Growing Together

WH EN it comes to farming, faster and stronger are definitely better, This is the conclusion to which came the group of Burundian agricultural experts during an inspection on a rice seedling field located in Bubanza Province, Burundi. Comparing two kinds of seedlings after an identical 30-day growth cycle, the two kinds of rice seedlings showed totally different results.

Supplementation of vitamin E or a botanical extract as antioxidants to improve growth performance and health of growing pigs housed under thermoneutral or heat-stressed conditions

Background Heat stress has severe negative consequences on performance and health of pigs,leading to significant economic losses.The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplemental vitamin E and a botanical extract in feed or drinking water on growth performance,intestinal health,and oxidative and immune status in grow-ing pigs housed under heat stress conditions.Methods Duplicate experiments were conducted,each using 64 crossbred pigs with an initial body weight of 50.7±3.8 and 43.9±3.6 kg and age of 13-week and 12-week,respectively.Pigs(n=128)were housed individually and assigned within weight blocks and sex to a 2×4 factorial arrangement consisting of 2 environments(thermo-neutral(21.2℃)or heat-stressed(30.9℃))and 4 supplementation treatments(control diet;control+100 IU/L of D-α-tocopherol in water;control+200 IU/kg of DL-α-tocopheryl-acetate in feed;or control+400 mg/kg of a botanical extract in feed).Results Heat stress for 28 d reduced(P≤0.001)final body weight,average daily gain,and average daily feed intake(-7.4 kg,-26.7%,and-25.4%,respectively)but no effects of supplementation were detected(P>0.05).Serum vitamin E increased(P<0.001)with vitamin E supplementation in water and in feed(1.64 vs.3.59 and 1.64 vs.3.24),but not for the botanical extract(1.64 vs.1.67 mg/kg)and was greater when supplemented in water vs.feed(P=0.002).Liver vitamin E increased(P<0.001)with vitamin E supplementations in water(3.9 vs.31.8)and feed(3.9 vs.18.0),but not with the botanical extract(3.9 vs.4.9 mg/kg).Serum malondialdehyde was reduced with heat stress on d 2,but increased on d 28(interaction,P<0.001),and was greater(P<0.05)for antioxidant supplementation compared to control.Cellular proliferation was reduced(P=0.037)in the jejunum under heat stress,but increased in the ileum when vitamin E was supplemented in feed and water under heat stress(interaction,P=0.04).Tumor necrosis factor-αin jejunum and ileum mucosa decreased by heat stress(P<0.05)and was reduced by vitamin E sup-plementations under heat stress(interaction,P<0.001).Conclusions The addition of the antioxidants in feed or in drinking water did not alleviate the negative impact of heat stress on feed intake and growth rate of growing pigs.

Betaine addition to the diet alleviates intestinal injury in growing rabbits during the summer heat through the AAT/mTOR pathway

Background The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of betaine(Bet)inclusion in the diet on the intestinal health of growing rabbits under summer heat.A total of 100 weaned Qixing meat rabbits aged 35 d with body weight of 748.61±38.59 g were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups:control group(basal diet)and Bet groups(basal diet+0.75,1.0,1.5 or 2.0 g/kg Bet).The average daily temperature in the rabbitry during the experiment was 30.48°C and the relative humidity was 69.44%.Results Dietary addition of Bet had no significant effect on growth performance and health status of growing rabbits(P>0.05),but it increased ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content compared to the control under summer heat(P<0.05).Addition of 0.75 g/kg Bet up-regulated jejunal IL-4,down-regulated ileal TNF-αexpression(P<0.05).The addition of 1.0 g/kg Bet increased the villi height(VH)in the jejunum(P<0.05).Serum glucose levels were reduced,and the expression of SLC6A20 was up-regulated in jejunum and ileum of rabbits fed with 1.5 g/kg Bet(P<0.05).When added at 2.0 g/kg,Bet reduced serum HSP70 content,increased jejunal VH,and up-regulated duodenal SLC7A6,SLC38A2,mTOR and 4EBP-2 expression(P<0.05).Correlation analysis revealed that intestinal mTOR expression was significantly and positively correlated with SLC7A6,SLC38A2,SLC36A1 and IL-4 expression(P<0.05).Conclusions Dietary addition of Bet can up-regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory factors through the AAT/mTOR pathway,improve the intestinal immune function,alleviate intestinal damage in growing rabbits caused by summer heat,and improve intestinal health.

