Thesis (M. Agr. Sc.)--University of Queensland, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Drought and poor soil fertility are often cited as major constraints to rainfed lowland rice production in Laos, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country, where uncertainty in the growing season is common, due mainly to a combination of unreliable rainfall and coarse textured soils with a low water holding capacity and high rates of deep percolation. The soil conditions, together with fluctuations in rainfall distribution, are regarded as the most serious constraints to achieving high and stable grain yields in the rainfed lowland rice ecosystem in this region. Improvements in rainfed lowland rice productivity depend, in part, on improved predictions of water availability, as well as better understanding of soil nutrient and water stress limitations to grain yield. The use of a soil water balance model, in conjunction with the quantification of soil nutrient availability, can help in estimating free water levels in the rice fields, thereby helping determine the duration of the growing period, as well as, helping with predictions of potential yield reduction due to water stress and soil nutrient limitations. Linking the simulated results with Geographic Information System (GIS) can help quantify the spatial pattern of these attributes at a provincial or regional scale. This study was aimed at quantifying the spatial distribution of water availability, including the frequency and severity of water stress development during the growing period, and to estimate the effects of soil fertility and water stress on rice productivity in Savannakhet province in southern Lao PDR. The current status in relation to the variability in field water availability, soil fertility, farm crop management practices and grain yield throughout Savannakhet province were quantified, first by collecting farm data from 53 and 48 farmers’ fields in the 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons, respectively, These farms were selected to be representative of a wide range of soil and climate conditions within the province. The results show that rainfall distribution pattern, soil type and toposequence position of paddy fields, are crucial factors contributing to the temporal variation in field water availability. The overall yield loss due to water stress associated with late season drought was estimated to be rather small (10%, 5% and 3% for the top, middle and bottom toposequence positions of rice fields, respectively) in the 2008 wet season. On the other hand, application of chemical fertilizer has a large effect on final grain yield, with 50 kg N ha-1 and 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 increasing yield by 600 to 800 kg and 800 to 1000kg ha-1 respectively, in the 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons. A new soil water balance (SWB) model that incorporates the effect of low soil clay content on deep percolation, was developed to quantify field water availability and the length of growing period (LGP) for various rainfall lowland rice cropping environments. The model estimates the amount of water stored in a soil profile, the profile being divided into two layers: Layer 1 (0-200 mm) consists of standing water and the topsoil layer, while Layer 2 (200-1000 mm) is the subsoil layer. The SWB model was validated with field experimental data obtained in the 2002 and 2008 cropping seasons. The simulated free water levels were close to those recorded for the observed field data, with a small mean average error, lower root mean square error, and significant correlation coefficient and index of agreement over all sites across the three toposequence positions of paddy fields. Maps of the length, start and end of growing period (LGP, SGP and EGP, respectively) for rainfed lowland rice in Savannakhet province, were developed using the SWB model, with inputs of median weekly climatic data and soil water characteristics. The province was delineated into three main LGP zones with a short LGP zone (less than 21 weeks) in the east, northwest and some rice fields in the south-western corner of the province; an intermediate LGP zone (21 to 24 weeks) was defined in the central and western part of the province; and a long LGP zone (greater than 24 weeks) for the south and for some rice fields in the western part of the province. The variation in the SGP from year-to-year was due largely to the variation in rainfall early in the wet-season (e.g. April), while EGP was strongly dependent upon the clay content of the soils being cropped. The SWB model was combined with other models that estimate yield potential, soil nutrient supply and yield reduction by low soil water level, to characterize and map the suitability zones for rainfed lowland rice in Savannakhet province. The overall results of the model performance on yield estimates were satisfactorily, with a significant correlation coefficient (0.54**) and high index of agreement (0.68) over the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The model classified three main rice agro-ecological zones according to the suitability of climate and soil conditions. The majority of the lowland rice growing areas are classified as moderately suitable to marginally suitable, while the potential area classified as being high suitable is very small. A large potential response of rice yields to fertilizer inputs is predicted for most of rice growing areas in the province. The best sowing time for achieving a high yield, as evaluated by the model, is the first half of June. Appropriate crop phenology and increasing fertilizer use efficiency that matches with water availability and soil conditions in each rice agro-ecological zone, are important in achieving improvements in rice productivity, as substantial improvements in rice fields cannot be achieved by improving water availability alone, where paddy fields are dominated by soils with low level of indigenous fertility. Although the model is capable of quantifying field water availability and crop yield due to the limitations associated with low levels of soil nutrients and water stress, the model has the potential for further improvements in two areas. First, the estimates of water loss need to be modified by incorporating variable factors such as slope of paddy field, which can affects lateral water movement and hence free water level. Second, the model should incorporate some key agronomic variables, such as internal efficiencies and recovery efficiencies of applied fertilizer, which depend on variety, crop management and climatic conditions, and these factors can be modelled.

