Differential seed removal,germination and seedling growth as determinants of species suitability for forest restoration by direct seeding–A case study from northern Thailand

Background Direct seeding is potentially a more cost-effective alternative to conventional tree planting for restoring tropical forest ecosystems.However,seed loss,due to removal and damage by animals,can substantially reduce seedling establishment.Therefore,this study examined the impact of seed predation on seedling establishment of five tree species,native to upland evergreen forests of northern Thailand:Hovenia dulcis,Alangium kurzii,Prunus cerasoides,Choerospondias axillaris and Horsfieldia amygdalina.We tested the hypothesis that excluding animals would significantly reduce seed removal,and increase both germination and seedling survival.The objective was to calculate a composite index of the relative suitability of the species studied for direct seeding.Methods Seeds were placed on the ground in a deforested site and subjected to five predator-exclusion treatments:wire cage,insecticide,cage+insecticide,open cage and no exclusion(control).Results Seed loss was highest for H.amygdalina(the largest seed tested).Across species,wire cages significantly reduced seed loss by 12.4%compared with controls(P<0.001)suggesting that vertebrates were the major seed predators.Seed germination ranged from 0 to 77%among the species tested.Based on relative species-performance scores(combining measures of survival and seedling growth),P.cerasoides was the most suitable species for direct seeding,followed by A.kurzii and C.axillaris,whilst H.dulcis and H.amygdalina were unsuitable.H.dulcis had small seeds with low seed germination,whereas H.amygdalina was subjected to high seed removal.Conclusion Exclusion of seed predators and the selection of suitable species may substantially increase the success of direct seeding,as a technique for restoring upland evergreen forest ecosystems.Testing more species for their suitability is needed,to provide more diverse options for forest restoration.

Performance of Five Early Indica Rice Varieties under Direct Seeding in Jiangbei District

Comparative experiments were conducted on five conventional indica rice varieties,including Yongxian 15,Zhongzao 39,Shunda 135,Zhongzu 143,and Zhongzu 18.Under direct seeding conditions,their growth period and yield performance were investigated.The results showed that the yield of Zhonggang 143 and Shunda 135 was higher than that of Yongxian 15(CK),and Zhonggang 143 had the highest yield of 7.494 t/hm 2,followed by Shunda 135(7.467 t/hm 2);Yongxian 18(CK)has a yield of 7.326 t/hm 2.Taking into account factors such as field growth,yield,and growth period,Zhongzu 143 and Shunda 135 can be further promoted to optimize the early rice variety structure in Jiangbei District.

Effect of Fulvic Acid on Growth and Yield Components of Direct Seeding Rice

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effect of fulvic acid on the growth and yield components of direct seeding rice （Nanjing 44）. MethodThe rice seeds were soaked in 0 （water as a control）, 1, 2, 4 and 6 g/L fulvic acid （FA） before sowed. Then, the rice morphological indices, leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthesis parameters, root activity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured in the following field studies. ResultCompared with the control, the leaf area index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and dry matter weight and some fluorescence parameters such as the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II （PSII） （Fv/Fm）, excitation energy capture efficiency of opened PSII reaction center （Fv’/Fm’） and efficiency of the open reaction centre （ΦPS II） increased by different levels at both jointing stage and heading stage of direct seeding rice, whose seeds were soaked by FA with different concentrations. High FA concentration （4-6 g/L） significantly increased the cultivated rice leaf area index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and dry matter weight by 10.32% -22.88% , 5.88% -13.11% , 12.16% -26.84% , 11.43% -88.46% , 10.63% -21.63% , 18.49% -19.68% , respectively, thereby improving the physiological function and light energy transform efficiency of rice at the growth stage. With FA concentration increasing, the yield, effective panicles, grain number per panicle and seed setting rate were increased significantly compared with the control by 17.52%-18.71%, 3.46%-3.85%, 6.30%- 6.51% and 7.82%-8.69% respectively. ConclusionSoaking rice seed with FA could be considered as an effective way to improve the rice competitiveness at early growth stage.

