Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science
Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science
Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science
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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