra-aggregate particulate organic carbon (iPOC) was greater in the GMRS treatment than in GM treatment.The GMRS treatment had strong positive effects on iPOC in small macroaggregates,suggesting that SOC was transferred from fLOC to iPOC.In conclusion,co-utilizing green manure and rice straw cultivated the SOC pool by increasing the concentration of fLOC and improved soil carbon stability by promoting the sequestration of organic carbon in iPOC as a form of physical protection.

Mapping upland crop–rice cropping systems for targeted sustainable intensification in South China

Upland crop-rice cropping systems(UCR)facilitate sustainable agricultural intensification.Accurate UCR cultivation mapping is needed to ensure food security,sustainable water management,and rural revitalization.However,datasets describing cropping systems are limited in spatial coverage and crop types.Mapping UCR is more challenging than crop identification and most existing approaches rely heavily on accurate phenology calendars and representative training samples,which limits its applications over large regions.We describe a novel algorithm(RRSS)for automatic mapping of upland crop-rice cropping systems using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument(MSI)data.One indicator,the VV backscatter range,was proposed to discriminate UCR and another two indicators were designed by coupling greenness and pigment indices to further discriminate tobacco or oilseed UCR.The RRSS algorithm was applied to South China characterized by complex smallholder rice cropping systems and diverse topographic conditions.This study developed 10-m UCR maps of a major rice bowl in South China,the Xiang-Gan-Min(XGM)region.The performance of the RRSS algorithm was validated based on 5197 ground-truth reference sites,with an overall accuracy of 91.92%.There were7348 km^(2) areas of UCR,roughly one-half of them located in plains.The UCR was represented mainly by oilseed-UCR and tobacco-UCR,which contributed respectively 69%and 15%of UCR area.UCR patterns accounted for only one-tenth of rice production,which can be tripled by intensification from single rice cropping.Application to complex and fragmented subtropical regions suggested the spatiotemporal robustness of the RRSS algorithm,which could be further applied to generate 10-m UCR datasets for application at national or global scales.

Mitigation of N_(2)O emissions in water-saving paddy fields:Evaluating organic fertilizer substitution and microbial mechanisms

Water-saving irrigation strategies can successfully alleviate methane emissions from rice fields,but significantly stimulate nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)emissions because of variations in soil oxygen level and redox potential.However,the relationship linking soil N_(2)O emissions to nitrogen functional genes during various fertilization treatments in water-saving paddy fields has rarely been investigated.Furthermore,the mitigation potential of organic fertilizer substitution on N_(2)O emissions and the microbial mechanism in rice fields must be further elucidated.Our study examined how soil N_(2)O emissions were affected by related functional microorganisms(ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA),ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB),nirS,nirK and nosZ)to various fertilization treatments in a rice field in southeast China over two years.In this study,three fertilization regimes were applied to rice cultivation:a no nitrogen(N)(Control),an inorganic N(Ni),and an inorganic N with partial N substitution with organic manure(N_(i)+N_(o)).Over two rice-growing seasons,cumulative N_(2)O emissions averaged 0.47,4.62 and 4.08 kg ha^(−1)for the Control,Ni and N_(i)+N_(o)treatments,respectively.In comparison to the Ni treatment,the N_(i)+N_(o)fertilization regime considerably reduced soil N_(2)O emissions by 11.6%while maintaining rice yield,with a lower N_(2)O emission factor(EF)from fertilizer N of 0.95%.Nitrogen fertilization considerably raised the AOB,nirS,nirK and nosZ gene abundances,in comparison to the Control treatment.Moreover,the substitution of organic manure for inorganic N fertilizer significantly decreased AOB and nirS gene abundances and increased nosZ gene abundance.The AOB responded to N fertilization more sensitively than the AOA.Total N_(2)O emissions significantly correlated positively with AOB and nirS gene abundances while having a negative correlation with nosZ gene abundance and the nosZ/nirS ratio across N-fertilized plots.In summary,we conclude that organic manure substitution for inorganic N fertilizer decreased soil N_(2)O emissions primarily by changing the soil NO_(3)^(−)-N,pH and DOC levels,thus inhibiting the activities of ammonia oxidation in nitrification and nitrite reduction in denitrification,and strengthening N_(2)O reduction in denitrification from water-saving rice paddies.

