Rice cropping system in semi-mechanized and traditional planting patterns in Northern Iran

Abstract

Modifying the conventional rice cropping systems and creating innovative cropping techniques might be considered as a way to increase performance, reducing the environmental pollutants and, enhancing the productivity. Therefore, the present study was aimed to determine the different cropping systems and planting patterns of rice crop. Field trials were conducted in Babol region located in north of Iran during the periods of 2016 and 2017. The experiment was carried out as factorial based on a randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with four replications. Five cropping systems including conventional, low-input, high-input, improved and organic systems were used as main plots. Two planting patterns (traditional and semi-mechanized) were considered as subplots, respectively. The findings displayed that the days from transplanting to tillering, panicle initiation and full maturity of rice in traditional method was significantly higher than semi-mechanized method. The no. of tiller per hill, no. of fertile tiller per hill, nutrients (N, P, K and Zn) harvest index and nutrient (N, P, K and Zn) unitization efficiency in semi-mechanized method was significantly greater than traditional method. Days from transplanting to panicle initiation in conventional system was higher than high-input, improved, low-input and organic systems, respectively. Days from transplanting to full maturity in conventional system was greater than high-input, improved, low-input and organic systems, respectively. Paddy yield (PY) in high-input system (4331 kg ha⁻¹) was 6.07%, 19.44% and 28.52% greater than conventional, low-input and organic systems, respectively. PY in improved system (4293 kg ha⁻¹) was 5.14%, 18.39% and 27.39% higher than conventional, low-input and organic systems, respectively. The most nutrients (N, P, K, Zn) grain and straw uptakes was obtained in high-input, improved and conventional systems. In contrast, nutrient utilization efficiency in organic system was significantly greater than low-input, improved, high-input and conventional systems, respectively. Therefore, it seems that by designing an innovative improved system, the production productivity can be enhanced and will be resulted in enhance of nutrients uptake and utilization efficiency in rice crop.

Keywords:

• growth phenology
• nutrient use efficiency
• organic system
• productivity

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest to declare.

Author contribution

S. Youseftabar: designed and performed the experiment; H. Heidari Sharifabad: supervised the research; I. Majidi Heravan: supervised the research.