Oils with different degree of saturation:effects on ileal digestibility of fat and corresponding additivity and bacterial community in growing pigs

Background Oils are important sources of energy in pig diets.The combination of oils with different degree of saturation contributes to improve the utilization efficiency of the mixed oils and may reduce the cost of oil supplemented.An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of oils with different degree of saturation on the fat digestibility and corresponding additivity and bacterial community in growing pigs.Methods Eighteen crossbred(Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire)barrows(initial body weight:29.3±2.8 kg)were surgically fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum.The experimental diets included a fat-free basal diet and 5 oil-added diets.The 5 oil-added diets were formulated by adding 6%oil with different ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids(U:S)to the basal diet.The 5 oils were palm oil(U:S=1.2),canola oil(U:S=12.0),and palm oil and canola oil were mixed in different proportions to prepare a combination of U:S of 2.5,3.5 and 4.5,respectively.Results The apparent and standardized ileal digestibility(AID and SID)of fat and fatty acids increased linearly(P<0.05)as the U:S of dietary oils increased except for SID of fat and C18:2.The AID and SID of fat and fatty acids differed among the dietary treatments(P<0.05)except for SID of unsaturated fatty acids(UFA)and C18:2.Fitted one-slope broken-line analyses for the SID of fat,saturated fatty acids(SFA)and UFA indicated that the breakpoint for U:S of oil was 4.14(R^(2)=0.89,P<0.01),2.91(R^(2)=0.98,P<0.01)and 3.84(R^(2)=0.85,P<0.01),respectively.The determined SID of fat,C18:1,C18:2 and UFA in the mixtures was not different from the calculated SID of fat,C18:1,C18:2 and UFA.However,the determined SID of C16:0,C18:0 and SFA in the mixtures were greater than the calculated SID values(P<0.05).The abundance of Romboutsia and Turicibacter in pigs fed diet containing palm oil was greater than that in rapeseed oil treatment group,and the two bacteria were negatively correlated with SID of C16:0,C18:0 and SFA(P<0.05).Conclusions The optimal U:S for improving the utilization efficiency of mixed oil was 4.14.The SID of fat and UFA for palm oil and canola oil were additive in growing pigs,whereas the SID of SFA in the mixture of two oils was greater than the sum of the values of pure oils.Differences in fat digestibility caused by oils differing in degree of saturation has a significant impact on bacterial community in the foregut.

GROWING TOGETHER

During U.S. President Barack Obama’s China trip,Beijing and Washington reaffirm their commitment and strategic mutual trust Barack Obama has been a hit in China. Apartfrom holding talks with Chinese leaders,the 44th president ofthe United States impressed the Chinese with a lively question-and-answer session with college

Effects of dietary oil sources and fat extraction methods on apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of fat and fatty acids in growing pigs

Background:There is a lack of data for the standardized ileal digestibility(SID) of fat and fatty acids in national feed databases.In addition,it is important to specify the procedures used for fat analyses.Therefore,an experiment was conducted to 1) determine the apparent ileal digestibility(AID) and SID of fat and fatty acids in ten different oil sources for growing pigs and to develop prediction equations for SID of fat based on fatty acid composition;and 2) compare the effect of the fat extraction methods on the calculated values for endogenous loss and digestibility of fat.Methods:Twenty-two barrows(initial body weight:32.1 ± 2.3 kg) were surgically fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum,and allotted to 1 of 11 experimental diets in a 4-period Youden Square design.A fat-free diet was formulated using cornstarch,soy protein isolate and sucrose.Ten oil-added diets were formulated by adding 6% of dietary oil sources to the fat-free diet at the expense of cornstarch.All diets contained 26% sugar beet pulp and 0.40% chromic oxide.Results:The endogenous loss of ether extract(EE) was lower than that of acid-hydrolyzed fat(AEE;P < 0.01).There were significant differences in the AID and SID of fat and saturated fatty acids across the dietary oil sources(P < 0.05).The SID of AEE for palm oil was lower than that of sunflower oil,corn oil,canola oil,rice oil and flaxseed oil(P < 0.01).The AID and SID of fat ranged from 79.65% to 86.97% and from 91.14% to 99.18%.Although the AID of EE was greater than that of AEE(P < 0.01),there was no significant difference in SID of EE and AEE except for palm oil.The ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids(U/S) had a positive correlation with SID of fat(P < 0.05),whereas C16:0 and long chain saturated fatty acids(LSFA) were significant negatively correlated with SID of fat(P < 0.01).The best-fit equation to predict SID of fat was SID AEE = 102.75-0.15 × LSFA-0.74 × C18:0-0.03 × C18:1(Adjusted coefficient of determination = 0.88,P < 0.01).Conclusions:When calculating the SID of fat,the EE content of the samples can be analyzed using the direct extraction method,whereas the acid hydrolysis procedure should be used to determine the AID of fat.Fat digestibility of dietary oils was affected by their fatty acid composition,especially by the contents of C16:0,LSFA and U/S.

