04.06.2016 Views

Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science

Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science

Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

244 FUNDAMENTALS OF RICE CROP SCIENCE<br />

7.8. Relationship between plowing<br />

depth and cation exchange<br />

capacity (CEC) <strong>of</strong> high yielding<br />

paddy fields that produced more<br />

than 7.5 t/ha (Aomine 1955).<br />

surface soil allows rice roots to contact the soil nutrients in a larger volume <strong>of</strong> soil.<br />

Deep plowing improves soil properties by drying the lower soil layers, thereby,<br />

promoting the weathering <strong>of</strong> soil minerals. However, deep plowing may not be<br />

effective unless combined with increased applications <strong>of</strong> fertilizer.<br />

A large soil volume implies a greater supply <strong>of</strong> soil nutrients and a greater<br />

capacity for cation exchange. In paddy soils, applied nitrogen is held by soil clay<br />

minerals through cation exchange. In soils whose cation exchange capacity (CEC)<br />

is low, more <strong>of</strong> the applied nitrogen comes into the soil solution. The rice plant can<br />

absorb this nitrogen easily and its early growth becomes vigorous. At later growth<br />

stages, the rice crop may suffer nitrogen shortages because a considerable portion<br />

<strong>of</strong> the applied nitrogen has already been absorbed and also some nitrogen may have<br />

been lost by percolation. An adequately high CEC will hold applied nitrogen and<br />

release it to rice at later growth stages.<br />

When plowing depths are plotted against CEC in fields that produce yields<br />

higher than 7.5 t/ha, the CEC tends to increase at shallower plowing depths (Fig.<br />

7.8). Thus, if the CEC is sufficiently large, a shallow surface soil can produce a<br />

high yield. From Figure 7.8, and on the basis <strong>of</strong> highly simplified assumptions,<br />

such a CEC is estimated at 250 kg equivalent/ha.<br />

c. Heavy application <strong>of</strong> compost. To produce high yields, the prize winners<br />

applied from 8 to 30 t compost/ha. The application <strong>of</strong> large amounts <strong>of</strong> compost is<br />

usually combined with deep plowing and good internal drainage.<br />

Compost releases nitrogen at slower rates than do chemical fertilizers and thus<br />

provides nitrogen at later stages <strong>of</strong> crop growth. Composts or farmyard manures<br />

are good sources <strong>of</strong> nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, and silica.<br />

Deep plowing in well-drained fields quickly decreases the organic matter in the<br />

surface soil. A liberal application <strong>of</strong> compost will help maintain the organic matter<br />

supply. However, compost is not essential for a high yield (see Section 7.5.2).<br />

Moderately high yields can be obtained without compost and on soils low in<br />

organic matter.<br />

There is no added benefit in terms <strong>of</strong> yield between nitrogen added as<br />

ammonium sulfate and that provided partially with 10 t compost/ha, if the

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!