Prevention Effects of Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl·Quinclorac 50% WP on Stem and Leaf of Dry Direct Seeded Rice

[Objective] The aim was to explore the prevention effects of pyrazosul-furon-ethyl·quinclorac 50% WP on stem and leaf of dry direct seeded rice. [Method] Totaling 7 drug doses were set in the test and the effects were observed 5, 10, 15 and 30 d after drug application, with the remained weeds surveyed 15 and 30 d after drug application. [Result] The test showed pyrazosulfuron-ethyl·quinclorac 50%WP was safe to rice as treatment agent of stem and leaf, and rice yield increased dramatical y, with the growth rate in 2.1%-49.3%. After the drug application, the prevention effects on Echinochloa crusgal i, Ludwimlia prostrata, Monochoria vamli-nalis, and Zong grass were 92.2%, 96.6%, 93.5%, and 94.8%, and the effects on fresh weight were 94.8%, 97.1%, 93.3% and 94.9%, respectively. [Conclusion] Pyra-zosulfuron-ethyl·quinclorac 50% WP can be taken as treatment agents of stem and leaf of dry direct seeded rice.

Genotypic Differences in Growth and Physiological Responses to Transplanting and Direct Seeding Cultivation in Rice

The field experiments were conducted to investigate the growth and physiological responses of six super hybrid rice combinations to two planting methods, transplanting （TP） and direct seeding （DS） during 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. The 1000-grain weight and number of tillers per plant at the early growth stage, the maximum quantum yield of PSII （Fv/Fm） and transpiration rate （Tr） were higher in DS plants than in TP ones, whereas the grain yield, number of panicles per square meter, seed setting rate, net photosynthetic rate （Po） and stomatal conductance were lower in DS plants. However, little difference was detected in number of grains per panicle, stem （shoot） and leaf weight between the combinations in the two planting methods. The responses of plant growth and physiological traits to planting method differed greatly among the six combinations. In both planting methods, Chouyou 58 and Yongyou 6 had the highest and lowest panicle biomass and Pn, respectively. The higher yield of Chunyou 58 was associated with more numbers of panicles per square meter and grains per panicle in both planting methods. The results indicate that lower grain yield in DS relative to TP is attributed to more excessive tillers at the early stage, lower leaf biomass and photosynthetic rate at the late stage.

Use of Controlled Release Fertilizer for Increasing N Efficiency of Direct Seeding Rice

Field trials on a silt-loamy paddy soil derived from shallow-sea deposit in direct seeding rice fields were conducted in Zhejiang, China, in 1996 to compare N efficiency of controlled release fertilizers (LP fertilizers) with the conventional urea. Six treatments including CK (no N fertilizer), conventional urea and different types of LP fertilizers at different rates were designed for two succeeding crops of early and late rice. A blend of different types of LP fertilizers as a single preplant "co-situs" application released N in a rate and amount synchronizing with uptake pattern of direct seeding rice. A single preplant application of the LP fertilizers could meet the N requirement of rice for the whole growth period without need of topdressing. Using LP fertilizer blends, equivalent grain yields could be maintained even if the N fertilization rates were reduced by 25%～50% compared with the conventional urea. Agronomic efficiency of the LP fertilizers was 13.6%～ 86.4% higher than that of the conventional urea in early rice and 100%～164.1% in late rice, depending on the amounts of the LP fertilizers applied. N fertilizer recovery rate increased from 27.4% for the conventional application of urea to 41.7%～54.l% for the single preplant "co-situs" application of the LP fertilizers. Use of the LP fertilizers was promising if the increase in production costs due to the high LP fertilizer prices could be compensated by increase in yield and N efficiency, reduction in labor costs and improvement in environment.