Structural plane recognition from three-dimensional laser scanning points using an improved region-growing algorithm based on the robust randomized Hough transform

The staggered distribution of joints and fissures in space constitutes the weak part of any rock mass.The identification of rock mass structural planes and the extraction of characteristic parameters are the basis of rock-mass integrity evaluation,which is very important for analysis of slope stability.The laser scanning technique can be used to acquire the coordinate information pertaining to each point of the structural plane,but large amount of point cloud data,uneven density distribution,and noise point interference make the identification efficiency and accuracy of different types of structural planes limited by point cloud data analysis technology.A new point cloud identification and segmentation algorithm for rock mass structural surfaces is proposed.Based on the distribution states of the original point cloud in different neighborhoods in space,the point clouds are characterized by multi-dimensional eigenvalues and calculated by the robust randomized Hough transform(RRHT).The normal vector difference and the final eigenvalue are proposed for characteristic distinction,and the identification of rock mass structural surfaces is completed through regional growth,which strengthens the difference expression of point clouds.In addition,nearest Voxel downsampling is also introduced in the RRHT calculation,which further reduces the number of sources of neighborhood noises,thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the calculation.The advantages of the method have been verified by laboratory models.The results showed that the proposed method can better achieve the segmentation and statistics of structural planes with interfaces and sharp boundaries.The method works well in the identification of joints,fissures,and other structural planes on Mangshezhai slope in the Three Gorges Reservoir area,China.It can provide a stable and effective technique for the identification and segmentation of rock mass structural planes,which is beneficial in engineering practice.

GROWING TOGETHER WITH CHINA

The newly adopted Foreign Investment Law is a gesture from the Chinese Govemment to further the process of opening up, said Bianka Bian, Executive Vice President and General Legal Counsei of Nestle Greater China Region, in a recent interview with Beijing Review. According to Bian, the law not only promotes foreign businesses but also protects them and gives companies like Nestle greater confide nee in the Chinese market Edited excerpts of the interview follow.

In-Situ Growing of Branched CNFs on Reusable RCFs to Construct Hierarchical Cross-Linked Composite for Enhanced Microwave Absorption

The recycling of carbon fibers and protection from unwanted microwave radiation are two important environmental issues that need to be addressed in modern society.Herein,branched carbon nanofibers(CNFs)were grown in-situ on recycled carbon fibers(RCFs)through the chemical vapor deposition method using nickel as catalysts and thiophene as aided-catalysts.The effect of thiophene on the growth morphology of CNFs was investigated.Correspondingly,branched CNFs-RCFs and straight CNFs-RCFs were respectively obtained in the presence and absence of thiophene.The microstructure and electromagnetic behaviour investigations have shown that the branched CNFs possess a typical multi-branched structure,with more defects,pores and a larger specific surface area than the straight CNFs,which lead to better impedance matching and adequate dielectric loss ability for the branched CNFs-RCFs.The reflection loss(RL)results show that the branched CNFs-RCFs exhibit an optimum RL of -23.6 dB at 1.5 mm and a best effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 7.5 GHz at 2.0 mm.This research provides an innovative microwave absorbing material with adequate absorbing strength and outstanding EAB,while also promoting the sustainable reuse of the RCFs resources.

Effect of Temperature on Frost-Free Days and Length of Crop Growing Season across Southern Ontario

Climate change has an impact on various climatic variables. In this study our focus is mainly on temperature characteristics of climate parameter. In temperate and humid regions like southern Ontario, the effect of climate change on Frost-free days in winter is distinctive. The average annual temperature is going upward but the extreme increase is in the winter temperature. Winter average temperature is going up by about 2˚C. However, extreme daily minimum temperature is going up by more than 3˚C. This climate effect has a great impact on the nature of precipitation and length of frost-free days. The snowfall over winter months is decreasing and the rainfall is increasing. However, the number of frost-free days during late fall months, early winter months, late winter months and early spring months are increasing. This result reveals an increase in length of the growing season. This research focuses on the effect of change in climatic variables on Frost-free days in Southern Ontario. Therefore, special attention should be given to the effect of change in climate Frost-free conditions on length of crop growing in winter season for potential investigation.

