Mulching Improves Water Productivity, Yield and Quality of Fine Rice under Water-saving Rice Production Systems

Gibberellins (GAs) are growth hormones strongly involved in a wide variety of physiological activities. Currently, gibberellins are commercially used to enhance phenotypic characteristics, earliness, and productivity of many vegetable and ornamental crops. In this work, the efficacy of supplementation of low levels of gibberellic acid (0, 10−8, 10−6, and 10−4 M GA3) through the mineral nutrient solution of a floating system on yield and quality of leaf lettuce and rocket plants was tested. The marketability of plants was lost when 10−4 M GA3 was added to the mineral nutrient solution. This study demonstrated that the addition of 10−4 M GA3 exceeded the acceptable threshold for use in hydroponics production systems. Below the concentration of 10−4 M, the presence of GA3 in the mineral nutrient solutions (MNS), especially at 10−6 M GA3, stimulated plant growth and enhanced the yield. Various morphological and physiological traits were enhanced by GA3 treatments (biomass accumulation, leaf expansion, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency (WUE), Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), etc.), with superimposable trends in both lettuce and rocket. The addition of 10−6 M GA3 to the nutrient solution of a hydroponic floating system can promote growth and quality of lettuce and rocket plants.

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OPTIMIZING WATER PRODUCTIVITY, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GRAPEFRUIT IRRIGATED BY BUBBLER AND SURFACE IRRIGATION UNDER KHARTOUM STATE SUDAN CONDITIONS

AGROFOR ◽

10.7251/agreng1801018a ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Al-KHALIFA B. AHMED ◽

Shaker BABIKER AHMED ◽

Mohamed A. ALI ◽

Adil Y. YAGOUB

Keyword(s):

Irrigation System ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Total Yield ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Surface Irrigation ◽

Marginal Rate ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

Irrigation Interval

The experiment was carried out in the private orchards at Tayba Alhasnab area ofsouth Khartoum State, in Sudan during 2012 and 2013 to evaluate the waterproductivity, yield and quality of foster grapefruit irrigated by bubbler and surfaceirrigation system. Irrigation interval was 5 days in bubbler irrigation system andevery 7 to12 days in surface irrigation system depending on the prevailing weatherconditions. The results revealed that higher yield and number of fruits was obtainedon bubbler irrigation system compared to surface irrigation system. Moreover,bubbler irrigation system increased the total yield of foster grapefruit by 28% and25%, respectively as compared to surface irrigation system. Applying irrigatedwater under bubbler irrigation system improved the quality parameters of fostergrapefruit such as fruit diameter recorded significant differences on bubblerirrigation system compared with surface irrigation system in both years, fruitweight and peel thickness recorded significant differences (P≤0.001) betweenbubbler irrigation system and surface irrigation system on finger weight, but ondifferences in peel thickness in both years, total soluble solids of foster grapefruitirrigated by bubbler irrigation system were significantly higher (P≤ 0.001)compared with surface irrigation system in both years.However, bubbler irrigation system saved irrigation water by 68% and 71% andhad highest water productivity (2.9 and 2.7 kg/m3) compared to surface irrigationsystem (0.67 and 0.68 kg/m3). Also highest marginal rate of return was obtainedwith bubbler irrigation system compared to surface irrigation.

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WATER SAVING, WATER PRODUCTIVITY AND YIELD OUTPUTS OF FINE-GRAIN RICE CULTIVARS UNDER CONVENTIONAL AND WATER-SAVING RICE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479714000477 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 567-581 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

K. JABRAN ◽

E. ULLAH ◽

M. HUSSAIN ◽

M. FAROOQ ◽

N. HAIDER ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Production Systems ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Water Saving ◽

Rice Cultivars ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Wetting And Drying ◽

Fine Grain ◽

Weed Infestation ◽

Yield Penalty

SUMMARYIn this study, we compared the weed emergence, water input, water saving, water productivity, panicle sterility, yield outputs and economic returns of transplanting with alternate wetting and drying (TRAWD) and dry direct seeding (DSR) with transplanting under continuous flooding (TRCF) using three fine-grain rice cultivars: Super Basmati; Basmati 2000; and Shaheen Basmati. Higher weed infestation was recorded in DSR than in TRCF and TRAWD. Raising rice as TRAWD and DSR had considerable water savings but a lower grain yield than TRCF. High panicle sterility was primarily responsible for low grain yield in TRAWD and DSR systems. Nonetheless, water productivity was better in DSR and TRAWD than TRCF. Shaheen Basmati in the DSR system and Basmati 2000 in TRCF fetched the highest economic returns during 2008 and 2009, respectively. In conclusion, fine-grain rice cultivars can be grown in water-saving production systems (e.g. TRAWD and DSR); however, these water-saving production systems might incur a yield penalty.

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