Control Efficiency and Crop Safety of 20% Cyhalofop-butyl WP on Grass Weeds in Direct Seeded Rice Fields

The purpose was to define the control efficiency and safety of 20% cy- halofop-butyl WP on grass weeds in direct seeded rice fields, in order to provide the basis for chemical weeding. This study measured Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Nees, Echinoch/oa crusgalli （L.） Beauv and other gramineous weed control efficiency with four concentrations of 20% cyhalofop-dutyl WP and 100 g/L cyhalofop-dutyl EC in direct seeded rice fields, and analyzed the yield-increasing effect and safety of rice. The results showed that 20% cyhalofop-butyl WP had a good control efficiency on grass weeds such as Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Nees, Echinoch/oa crusgalli（L.） Beauv and other grasses. The effective dosage of 90-150 g/hm2 was over 90.7% on Lep- foch/oa chinensis（L.） Nees and the comprehensive control effect of the grass weeds was above 86.7%, which was basically consistent with 100 g/L cyhalofop-dutyl EC. Furthermore, 20% cyhalofop-dutyl WP was high security for direct seeded rice fields. The yield of rice was increased by 10.18%-11.22% after spraying herbicide. There- fore, 20% of cyhalofop-dutyl WP can be used as a special herbicide for controlling Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Beauv in direct seeded rice fields, and has a good applica- tion prospect.

Effects of different mechanical direct seeding methods on grain yield and lodging resistance of early indica rice in South China

Direct seeding of rice has become a main planting method due to the low labor input and high economic benefit in South China.Dry direct seeding(DDS)has been widely used for single-season rice planting establishment.However,few studies have examined the performance of early-season indica rice under mechanical dry direct seeding.A two-year field experiment was conducted with two indica rice cultivars(i.e.,Zhongjiazao 17 and Zhuliangyou 819)to study lodging characteristics and grain yield formation under DDS,flooded direct seeding(FDS)and wet direct seeding(WDS)patterns.The results showed that the annual grain yield in DDS was higher by 14.42–26.34%for cultivar ZLY819 and 6.64–24.58%for cultivar ZJZ17 than in WDS and FDS,respectively,and these increases were mainly attributed to the improvement of the panicles.The DDS pattern significantly increased the seedling emergence rate of early indica rice cultivars,and increased total dry weight and crop growth rate.Meanwhile,shorter basal internodes,better stem diameter and stem wall thickness and lower lodging index were found in DDS in contrast to FDS and WDS.In particular,DDS improved the stem lodging resistance.Our results suggested that the appropriate direct seeding method was beneficial for improving the grain yield and lodging resistance of early indica rice.

Long-Term No-Tillage Direct Seeding Mode for Water-Saving and Drought-Resistance Rice Production in Rice-Rapeseed Rotation System

To study the effects of long-term no-tillage direct seeding mode on rice yield and the soil physiochemical property in a rice-rapeseed rotation system, a comparative experiment with a water-saving and drought-resistance rice （WDR） variety and a double low rapeseed variety as materials was conducted under no-tillage direct seeding （NTDS） mode and conventional tillage direct seeding （CTDS） mode for four years, using the CTDS mode as the control. Compared with the CTDS mode, the actual rice yield of WDR decreased by 8.10% at the first year, whereas the plant height, spikelet number per panicle, spikelet fertility, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, actual yield, and harvest index increased with no-tillage years, which led to the actual yield increase by 6.49% at the fourth year. Correlation analysis showed that the panicle length was significantly related to the actual yield of WDR. Compared with the CTDS mode in terms of the soil properties, the pH value of the NTDS mode decreased every year, whereas the contents of soil organic matter and total N of the NTDS mode increased. In the 0-5 cm layer of the NTDS mode, the soil bulk decreased, whereas the contents of soil organic matter, total N, and available N increased. In the 5-20 cm layer of the NTDS mode, the available N and K decreased, whereas the soil bulk, contents of soil organic matter, and total N increased. In summary, the NTDS mode increased the rice yield, and could improve the paddy soil fertility of the top layer.

