Comparing water input and water productivity of transplanted and direct-seeded rice production systems

• Published in: Agricultural water management 2002-09, Vol.57 (1), p.11-31
• Main Authors: Cabangon, R.J, Tuong, T.P, Abdullah, N.B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Crop establishment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Irrigation; Malaysia; Sowing and planting; Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting; Water balance and requirements. Evapotranspiration; Water productivity; Water saving
• ISSN: 0378-3774; 1873-2283
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-3774(02)00048-3

Increasing water scarcity threatens food production in irrigated rice systems in Asia. It is, therefore, important to identify rice production systems that require less irrigation water than traditional transplanted (TP) rice. This study investigated the effect of crop establishment methods on irrigation input and water productivity (weight of produce per unit volume of water used) in three irrigation service units (ISU) from 1988 to 1994 in the Muda Irrigation Scheme, Malaysia. Water balance components, crop establishment method, the progress of farming activities, and rice yield of individual farmers and over the whole ISU were monitored. Yields in TP ISU were higher than in wet-seeded (WS) ISU and those in WS ISU higher than in dry-seeded (DS) ISU, but the difference was significant ( P