Growing Momentum

Zimbabwe makes big gains in agricultural yields on the back of Chinese cooperation For the first time in 56 years, Zimbabwe was able to produce sufflcient wheat for its population,and in the process, became the only African country to do so.According to the country’s Cluster Agricultural Development Services, Zimbabwe achieved a milestone in wheat production by harvesting 375,000tonnes of the grain in 2022.

基于GROW模型的研究生科研能力培养指导方法——以土木工程专业为例

文章以土木工程专业为例,探讨了基于GROW模型培养研究生科研能力的指导方法。GROW模型是一种广泛应用于个人发展和教育领域的教练模型,包括Goal(目标)、Reality(现状)、Options(选择)和Will(意愿)4个关键元素。通过GROW模型设定明确的科研目标、了解研究现状、探讨可行的研究方案和激发执行意愿,导师可指导研究生开展科研工作、锻炼其科研能力,并取得科研成果。实践表明,采用GROW模型不仅让导师在指导研究生的过程中更轻松,研究生在科研过程中成长更明显,而且使师生关系更融洽。基于GROW模型的研究生科研能力培养指导方法科学、系统、实操性强,且效果明显,值得推广应用。

Temporal and Spatial Variation Characteristics of Precipitation during Crop Growing Season in Northeast China

[Objective] The aims were to understand variation characteristics of water resources and provide theoretical guidance for the formulation of agricultural irrigation methods.[Method] Taking the precipitation records during crop growing season（from April to September）observed by 177 weather stations from 1971 to 2008 in the three provinces of Northeast China（Heilongjiang,Jilin and Liaoning）as research data,annual change and spatial distribution characteristics of precipitation during crop growing season were analyzed by means of small grid interpolation and climatic trend rate.[Result] The precipitation during crop growing season general exhibited the decreasing trend and the precipitation trend rate was-8.6 mm/10a in Northeast China.In addition,there was lack of rain from 1971 to 1980 and relatively abundant of rain during 1981 and 1990 respectively.Moreover,the precipitation obviously exhibited decreasing trend from 1991 to 2008.But the decreasing trend was inconsistent in spatial distributions,that was,the precipitation slightly increased in relatively rainless areas and obviously decreased in relatively rainy areas.[Conclusion] The areas with obvious decreasing trend of precipitation during crop growing season are the main grain producing zones in Northeast China,so the problem of food production security caused by the precipitation changes should be paid enough attention.

Impact of climate and human activity on NDVI of various vegetation types in the Three-River Source Region, China

The Three-River Source Region(TRSR)in China holds a vital position and exhibits an irreplaceable strategic importance in ecological preservation at the national level.On the basis of an in-depth study of the vegetation evolution in the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,we conducted a detailed analysis of the feedback mechanism of vegetation growth to climate change and human activity for different vegetation types.During the growing season,the spatiotemporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)for different vegetation types in the TRSR were analyzed using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)-NDVI data and meteorological data from 2000 to 2022.In addition,the response characteristics of vegetation to temperature,precipitation,and human activity were assessed using trend analysis,partial correlation analysis,and residual analysis.Results indicated that,after in-depth research,from 2000 to 2022,the TRSR's average NDVI during the growing season was 0.3482.The preliminary ranking of the average NDVI for different vegetation types was as follows:shrubland(0.5762)>forest(0.5443)>meadow(0.4219)>highland vegetation(0.2223)>steppe(0.2159).The NDVI during the growing season exhibited a fluctuating growth trend,with an average growth rate of 0.0018/10a(P<0.01).Notably,forests displayed a significant development trend throughout the growing season,possessing the fastest rate of change in NDVI(0.0028/10a).Moreover,the upward trends in NDVI for forests and steppes exhibited extensive spatial distributions,with significant increases accounting for 95.23%and 93.80%,respectively.The sensitivity to precipitation was significantly enhanced in other vegetation types other than highland vegetation.By contrast,steppes,meadows,and highland vegetation demonstrated relatively high vulnerability to temperature fluctuations.A further detailed analysis revealed that climate change had a significant positive impact on the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,particularly in its northwestern areas,accounting for 85.05%of the total area.Meanwhile,human activity played a notable positive role in the southwestern and southeastern areas of the TRSR,covering 62.65%of the total area.Therefore,climate change had a significantly higher impact on NDVI during the growing season in the TRSR than human activity.

