Zeolite amendment enhances rice production, nitrogen accumulation and translocation in wetting and drying irrigation paddy field

• Published in: Agricultural water management 2020-05, Vol.235, p.106126, Article 106126
• Main Authors: Sun, Yidi, He, Zhenli, Wu, Qi, Zheng, Junlin, Li, Yinghao, Wang, Yanzhi, Chen, Taotao, Chi, Daocai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternate wetting and drying irrigation; Dry matter accumulation; Nitrogen accumulation and translocation; Soil inorganic N; Zeolite
• ISSN: 0378-3774; 1873-2283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106126

•Alternate wetting and drying irrigation increased inorganic N in soil, but not plant N accumulation of rice.•Alternate wetting and drying irrigation reduced water usage with similar or reduced rice grain yield.•Zeolite amendment increased inorganic N in soil and plant N accumulation of rice.•Zeolite amendment enhanced plant growth and subsequent grain yield of rice. Zeolite (Z) has been widely used for improving rice production, but there is a lack of information on how nitrogen (N) accumulation and translocation affect yield performance of paddy field in the alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD) amended with zeolite. In this study, a 2-year field experiment with installed lysimeters was carried out to determine the influence of Z application (0, 5 and 10 t Z ha−1) on rice yield, tiller number, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation and translocation (DMA and DMT), N accumulation and translocation (NA and NT), inorganic N content in soil under two irrigation regimes (CF: continuously flooded irrigation, AWD). The results showed that AWD didn’t affect rice grain yield in 2016, but reduced it in 2017 without Z application; and rice yield was not affected by AWD with the application of 10 t Z ha−1 in two years, relative to CF. AWD reduced highest and ineffective tiller number in 2016, and highest and final tiller number in 2017; as well as LAI after joint-booting stage, relative to CF. Z amendment significantly increased highest and final tiller number, but didn’t affect ineffective tiller number; and increased LAI after joint-booting stage. The principal components analysis showed that grain yield was more significantly correlated with the panicles per m2, NT, and aboveground DMA and NA after panicle-initiation stage. As compared to CF, AWD significantly reduced aboveground DMA after panicle-initiation stage; aboveground NA after joint-booting stage in both years; and NT in 2016, but not in 2017. Z amendment significantly improved aboveground DMA and NA after tillering stage, as well as NT and panicles per m2. In addition, AWD with Z amendment significantly improved inorganic N content in soil.