Moldboard Plowing with Direct Seeding Improves Soil Properties and Sustainable Productivity in Ratoon Rice Farmland in Southern China

Evans Asenso, Luyong Zhang, Lingmao Tang, Fuseini Issaka, Kai Tian, Jiuhao Li and Lian Hu
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Evans Asenso: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Luyong Zhang: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Lingmao Tang: College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Fuseini Issaka: College of Natural Resource and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Kai Tian: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jiuhao Li: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Lian Hu: College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: Several tillage and planting methods have been proposed to enhance the soil bulk density, biological community, and grain yield of rice. In this work, we present the impact of plowing methods with different rice crop establishment approaches, i.e., moldboard plowing with mechanical transplanting (MPMT), rotary tillage with mechanical transplanting (RTMT), moldboard plowing with direct seeding (MPDS), and rotary tillage with direct seeding (RTDS), on soil bulk density, microbial community, enzymatic activities, and grain yield of ratoon rice (RR). The results showed that MPDS improved soil bulk density in 0–30 cm depth in both years and both harvesting times (1H: 1st harvest and 2H: 2nd harvest). The results also showed that microbial community significantly improved under MPDS compared to the other treatments in both years and in 1H and 2H. Additionally, enzymatic activities showed a positive effect under MPDS in both years and in 1H and 2H. MPDS subsequently improved rice grain yield by 18.05% and 17.27% in 2017 (1H and 2H), and 14.86% and 18.64% in 2018 (1H and 2H), respectively. In conclusion, MPDS appears to be a more suitable approach to obtaining high soil eminence and health, as well as sustainable RR production.

Keywords: enzymatic activity; direct seeding; microbial community; moldboard plowing; ratoon rice yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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