The environment,especially the minimum temperature,affects summer maize grain yield by regulating ear differentiation and grain development

Ear differentiation,grain development and their interaction with factors in the growing environment,such as temperature,solar radiation and precipitation,greatly influence grain number and grain weight,and ultimately affect summer maize production.In this study,field experiments involving different sowing dates were conducted over three years to evaluate the effects of temperature factors,average solar radiation and total precipitation on the growth process,ear differentiation,fertilization characteristics,grain filling and yield of summer maize varieties with different growth durations.Four hybrids were evaluated in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain(HHHP),China from 2018 to 2020 with five different sowing dates.The results showed that the grain yield formation of summer maize was strongly impacted by the environment from the silking(R1)to milking(R3)stage.Average minimum temperature(AT_(min))was the key environmental factor that determined yield.Reductions in the length of the growing season(r=–0.556,P<0.01)and the total floret number on ear(R^(2)=0.200,P<0.001)were found when AT_(min) was elevated from the emerging(VE)to R1 stage.Both grain-filling rate(R^(2)=0.520,P<0.001)and the floret abortion rate on ear(R^(2)=0.437,P<0.001)showed quadratic relationships with AT_(min) from the R1 to physiological maturity(R6)stage,while the number of days after the R1 stage(r=–0.756,P<0.01)was negatively correlated with AT_(min).An increase in AT_(min) was beneficial for the promotion of yield when it did not exceeded a certain level(above 23°C during the R1–R3 stage and 20–21°C during the R1-R6 stage).Enhanced solar radiation and precipitation during R1–R6 increased the grain-filling rate(R^(2)=0.562,P<0.001 and R^(2)=0.229,P<0.05,respectively).Compared with short-season hybrids,full-season hybrids showed much greater suitability for a critical environment.The coordinated regulation of AT_(min),ear differentiation and grain development at the pre-and post-silking stages improved maize yield by increasing total floret number and grain-filling rate,and by reducing the floret abortion rate on ear.

In situ Hydrothermal Oxidation of Ternary FeCoNi Alloy Electrode for Overall Water Splitting

Exploring noble metal-free catalyst materials for high efficient electrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen is strongly desired for renewable energy development.In this article,a novel bifunctional catalytic electrode of insitu-grown type for alkaline water splitting based on FeCoNi alloy substrate has been successfully prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal oxidation route in an alkaline hydrogen peroxide medium.It shows that the matrix alloy with the atom ratio 4∶3∶3 of Fe∶Co∶Ni can obtain the best catalytic performance when hydrothermally treated at 180℃for 18 h in the solution containing 1.8 M hydrogen peroxide and 3.6 M sodium hydroxide.The as-prepared Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode exhibits small overpotentials of only 184 and 175 mV at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for alkaline OER and HER processes,respectively.The overall water splitting at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)can be stably delivered at a low cell voltage of 1.62 V.These characteristics including the large specific surface area,the high surface nickel content,the abundant catalyst species,the balanced distribution between bivalent and trivalent metal ions,and the strong binding of in-situ naturally growed catalytic layer to matrix are responsible for the prominent catalytic performance of the Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode,which can act as a possible replacement for expensive noble metal-based materials.

Climatic Change Characteristics in Growing Season in Rice Producing Area of Liaoning over the Past 50 years

Based on the conventional meteorological data of temperature,accumulated temperature,precipitation,sunshine,frozen soil and frost-free period from five stations(including Liaozhong,Kaiyuan,Dawa,Donggang and Zhuanghe)in Liaoning Province from April to September during 1960-2009,the climatic changes in growing season in rice producing area of Liaoning Province were analyzed.The results showed that average temperature,frost-free period and accumulated temperature showed increase trend in growing season in rice producing area over the past 50 years,while average maximum depth of frozen soil,precipitation and sunshine duration went down with fluctuation.

