Smash ridge tillage strongly influence soil functionality, physiology and rice yield

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Soil Science
• Agronomy

Background:

• Smash-ridging tillage shows potential for dryland crop cultivation.
• The impact of soil functionality and root traits on rice yield under smash-ridging with reduced nitrogen is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of different tillage methods (S40, S20, T) and rice varieties on soil quality, root traits, and rice yield.
• To analyze the correlations between soil properties, root traits, and rice yield under reduced nitrogen fertilization.

Main Methods:

• Three tillage methods: smash-ridging 40 cm (S40), smash-ridging 20 cm (S20), and traditional plowing 20 cm (T).
• Two rice varieties: hybrid and conventional.
• Measurement of soil quality, root traits, rice yield, leaf area index (LAI), plant height (PH), biomass accumulation (BA), and panicle number (PN) at different growth stages.

Main Results:

• Smash-ridging significantly improved soil physical and chemical properties and root traits compared to traditional plowing.
• S40 resulted in the highest LAI, PH, and BA, leading to a 6.9-9.4% increase in grain yield (GY).
• Root traits like RTAA, RAA, and RAR correlated strongly with soil quality; RIF and RBA correlated with LAI and AGBA.

Conclusions:

• Smash-ridging, particularly S40, effectively enhances soil quality and root development in rice cultivation.
• S40 is a promising tillage strategy for improving rice yield under reduced nitrogen conditions.
• Root traits play a crucial role in mediating the positive effects of S40 on soil and yield.