Occurrence,Damage and Control Index of Rape Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Mechanical Direct Seeding Fields

Real-time monitoring and investigation in fields showed that the disease starting period of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in mechanical direct seeding fields was earlier. Disease conditions rose with the advancing growth stage, which grew more quickly during the early stage of anthesis, flower withering period and early si- lique mature period. Yield less rate increased with the increasing stem disease rate and disease index. Yield loss rate（ Y1 ） had extremely significant correlation with stem disease rate（X1 ）and disease index（X2 ）, and the related models were Y1 = 0. 544 330 2X1 -2. 316 1 （n = 14, r --0. 986 0 ＊ ＊ ）and YI = 0. 673 408 X2 - 1. 016 4 （ n = 14 ,r = 0.977 2 ~ ＊ ）, respectively. Disease control indexes for one time control against S. sclerotlorum in mechanical direct seeding fields were stem disease rate as 11.8% and disease index as 7.6, respectively. The control indexes for twice control against the disease were stem disease rate as 16.8% and disease index as 11.7. This paper provided a new scientific basis for preventing S. sclerotiorum in mechanical direct seeding fields.

Study on Direct Seeding Density of Brassica napus

The statistical analysis of 97 literatures shows that there is a quadratic parabolic relationship between direct seeding density and yield of rape： Y = 2 213,058 9 ＋ 14,556 9 X- 0.145 5 X2. The optimum density is 3.413 × 10^5 - 5,001 × 10 ^5 plants/hm2. Compared with conventional rape, hybrid rape has higher yield （by 3.71%） and lower density （by 4,97%）, To obtain a high yield, conventional rape （or lines） needs to be planted more densely compared with hybrid rape,

Effects of Different Soil Preparation and Fertilizer Application Methods on the Growth and Yield of the Rice-Crayfish Rotation Direct Seeding Rice Nongxiang 32

In order to improve the yield and fertilizer utilization of the ricecrayfish rotation and direct seeding rice Nongxiang 32,the effects of different soil preparation and fertilizer application methods on the growth,yield and fertilizer utilization of the variety were studied.The results showed that,under the rice-crayfish rotation and direct seeding farming mode,the contributions of seed setting rate,1000-grain weight,yield,and fertilizer contribution rate to yield of Nongxiang 32 in the treatments with rotary tillage with base fertilizer,rotary tillage without base fertilizer and no-tillage with base fertilizer were relatively higher than those in the treatments with rotary tillage without fertilizer,no-tillage without fertilizer and no-tillage without base fertilizer,and there were no significant differences between the three treatments.Rotary tillage with base fertilizer and rotary tillage without base fertilizer significantly increased the total number of stems and tillers,total number of ears,and number of effective ears.Rotary tillage and application of base fertilizer also significantly increased the number of tillers,plant weight and weed suppression ability in the early stage of rice growth.Therefore,in the different soil preparation and fertilizer application methods,the application of base fertilizer with rotary tillage was the best,followed by rotary tillage without base fertilizer and no-tillage with base fertilizer.

Experimental Study on Working Performance of Rice Rope Direct Seeding Machine

Structure and sowing principles of rice rope direct seeding machine are introduced. In order to test the machine＇ s working performance, such as compacting effect, sowing depth, influence of sowing device to rice rope, etc., field experiments were conducted. It is concluded that mean slip ratio of compacting wheel 1 is 4.44%, wheel 2 is 5.58%, wheel 3 is 7.81%, and wheel 4 is 6.96%; mean depth of planting is 29.72 mm, and mean variability coefficient of planting depth is 6.39%. Maximum variability coefficient of planting depth is 8.40%. Rice rope＇s snapping is closely related with the machine＇s speed and guide thread wheel by sowing device orthogonal experiments. Test results show that the machine has a rational design, safe work and meets to the requirements of planting. This study has laid the foundation for further studying the project.