Effects of Growing of Different Types of Crops on Constitution of Soil Available Nitrogen and Conversion and Utilization of Nitrogen Fertilizer

The soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum were planted in pot under low nitrogen, high nitrogen treatments, the soil available nitrogen constitution and con- version and utilization of nitrogen fertilizer were determined, so as to provide techni- cal guidance for reasonable use and improving use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer for different types of crops. Compared with the control with nitrogen but unplanted crop, growing soybean, cotton, maize, sorghum significantly decreased the soil available N contents by 53. 48%, 51.54%, 33.10%, 55.03%,and influenced the constitution of soil available N. Thereinto, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased soil inorganic N contents by 85.41%, 83.09%, 70.89% and 83.35%,but increased soil hydrolysable organic N contents by 1.41, 1.53, 2.11 and 1.28 times, respectively; growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased the rate of soil inorganic N to available N by 68.61%, 65.09%, 56.47% and 63.00%, but increased the rate of soil hydrolysable organic N to available N by 4.18, 4.21, 3.66 and 4.08 times, respectively. Compared with the control, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly increased the transform rate of ammonium nitrogen fertilizer by 93.66%, 38.19%, 32.58% and 38.31% respectively, and growing soybean treatment had the highest increasing range; the nitrification rates of ammo- nium nitrogen fertilizer of growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum treatments were negative values, and growing soybean treatment had the highest decreasing amplitude. The ammonium nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of growing soybean, cot- ton, maize and sorghum treatments were 52.01%, 28.31%, 24.16% and 28.40% re- spectively and growing soybean treatment had the highest value. In conclusion, growing crops suppressed the soil nitrification and accelerated the development of soil hydrolysable organic nitrogen by the utilization of soil available nitrogen and the alteration of soil environment, and hence impacted the constitution of soil available nitrogen and the transform and use of ammonium nitrogen applied in soil. Legumi- nous crops had stronger ability of suppressing nitrification, making use of ammonium compared with non-Leguminous crops.

基于GROW模型的高校管理育人路径研究

“管理育人”是实现高校思想政治工作质量提升工程的关键环节。做好“管理育人”,需要高校牢固树立“管理就是育人”的先进理念,立足学生成长需求,重新建构大思政背景下的管理工作流程体系,各级部门协同联动,形成有效的育人工作机制。文章将就目前管理育人中存在的认识、设计、实施等问题进行分析,认为管理育人应纳入“大思政课”范畴,按照实践课程进行教学设计,并引入教练教学法中的GROW模型,以学生在管理环节中获得思政教育成长为目标,探索管理育人的有效实施路径,期望对高校落实管理育人提供有益的启示与借鉴。

Calcium-Magnesium Ca/Mg Ratios and Their Agronomic Implications for the Optimization of Phosphate Fertilization in Rainfed Rice Farming on Acidic Ferralsol in the Forest Zone of Ivory Coast

This study is a contribution to improving rice productivity on acidic plateau soils of the tropical rainforest zone. It is based on taking into account the cationic balances of the soil in order to optimize the phosphorus (P) nutrition of rice on these acidic soils, where this nutrient constitutes a limiting factor for agricultural production. Three (3) pot trials were conducted in Adiopodoumé in the forested south of Côte d’Ivoire. The interactive effects of calcium carbonate (0, 25, 50 and 75 kg Ca ha−1) and magnesium sulfate (0, 25, 50 and 75 kg Mg ha−1) were evaluated on the response of NERICA 5 rice at doses 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg P ha−1 of natural phosphate from Togo, applied only once at the start of the experiment. Additional fertilizers of nitrogen (N) (100 kg N ha−1) and potassium (K) (50 kg KCl ha−1) were added to each of the tests in a split-plot device. The test results revealed a paddy production potential of approximately 3 to 5 t⋅ha−1 for NERICA 5 on an acidic soil, under the effect of the interaction of P, Ca and Mg. The quadratic response of rice yield to the doses of these fertilizers would be more dependent on their balance, itself influenced by Ca nutrition. For the sustainability and maintenance of rice production in agro-ecology studied, it was recommended doses of 38 kg Ca ha−1, 34 kg Mg ha−1 in a Ca/Mg ratio (1/1) with intakes of 41 kg P ha−1, overall in a ratio 1/1/1 (P/Ca/Mg) more favorable to the availability of free iron considered a guiding element of mineral nutrition. Thus, these promising results should be confirmed in a real environment for better management of the fertilization of rice cultivated on acidic plateau soils in Côte d’Ivoire.