Response of Rice Cultivars to Elevated Air Temperature and Soil Amendments: Implications towards Climate Change Adaptations and Mitigating Global Warming Potentials

Global mean surface air temperature is expected to increase 1.1˚C - 6.4˚C by the end of 21st century which may affect rice productivity and methane emissions in the future climate. This experiment was conducted to investigate the response of rice cultivars to elevated air temperature (+1.5˚C higher than ambient) and soil amendments in regards to rice yield, yield scaled methane emissions and global warming potentials. The experimental findings revealed that replacement of inorganic fertilizers (20% - 40% of recommended NPKS) with Vermicompost, Azolla biofertilizer, enriched sugarcane pressmud, rice husk biochar and silicate fertilization increased rice yield 13.0% - 23.0%, and 11.0% - 19.0% during wet aman and dry boro season, respectively. However, seasonal cumulative CH4 fluxes were decreased by 9.0% - 25.0% and 5.0% - 19.0% during rainfed wet aman and irrigated dry boro rice cultivation, respectively with selected soil amendments. The maximum reduction in seasonal cumulative CH4 flux (19.0% - 25.0%) was recorded with silicate fertilization and azolla biofertilizer amendments (9.0% - 13.0%), whereas maximum grain yield increment 10.0 % - 14.0% was found with Vermicompost and Sugarcane pressmud amendments compared to chemical fertilization (100% NPKS) treated soils at ambient air temperature. However, rice grain yield decreased drastically 43.0% - 50.0% at elevated air temperature (3˚C higher than ambient air temperature), eventhough accelerated the total cumulative CH4 flux as well as GWPs in all treatments. Maximum seasonal mean GWPs were calculated at 391.0 kg CO2 eq·ha−1 in rice husk biochar followed by sugarcane pressmud (mean GWP 387.0 kg CO2 eq·ha−1), while least GWPs were calculated at 285 - 305 kg CO2 eq·ha−1 with silicate fertilizer and Azolla biofertilizer amendments. Rice cultivar BRRI dhan 87 revealed comparatively higher seasonal cumulative CH4 fluxes, yield scaled CH4 flux and GWPs than BRRI dhan 71 during wet aman rice growing season;while BRRI dhan 89 showed higher cumulative CH4 flux and GWPs than BINA dhan 10 during irrigated boro rice cultivation. Conclusively, inorganic fertilizers may be partially (20% - 40% of the recommended NPKS) replaced with Vermicompost, azolla biofertilizer, silicate fertilizer and enriched sugarcane pressmud compost for sustainable rice production and decreasing GWPs under elevated air temperature condition.

Monitoring and Early Warning of Paddy Rice Low Temperature Cold Damage in Ningxia with the Support of GIS and RS

The low temperature cold damage of paddy rice is the major agricultural meteorological disaster in Ningxia.The real-time monitoring and early warning of low temperature cold damage are very important to develop the advantages,avoid the disadvantages and reduce the disaster losses.Based on the prior researches on the low temperature cold damage indexes of paddy rice,we improved the small grid reckoning method of temperature and the reckoning precision with the support of GIS.By using the multitemporal remote sensing data,the paddy rice planting zone was picked.The calculation results of low temperature cold damage monitoring indexes were combined with the paddy rice planting zone,which judged the grade distribution and zone of low temperature cold damage in real time.Meanwhile,the low temperature cold damage of paddy rice was done the early warning,and the automatic monitoring early warning system was developed by using the weather forecast data.This method and system were applied to the business works,and the monitoring and early warning products of paddy rice low temperature cold damage business were made.The monitoring results basically corresponded with the actual situation,and the better monitoring service effect was gained.

