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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2017, Vol. 16 Issue (05): 1028-1043    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61506-X
Section 2: Efficient utilization of resources Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Grain yield and water use efficiency of super rice under soil water deficit and alternate wetting and drying irrigation
ZHOU Qun1, JU Cheng-xin1, WANG Zhi-qin1, ZHANG Hao1, LIU Li-jun1, YANG Jian-chang1, ZHANG Jian-hua2

1 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China

2 School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R.China

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Abstract  This study investigated if super rice could better cope with soil water deficit and if it could have better yield performance and water use efficiency (WUE) under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation than check rice.  Two super rice cultivars and two elite check rice cultivars were grown in pots with three soil moisture levels, well watered (WW), moderate water deficit (MWD) and severe water deficit (SWD).  Two cultivars, each for super rice and check rice, were grown in field with three irrigation regimes, alternate wetting and moderate drying (AWMD), alternate wetting and severe drying (AWSD) and conventional irrigation (CI).  Compared with that under WW, grain yield was significantly decreased under MWD and SWD treatments, with less reduction for super rice than for check rice.  Super rice had higher percentage of productive tillers, deeper root distribution, higher root oxidation activity, and greater aboveground biomass production at mid and late growth stages than check rice, especially under WMD and WSD.  Compared with CI, AWMD increased, whereas AWSD decreased grain yield, with more increase or less decrease for super rice than for check rice.  Both MWD and SWD treatments and either AWMD or AWSD regime significantly increased WUE compared with WW treatment or CI regime, with more increase for super rice than for check rice.  The results suggest that super rice has a stronger ability to cope with soil water deficit and holds greater promising to increase both grain yield and WUE by adoption of moderate AWD irrigation.
Keywords:  super rice      soil water deficit      alternate wetting and drying (AWD)      grain yield      water use efficiency  
Received: 22 August 2016   Accepted:
Fund: 

This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31461143015, 31271641, 31471438), the National Key Technology Support Program of China (2014AA10A605, 216YFD0300206-4), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), China, and the Jiangsu Creation Program for Post-graduation Students, China (KYZZ15_0364).

Corresponding Authors:  YANG Jian-chang, Tel/Fax: +86-514-87979317, E-mail: jcyang@yzu.edu.cn   
About author:  ZHOU Qun, Mobile: +86-15371341560, E-mail: 1146560437@qq.com

Cite this article: 

ZHOU Qun, JU Cheng-xin, WANG Zhi-qin, ZHANG Hao, LIU Li-jun, YANG Jian-chang, ZHANG Jian-hua . 2017. Grain yield and water use efficiency of super rice under soil water deficit and alternate wetting and drying irrigation. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 16(05): 1028-1043.

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