Yield response of different local and hybrid paddy varieties to different ponding depths
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Date
2011
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The combined increase in demand for food and scarcity of water worldwide highlights
the need for prudent use of water resources. Agriculture, particularly, paddy production,
faces two major challenges: (i) to save water; (ii) to increase productivity. One way to
deal with this situation is using water saving regimes at field scale. This study therefore
was aimed at evaluating some of the water-saving cultural practices in paddy
production under Tanzanian conditions. Four different ponding levels (5 cm, 3 cm, 0
cm and the control based on ETc replenishment) represented the main plots while the
paddy rice varieties were randomly assigned as sub-plots in each of the main plots. The
experiment was designed as 4 x 4 factorial arrangement of treatments in a split- plot
design replicated three times (three blocks). Yield, water productivity and seepage and
percolation were assessed for each sub-treatment. Results showed no significant
difference (p< 0.05) in yield of the varieties as a result of ponding depths and no
significant interaction between ponding depth and variety. However, the variety effect
on yield was significant. On the other hand, there was significant interaction between
ponding depth and variety in terms of water productivity. About 10% of the water
applied to whole plot treatments with ponding depths 3 cm and 5 cm was
consumptively used. The whole plot treatments based on ETc replenishment resulted in
the highest water productivity for all the varieties. Variety TXD88 yielded highest at all
ponding levels while the 0 cm ponding level had the least seepage and percolation
losses amounting to 78% of water applied. This shows that traditional cultural practices
requiring inundation over a long period and using large amounts of water can beii
dispensed with at minimal loss in yield but at significantly higher levels of water
productivity.
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Keywords
Hybrid paddy, Ponding depths, Yield response, Water resources