Effects of Organic Fertilizer Application Amount on Seedling Quality under No-tillage Semi-Solid State Direct Seeding

With early rice variety Zhongzao 39 as test material,this paper investigated the effects of organic fertilizer application rate on seedling quality under no-tillage semi-solid state direct seeding.The results showed that the seedling quality of no-tillage semi-solid direct seeding was better than that of traditional direct seeding,and different application rates of organic fertilizer under no-tillage semi-solid direct seeding also had signi ficant effects on seedling emergence rate,dry matter weight in ground and underground,stem base width,root activity,chlorophyll content and seedling growth index of rice seedlings.When the organic fertilizer dosage was A4(0.10∶1),it was most beneficial to the growth and development of rice seedlings under no-tillage semi-solid state direct seeding,it could effectively improve the quality of rice seedlings and enhance their resistances,the cultivated seedlings could lay a good foundation for high yield of rice in late stage.

Chemical Weeding in Dry Direct Seeding Fields of Single Cropping Middlelate Rice

Chemical weeding in dry direct seeding fields of single cropping middle-late rice was studied in Huida vegetable farm of Huizhou City in 2012. The main treatment was herbicide（ pretilachlor ＋ bensulfuron-methyl,Yangguo and butachlor）,and the sub-treatment was application method（ soil treatments,seedling treatment and integrated treatment）. The results showed that 80 g pretilachlor ＋ bensulfuron-methyl（ 36% pretilachlor ＋ 4% bensulfuron-methyl） diluted with 50 kg water could be sprayed or 200 g Yangguo（ 23. 9% butachlor ＋ 1. 1% bensulfuron-methyl） mixed with 15 kg sandy soil could be broadcasted per 667 m2 on the sowing day or the second day under moist condition of soil,which could effectively control weeds in dry direct seeding fields of single cropping middle-late rice.

Influence of Seed Priming on Performance and Water Productivity of Direct Seeded Rice in Alternating Wetting and Drying

Direct seeded rice is promising alternative to traditional transplanting, but requires appropriate crop and water management to maintain yield performance and achieve high water productivity. Present study evaluated the effect of seed priming and irrigation on crop establishment, tillering, agronomic traits, paddy yield, grain quality and water productivity of direct seeded rice in alternate wetting and drying （DSR-AWD） in comparison with direct seeded rice at field capacity （DSR- FC）. Seed priming treatments were osmo-priming with KCI （2.2%）, CaCI2 （2.2%） and moringa leaf extracts （MLE, 3.3%） including hydro-priming as control. Among the treatments, seed osmo-primed with MLE emerged earlier and had higher final emergence, followed by osmo-priming with CaCI2. Tillering emergence rate and number of tillers per plant were the highest for seed priming with CaCI2 in DSR- AWD. Total productive and non-productive tillers, panicle length, biological and grain yields, harvest index were highest for seed priming with MLE or CaCI2 in DSR-AWD. Similarly, grain quality, estimated in terms of normal grains, abortive and chalky grains, was also the highest in DSR-AWD with MLE osmo-priming. Benefit cost ratio and water productivity was also the highest in DSR-AWD for seed priming with MLE. In conclusion, seed priming with MLE or CaCI2 can be successfully employed to improve the direct seeded rice performance when practiced with alternate wetting and drying irrigation.

Performance of Different Cultivars in Direct Seeded Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.) with Various Seeding Densities

Optimum seeding density is necessary to achieve the production potential of a cultivar in all crops. To investigate the performance of different cultivars in direct seeded rice in response to various seeding densities, a field experiment was conducted at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during the kharif 2012. Super basmati (fine rice) and KSK-133 (coarse rice) were sown using seeding densities of 30, 45, 60 and 75 kg&middotha-1. Results indicated that leaf area index and crop growth rate varied among rice cultivars as well as various seeding densities. The growth of rice at seeding density of 75 kg&middotha-1 was higher than rest of treatments. The response of rice yield and its components like number of productive tillers, number of kernels per panicle and 1000-kernal weight differed significantly under the influence of cultivars and various seeding densities. Seeding density of 75 kg&middotha-1 remained superior for both rice cultivars regarding final yield. This treatment furnished kernel yields of 3.83 and 5.49 t&middotha-1 in fine and coarse rice, respectively which were significantly higher than other treatments. However, Kernel quality was improved in terms of lower number of sterile and chalky kernels at lower seeding densities (30 kg&middotha-1). Based on these findings, it is concluded that using seeding density of 75 kg&middotha-1 for direct seeded fine and coarse rice cultivars is beneficial in terms of better growth and higher yield but kernel quality is reduced by increasing the seeding density.