Occurrences of Yttrium in Soil and Its Potential Impacts on Paddy Rice Triticum aestivum

[Objective] The effects of yttrium nitrate （YNO3） on biomass and antioxi- dant systems of paddy rice （Yttrium （Y）; Oxidative stress; Dismutases （SOD）; Per- oxidases （POD）, Catalases （CAT）, Paddy rice （Triticum aestivum）） together with the occurrences of Y in soils were investigated to assess its ecotoxicological effects on plant. [Method]Y solutions with various concentrations were sprinkled on soil sam- ples, which were well mixed and then put into culture dishes to culture paddy rice seeds for further evaluation. [Result] The results indicated that 25-100 mg/kg Y treatments significantly increased the biomass （total weight, root weight, shoot weight and leaf weight）, chlorophyll （CHL） content and protein content of paddy rice, whereas 200-800 mg/kg Y treatments had a converse effect. Similarly, biomarker for the antioxidant systems including superoxide dismutases （SOD）, peroxidases （POD） and catalases （CAT） all exhibited similar trends in both shoots and roots of paddy rice. At the same time, the malonaldehyde （MDA） content increased at from 25 to 100 mg/kg and decreased with concentrations of Y from 100 to 800 mg/kg in both shoots and roots of paddy rice. This indicated that Y could stimulate the growth of plant at low concentration, but inhibit the growth at relatively high concen- tration. [Conclusion] The levels of Y were 641＋49, 328_＋16 and 473_＋40 mg/kg in soils collected from mining area, farmland and navel orange orchard respectively. The levels of Y in the investigated area were higher than the benefit level （100 mg/kg）, which could cause low biomass as well as low activity of SOD, POD and CAT in paddy rice. Therefore, a more careful use of Y is necessary in crop management.

Effects of Ploughing Astragalus sinicus at Maturity Stage on Rice Yield and Soil Properties of Paddy Field

[Objective] The effects of ploughing Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage as green manure on paddy soil properties were studied to provide references for ad- vancing the green manure production and field sustainable development. [Methods] A three-year field positioning experiment was carried out. In the first year, five differ- ent levels （0, 2.81, 5.61, 8.42, 11.23 t/hm~） of Astragalus sinicus ploughed at matu- rity stage were designed. And in the next two years, the amounts of ploughed As- tragalus sinicus at maturity stage were based on the natural growth amounts of As- tragalus sinicus at maturity stage of the former year in each plot field. The yields of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage were estimated and ploughed directly before rice transplanting. Rice yield, soil nutrients, biological properties and water-stable aggre- gates of paddy fields were measured as well. [Results] The effective panicles and rice yields increased significantly after ploughing Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage. Meanwhile, the organic acid content in paddy field increased and the activities of soil phosphatases, invertase and catalase were higher. The soil dissolved organic carbon also increased with the increasing application of green manure. However, excess amount of green manure inhibited the soil microbial biomass carbon content. The macro aggregates and micro aggregates gathered to middle aggregates. [Conclusion] As green manure, the use of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage could improve soil physiochemical and biological properties, improve soil fertility and increase rice yield significantly. But the ploughing amount of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage before rice transplanting should be less than 8.42 t/hm2 （dry weight.

Comparison of Manual and Automatic Methods for Measurement of Methane Emission from Rice Paddy Fields

S The methane emission flux from rice paddies was simultaneously measured with automatic and manual methods in the suburban of Suzhou. Both methods were based on the static chamber/GC-FID techniques. Detail analysis of the experimental results indicates: a) The data of methane emission measured with the automatic method is reliable. b) About 11 or 19 o′clock of local time is recommended as the optimum sampling time for the manual spot measurement of methane emission from rice paddies. The methane emission fluxes measured by manual sampling at local time other than the optimum time have to be corrected. The correction coefficient may be determined by automatic and continuous measurement. c) In order to get a more accurate result, an empirical correction factor, such as 18%, is recommended to correct the seasonally total amount of measured methane emission by enlarging the automatically measured data or reducing the manually measured ones.

Effects of straw and biochar addition on soil nitrogen,carbon,and super rice yield in cold waterlogged paddy soils of North China

