Effect of planting and irrigation management strategies on growth, yield and water productivity of indica rice in Iran

One of the most important problems for rice production is the high water need of this plant. Therefore, the use of modern technologies to increase water-saving in paddy fields is critical to global food security. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of different planting methods and irrigation systems on growth, yield and water productivity in rice. The experiment was arranged as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments included the main plot assigned to three planting methods (transplanting at puddled bed [TPB], transplanting at non-puddled bed [TNPB], and direct-seeded rice [DSR]) and the sub-plot assigned to three irrigation systems (continuous flooding irrigation (CFI), alternate wetting and drying [AWD], and drip irrigation [DI]). The results showed that the highest grain yield (3962.7 kg.ha−1) and more-water-saving (17.3%) was achieved in the TPB treatment. Total water productivity for TPB, TNPB, and DSR methods were calculated to be 0.56, 0.43, and 0.34 kg.m−3, respectively. Grain yield in CFI (3457.6 kg.ha−1) and AWD (3410.3 kg.ha−1) systems was significantly higher than DI treatment (3150.7 kg.ha−1), while no significant difference was observed between CFI and AWD treatments in terms of rice production. However, the AWD system increased water-saving by 24.8% compared with CFI. Our results highlight that combined application of AWD system and TPB method has a great potential to reduce total water input without negatively affecting yield.