Effectiveness of Direct Seeding for Forest Restoration on Severely Degraded Land in Lampang Province, Thailand

This study tested the effectiveness of direct seeding to establish framework tree species, for restoring forest ecosystems at an opencast lignite mine in Lampang Province, Thailand. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment tested five tree species (Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib, Eugenia cumini (L.) Druce, Ficus racemosa Roxb., Gmelina arborea Roxb. and Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken) with 5 substrate amelioration treatments and 3 replicates. Germination percent was the highest for Afzelia xylocarpa (88.1%) and lowest for Ficus racemosa (5.9%). The substrate amelioration treatments had no significant effects on both seed germination and seedling establishment for all species tested. Schleichera oleosa had the highest seedling establishment percent (45%) followed by Afzelia xylocarpa (40%). A suitability scoring system indicated that these two species were the most suitable for direct seeding to complement other techniques of mine site rehabilitation in northern Thailand, where establishment of indigenous forest tree species is required for biodiversity recovery.

Contrast Test Between Direct Seeding and Seedling Transplanting of Diwangcai

To improve the yield of Diwangcai and explore its best cultivation way,direct seeding and seedling transplanting of Diwangcai were contrasted. The results showed that cumulative annual yield of Diwangcai by seedling transplanting was 16% higher than that by direct seeding.

Economics of Residues Incorporation and Phosphorus Application for Direct Seeded Rice and Wheat under Saline Soil

Two-year long field study was conducted using a permanent layout to investigate the economics of crop residues incorporation (2 t&middotha-1) and P application (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg P2O5 ha-1) to directly sowing of rice and wheat crops gown under naturally salt-affected calcareous soil (ECe = 4.59 dS m-1;pHs = 8.38;SAR = 6.57 (mmolc L-1)1/2;CaCO3 = 3.21%;Extractable P = 4.07 mg&middotkg-1;sandy clay loam) at farmers field in district Hafizabad during the year 2012-13. Split plot design (crop residues in main plots and P application in sub plots) was followed with three replications. Agronomic data on growth and yield were collected at the time of each crop maturity. Maximum growth and yield of both the crops were harvested from the plots where P2O5 was applied @ 80 kg&middotha-1 along with crop residues incorporation. On an average of two years, maximum paddy (3.26 t&middotha-1) and wheat grain (3.56 t&middotha-1) yield were produced with P application @ 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 along with crop residues incorporation. Although, the yield harvested with this treatment (80 kg P2O5 ha-1 + crop residues) performed statistically equal to 120 kg P2O5 ha-1 without crop residues incorporation during both the years, however, on an average of two years, grain yield of directly sowing rice and subsequent wheat was significantly superior (22% and 24% respectively) than that of higher P rate (120 kg&middotha-1) without crop residues. Overall, continuous two-year crop residues incorporation further increased (17%) paddy yields during the follow up year of crop harvest. Economic analyses of both the crops were carried out to choose the best treatment with adequate economic benefits as compared to those without crop residue incorporation. Maximum net benefit of Rs = 108,680/- for direct seeded rice and Rs = 99,362/- for wheat grown with 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 application under crop residues incorporation was determined. Among P application treatments without crop residues incorporation, the maximum net benefit (Rs = 75,874/- and Rs = 65,725/-) and highest residual values (49,809 and 39,160) for direct seeded rice and wheat respectively, were obtained with extended P application rate (120 kg P2O5 ha-1) which was not again as much as that of 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 application with crop residues incorporation.