The additions of straw and biochar have been suggested to increase soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and crop produc- tivity of agricultural lands. To our knowledge, there is little information on the effects of straw and biochar addition on soil nitrogen form, carbon storage, and super rice yield in cold waterlogged paddy soils. We performed field trials with four treatments including conventional fertilization system （CK）, straw amendment 6 t ha^-1 （S）, biochar amendment 2 t ha^-1 （C1）, and biochar amendment 40 t ha^-1 （C2）. The super japonica rice variety, Shennong 265, was selected as the test Crop. The results showed that the straw and biochar amendments improved total nitrogen and organic carbon content of the soil, reduced N2O emissions, and had little influence on nitrogen retention, nitrogen density, and CO2 emissions. The S and C1 increased NH4^＋-N content, and C2 increased NO3^--N content. Both S and C1 had little influence on soil organic carbon density （SOCD） and C/N ratio. However, C2 greatly increased SOCD and C/N ratio. C1 and C2 significantly improved the soil carbon sequestration （SCS） by 62.9 and 214.0% （P〈0.05）, respectively, while S had no influence on SCS. C1 and C2 maintained the stability of super rice yield, and significantly reduced CH4 emissions, global warming potential （GWP）, and greenhouse gas intensity （GHGI）, whereas S had the opposite and negative effects. In summary, the biochar amendments in cold waterlogged paddy soils of North China increased soil nitrogen and carbon content, improved soil carbon sequestration, and reduced GHG emission without affecting the yield of super rice.

Effect of various crop rotations on rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency in paddy–upland systems in southeastern China

To evaluate the effects of various rotation systems on rice grain yield and N use efficiency, a paddy–upland cropping experiment(2013–2016) was conducted in southeastern China. The experiment was designed using six different rice––winter crop rotations: rice–fallow(RF),rice–wheat(RW), rice–potato with rice straw mulch(RP), rice–green manure(Chinese milk vetch; RC–G), rice–oilseed rape(RO), and rice–green manure crop(oilseed rape with fresh straw incorporated into soil at flowering; RO–G) and three N rates, N0(0 kg N ha-1), N1(142.5 kg N ha-1), and N2(202.5 kg N ha-1). Average rice yields in the RF(5.93 t ha-1) rotation were significantly lower than those in the rotations with winter crops(7.20–7.48 t ha-1)under the N0 treatment, suggesting that incorporation of straw might be more effective for increasing soil N than winter fallow. The rice yield differences among the rotations varied by year with the N input. In general, the grain yields in the RP and RO–G rotations –were respectively 11.6–28.5% and 14.80–37.19% higher than those in the RF in plots with N applied. Increasing the N rate may have tended to minimize the average yield gap between the RF and the other rotations; the yield gaps were 18.55%, 4.14%, and 0.23% in N0, N1, and N2, respectively. However, the N recovery efficiency in the RF was significantly lower than that in other rotations, except for 2015 under both N1 and N2 rates, a finding that implies a large amount of chemical N loss. No significant differences in nitrogen agronomic efficiency(NAE) and physiological efficiency(NPE) were found between the rotations with legume(RC–G) and non–legume(RO and RW) winter crops, a result that may be due partly to straw incorporation. For this reason, we concluded that the return of straw could reduce differences in N use efficiency between rotations with and without legume crops. The degree of synchrony between the crop N demand and the N supply was evaluated by comparison of nitrogen balance degree(NBD) values. The NBD values in the RP and RW were significantly lower than those in the other rotations under both N1 and N2 rates. Thus,in view of the higher grain yield in the RP compared to the RW under the N1 rate, the RP rotation might be a promising practice with comparable grain yield and greater N use efficiency under reduced N input relative to the other rotations. The primary yield components of the RF and RP were identified as number of panicles m-2 and numbers of kernels panicle-1, respectively. The NAE and NPE were positively correlated with harvest index, possibly providing a useful indicator for evaluating N use efficiency.

Discrepancy in Response of Rice Yield and Soil Fertility to Long-Term Chemical Fertilization and Organic Amendments in Paddy Soils Cultivated from Infertile Upland in Subtropical China

From 1990,over 17 years field experiment was carried out in paddy field cultivated from infertile upland to evaluate the response of rice productivity,soil organic carbon（SOC）,and total N to long-term NPK fertilization or NPK combined with organic amendments.The field trials included NPK（N,P,K fertilizer）,NPKRS（NPK combined with rice straw）,NPK2RS（NPK combined with double amount of rice straw）,NPKPM（NPK combined with pig manure） and NPKGM（NPK combined with green manure） and the cropping system was rice-rice（Oryza sativa L.） rotation.Annual rice yield,straw biomass,and harvesting index increased steadily with cultivation time in all treatments.Average annual rice yield from 1991 to 2006 was ranged from 7 795 to 8 572 kg ha-1 among treatments.Rice yields in treatments with organic amendments were usually higher than that in treatment with NPK.Contents of SOC and total N also increased gradually in the cultivation years and reached the level of 7.82 to 9.45 and 0.85 to 1.03 g kg-1,respectively,in 2006.Soil fertilities in treatments with chemical fertilization combined with organic amendments were relatively appropriate than those in treatment with NPK.There was obvious discrepancy between cumulative characters of rice yield and soil organic fertility in newly formed paddy field.Compared with relatively high rate of crop productivity improvement,cumulative rates of SOC and total N were much lower in our study.SOC and total N contents were still less than half of those in local highly productive paddy soils after 17 years cultivation in subtropical China.Present work helps to better understand the development of infertile paddy soils and to estimate the potential of yield improvement in this region.

