Improving water productivity by potassium application in various rice genotypes

This field experiment evaluated the performance of different rice genotypes under lowland and upland irrigation systems with and without potassium fertilization. The most popular six rice genotypes grown in China; two Indica hybrids viz. Liangyoupei 9 and Xieyou 9308, and four Japonica rice varieties viz. Bing 0001, Bing 0004, Bing 9904 and Huayu # 1 were used in this study. Impacts of two potassium (K) levels (0 & 180 kg per ha) and two irrigation systems (lowland & upland) were investigated for yield attributes, grain yield and K uptake of these genotypes. Potassium fertilizer increased the yield of rice, but the response of different genotypes was variable. Effect of upland system on rice yield was diverse with K levels and rice genotypes, whereas K uptake by rice grains was significantly lower than in lowland. Genotypes showed statistical variation for production in both irrigation systems and response to K fertilization.