Impact of Long-Term Fertilization on Community Structure of Ammonia Oxidizing and Denitrifying Bacteria Based on amoA and nirK Genes in a Rice Paddy from Tai Lake Region,China

Ammonia oxidizing （AOB） and denitrifying bacteria （DNB） play an important role in soil nitrogen transformation in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Effects of long-term fertilization on abundance and community composition of AOB and DNB were studied with targeting ammonia monooxygenase （amoA） and nitrite reductase （nirK） genes using polymerase chain reaction- denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （PCR-DGGE） and real-time PCR, respectively. A field trial with different fertilization treatments in a rice paddy from Tai Lake region, centre East China was used in this study, including no fertilizer application （NF）, balanced chemical fertilizers （CF）, combined organic/inorganic fertilizer of balanced chemical fertilizers plus pig manure （CFM）, and plus rice straw return （CFS）. The abundances and riehnesses of amoA and nirK were increased in CF, CFM and CFS compared to NF. Principle component analysis of DGGE profiles showed significant difference in nirK and amoA genes composition between organic amended （CFS and CFM） and the non-organic amended （CF and NF） plots. Number of amoA copies was significantly positively correlated with normalized soil nutrient richness （NSNR） of soil organic carbon （SOC） and total nitrogen （T-N）, and that of nirK copies was with NSNR of SOC, T-N plus total phosphorus. Moreover, nitrification potential showed a positive correlation with SOC content, while a significantly lower denitrification potential was found under CFM compared to under CFS. Therefore, SOC accumulation accompanied with soil nutrient richness under long-term balanced and organic/inorganic combined fertilization promoted abundance and diversity of AOB and DNB in the rice paddy.

Study of Dynamics of Floodwater Nitrogen and Regulation of Its Runoff Loss in Paddy Field-Based Two-Cropping Rice with Urea and Controlled Release Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

The article deals with the effects of urea and controlled release nitrogen fertilizer （CRNF） on dynamics of pH, electronic conductivity （EC）, total nitrogen （TN）, NH4^＋-N and NO3 -N in floodwater, and the regulation of runoff TN loss from paddy field-based two-cropping rice in Dongting Lake, China, and probes the best fertilization management for controlling N loss. Studies were conducted through modeling alluvial sandy loamy paddy soil （ASP） and purple calcareous clayey paddy soil （PCP） using lysimeter, following the sequence of the soil profiles identified by investigating soil profile. After application of urea in paddy field-based two-cropping rice, TN and NHa＋-N concentrations in floodwater reached peak on the 1st and the 3rd day, respectively, and then decreased rapidly over time; all the floodwater NO3--N concentrations were very low; the pH of floodwater gradually rose in case of early rice within 15 d （late rice within 3 d） after application of urea, and EC remained consistent with the dynamics of NH4^＋-N. The applied CRNF, especially 70% CRNF, led to significantly lower floodwater TN and NH4^＋ concentrations, pH, and EC values compared with urea within 15 d after application. The monitoring result for N loss due to natural rainfall runoff indicated that the amount of TN lost in runoff from paddy field- based two-cropping rice with urea application in Dongting Lake area was 7.47 kg ha^-1, which accounted for 2.49% of urea- N applied, and that with CRNF and 70% CRNF application decreased 24.5 and 27.2% compared with urea application, respectively. The two runoff events, which occurred within 20 d after application, contributed significantly to TN loss from paddy field. TN loss due to the two runoffs in urea, CRNF, and 70% CRNF treatments accounted for 72, 70, and 58% of the total TN loss due to runoff over the whole rice growth season, respectively. And the TN loss in these two CRNF treatments due to the first run-off event at the 10th day after application to early rice decreased 44.9 and 44.2% compared with urea, respectively. In conclusion, the 15-d period after application of urea was the critical time during which N loss occurred due to high floodwater N concentrations. But CRNF decreased N concentrations greatly in floodwater and runoff water during this period. As a result, it obviously reduced TN loss in runoff over the whole rice growth season.

The effects of water and nitrogen on the roots and yield of upland and paddy rice

It is of great significance to study the root characteristics of rice to improve water and nitrogen(N) use efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. This study investigated whether root traits and architecture of rice influence grain yield, as well as water and N utilization efficiency. An experiment was conducted using the upland rice cultivar Zhonghan 3(a japonica cultivar) and paddy rice cultivar Huaidao 5(also a japonica cultivar) using three N levels, namely, 2 g urea/pot(low amount, LN), 3 g urea/pot(normal amount, NN), and 4 g urea/pot(high amount, HN), and three soil water potentials(SWPs, namely, well-watered(0 kPa), mildly dried(–20 kPa) and severely dried(–40 kPa). The results showed that with decreasing SWP, the percentage of upland rice roots increased in the 0–5 cm tillage layer, and decreased in the 5–10 and 10–20 cm tillage layers, whereas paddy rice roots showed the opposite trend. With increasing amounts of N, the yield of upland and paddy rice increased, and the percentage of root volume ratios of the two rice cultivars in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm tillage layers increased, whereas that in the 10–20 cm tillage layer decreased. The roots of upland rice are mainly distributed in the 10–20 cm tillage layer, whereas most paddy rice roots are in the 0–5 cm tillage layer. These results indicate that the combination of-20 kPa SWP and NN in upland rice and 0 kPa SWP and LN in paddy rice promotes the growth of the root system during the middle and late stages, which in turn may decrease the requirements for water and N fertilizer and increase rice yield.

Climate Change Impact and Its Contribution Share to Paddy Rice Production in Jiangxi, China

In the study, an improved approach was proposed to identify the contribution shares of three group factors that are climate, technology and input, social economic factors by which the grain production is shaped. In order to calibrate the method, Jiangxi Province, one of the main paddy rice producers in China was taken as an example. Based on 50 years （1961-2010） meteorological and statistic data, using GIS and statistical analysis tools, the three group factors that in certain extent impact China＇s paddy rice production have been analyzed quantitatively. The individual and interactive contribution shares of each factor group have been identiifed via eta square （η2）. In the paper, two group ordinary leasr square （OLS） models, paddy models and climate models, have been constructed for further analysis. Each model group consists of seven models, one full model and six partial models. The results of paddy models show that climate factors individually and interactively contribute 11.42-15.25%explanatory power to the variation of paddy rice production in the studied province. Technology and input factors contribute 16.17%individually and another 8.46%interactively together with climate factors, totally contributing about 25%. Social economic factors contribute about 7%of which 4.65%is individual contribution and 2.49%is interactive contribution together with climate factors. The three factor groups individually contribute about 23%and interactively contribute additional 41%to paddy rice production. In addition every two of the three factor groups also function interactively and contribute about 22%. Among the three factor groups, technology and input are the most important factors to paddy rice production. The results of climate models support the results of paddy models, and display that solar radiation （indicated by sunshine hour variable） is the dominate climate factor for paddy rice production.

Simulation of Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Chinese Rice Paddies from 1980 to 2000

Changes in soil organic carbon （SOC） of rice paddies in China were simulated from 1980 to 2000 by linking a coupled bio-physical model to GIS database. The coupled model consists of two sub-models including Crop-C for simulating net primary productivity and hence residue retention and Soil-C for computing the turnover rates of SOC. The GIS database included parameters of climate, soils and agricultural activities with the resolution of 10 km × 10 km. Model simulation indicated that Chinese rice paddies covering 22.6 Mha sequestrated a considerable amount of C, about 0.15 ± 0.07 Pg C from 1980 to 2000. Annual sequestration rate increased sharply from -180 ± 45 kg C ha^-1 year^-1 in 1980 to 440 ± 170 kg C ha^-1 year^-1 in 1989. Thereafter, a steaziy sequestration rate of 460 ± 170 kg C ha^-1 year^-1 occurred till 1994 and declined since then. Approximately 84% of the Chinese rice paddies sequestrated carbon, while 15% lost carbon and 1% kept balance over the 20 years. Great SOC sequestration occurred in eastern, southern and central China, while a slight decline of SOC existed in some regions of northeastern and southwestern China.

Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in a double-cropped rice paddy in South China

Long-term straw return is an important carbon source for improving soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks in croplands, and straw removal through burning is also a common practice in open fields in South China. However, the specific effects of long-term rice straw management on SOC fractions, the related enzyme activities and their relationships, and whether these effects differ between crop growing seasons remain unknown. Three treatments with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient inputs, including straw/ash and chemical nutrients, were established to compare the effects of straw removal(CK), straw return(SR), and straw burned return(SBR). Compared to CK, long-term SR tended to improve the yield of early season rice(P=0.057), and significantly increased total organic carbon(TOC) and microbial biomass carbon(MBC) in double-cropped rice paddies. While SBR had no effect on TOC, it decreased light fraction organic carbon(LFOC) in early rice and easily oxidizable organic carbon(EOC) in late rice, significantly increased dissolved organic carbon(DOC), and significantly decreased soil p H. These results showed that MBC was the most sensitive indicator for assessing changes of SOC in the double-cropped rice system due to long-term straw return. In addition, the different effects on SOC fraction sizes between SR and SBR were attributed to the divergent trends in most of the soil enzyme activities in the early and late rice that mainly altered DOC, while DOC was positively affected by β-xylosidase in both early and late rice. We concluded that straw return was superior to straw burned return for improving SOC fractions, but the negative effects on soil enzyme activities in late rice require further research.

Tracing the behaviour of hexachlorobenzene in a paddy soil-rice system over a growth season

Hexachlorobenzene （HCB）, a persistent organic pollutant （POP）, has been found in paddy soils. To improve the understanding of HCB contamination in paddy soils, a laboratory simulative study was carried out to investigate the behavior of HCB in a paddy soil and rice plants. This study was divided into three experiments. First, an experiment aimed to examine the evaporation of HCB in paddy soil. In the second experiment, rice was planted in 10 mg/kg HCB contaminated soil and after pot culture at 3, 6, 9, and 27 weeks （at maturity）, both soil and plant samplings were scheduled to be sampled. The soil samples comprised rhizosphere soil, nortrhizosphere soil, and unplanted contaminated soil, whereas plant samples included shoots, roots, and rice grains （dehusked）. Lastly, in this part, HCB in xylem saps was designed to be examined. The results showed that （1） the HCB translocation from paddy soil to rice by vaporization; （2） the HCB concentration in rice grains was surprisingly high; （3） the observed HCB decrease in rice rhizosphere offers a potential means for in situ HCB degradation; （4） HCB might not be transported along transpiration in rice.

Value of Ecosystem Services in Conventional and Organic Rice Paddies:A Case Study in Wannian,Jiangxi,China

In the current study,the ecosystem services(ES) of conventional and organic rice paddies in Wannian,Jiangxi Province,China are investigated.First,the ES at the field level under organic and conventional paddies were investigated.Total economic value of ES in organic rice paddies was 30093.08 yuan RMB/ha per year and that of conventional rice paddies was 22 793.31 yuan RMB/ha per year.The total indirect value of ES was 14 813.7 yuan RMB/ha per year in organic rice paddies and 12 424.56 yuan RMB/ha per year in conventional ones.There were significant differences between organic and conventional rice paddies for the economic values.Then,this economic information was used to extrapolate and to calculate the total and indirect value of ES from rice paddies in Wangnian.The total and indirect economic values of ES from conventional rice paddies in Wannian were 6791 million and 3702 million yuan RMB per year respectively,and the total and indirect economic values of ES from organic rice paddies in Wannian were 1311 million and 646 million yuan RMB per year.If half the area had being converted to organic farming in Wannian,the total and indirect economic values of ES from conventional rice paddies were 3397 million and 1851 million yuan RMB per year,and the total and indirect economic values of ES from organic rice paddies were 5794 million and 2852 million yuan RMB per year.Finally,the total economic value of ES in rice paddies in Wannian was demonstrated through geographic information system techniques.