Drought and poor soil fertility are often cited as major constraints to rainfed lowland rice production in Laos, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country, where uncertainty in the growing season is common, due mainly to a combination of unreliable rainfall and coarse textured soils with a low water holding capacity and high rates of deep percolation. The soil conditions, together with fluctuations in rainfall distribution, are regarded as the most serious constraints to achieving high and stable grain yields in the rainfed lowland rice ecosystem in this region. Improvements in rainfed lowland rice productivity depend, in part, on improved predictions of water availability, as well as better understanding of soil nutrient and water stress limitations to grain yield. The use of a soil water balance model, in conjunction with the quantification of soil nutrient availability, can help in estimating free water levels in the rice fields, thereby helping determine the duration of the growing period, as well as, helping with predictions of potential yield reduction due to water stress and soil nutrient limitations. Linking the simulated results with Geographic Information System (GIS) can help quantify the spatial pattern of these attributes at a provincial or regional scale. This study was aimed at quantifying the spatial distribution of water availability, including the frequency and severity of water stress development during the growing period, and to estimate the effects of soil fertility and water stress on rice productivity in Savannakhet province in southern Lao PDR. The current status in relation to the variability in field water availability, soil fertility, farm crop management practices and grain yield throughout Savannakhet province were quantified, first by collecting farm data from 53 and 48 farmers’ fields in the 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons, respectively, These farms were selected to be representative of a wide range of soil and climate conditions within the province. The results show that rainfall distribution pattern, soil type and toposequence position of paddy fields, are crucial factors contributing to the temporal variation in field water availability. The overall yield loss due to water stress associated with late season drought was estimated to be rather small (10%, 5% and 3% for the top, middle and bottom toposequence positions of rice fields, respectively) in the 2008 wet season. On the other hand, application of chemical fertilizer has a large effect on final grain yield, with 50 kg N ha-1 and 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 increasing yield by 600 to 800 kg and 800 to 1000kg ha-1 respectively, in the 2007 and 2008 cropping seasons. A new soil water balance (SWB) model that incorporates the effect of low soil clay content on deep percolation, was developed to quantify field water availability and the length of growing period (LGP) for various rainfall lowland rice cropping environments. The model estimates the amount of water stored in a soil profile, the profile being divided into two layers: Layer 1 (0-200 mm) consists of standing water and the topsoil layer, while Layer 2 (200-1000 mm) is the subsoil layer. The SWB model was validated with field experimental data obtained in the 2002 and 2008 cropping seasons. The simulated free water levels were close to those recorded for the observed field data, with a small mean average error, lower root mean square error, and significant correlation coefficient and index of agreement over all sites across the three toposequence positions of paddy fields. Maps of the length, start and end of growing period (LGP, SGP and EGP, respectively) for rainfed lowland rice in Savannakhet province, were developed using the SWB model, with inputs of median weekly climatic data and soil water characteristics. The province was delineated into three main LGP zones with a short LGP zone (less than 21 weeks) in the east, northwest and some rice fields in the south-western corner of the province; an intermediate LGP zone (21 to 24 weeks) was defined in the central and western part of the province; and a long LGP zone (greater than 24 weeks) for the south and for some rice fields in the western part of the province. The variation in the SGP from year-to-year was due largely to the variation in rainfall early in the wet-season (e.g. April), while EGP was strongly dependent upon the clay content of the soils being cropped. The SWB model was combined with other models that estimate yield potential, soil nutrient supply and yield reduction by low soil water level, to characterize and map the suitability zones for rainfed lowland rice in Savannakhet province. The overall results of the model performance on yield estimates were satisfactorily, with a significant correlation coefficient (0.54**) and high index of agreement (0.68) over the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The model classified three main rice agro-ecological zones according to the suitability of climate and soil conditions. The majority of the lowland rice growing areas are classified as moderately suitable to marginally suitable, while the potential area classified as being high suitable is very small. A large potential response of rice yields to fertilizer inputs is predicted for most of rice growing areas in the province. The best sowing time for achieving a high yield, as evaluated by the model, is the first half of June. Appropriate crop phenology and increasing fertilizer use efficiency that matches with water availability and soil conditions in each rice agro-ecological zone, are important in achieving improvements in rice productivity, as substantial improvements in rice fields cannot be achieved by improving water availability alone, where paddy fields are dominated by soils with low level of indigenous fertility. Although the model is capable of quantifying field water availability and crop yield due to the limitations associated with low levels of soil nutrients and water stress, the model has the potential for further improvements in two areas. First, the estimates of water loss need to be modified by incorporating variable factors such as slope of paddy field, which can affects lateral water movement and hence free water level. Second, the model should incorporate some key agronomic variables, such as internal efficiencies and recovery efficiencies of applied fertilizer, which depend on variety, crop management and climatic conditions, and these factors can be modelled.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Human activity has been pointed out as the main reason of global warming by effluxes of CO2, N2O and CH4. In the last years, harmful effects of greenhouse gases due to its increase in atmosphere have been arousing interests of scientists into propose mechanisms of mitigation. Flooding rice is responsible for about 12% of CH4 released to atmosphere and therefore, is considerate one of the most important source of this greenhouse gas. There are many factors that control CH4 efflux in irrigated rice fields, which difficult an accurate identification of the responsible mechanisms. However, is known that irrigation regime and selection of rice cultivars affect CH4 efflux and may be managed intending to mitigate it. The objectives of this thesis were: (a) verify the effect of continuous irrigation, intermittent irrigation and intermittent flooding into CH4 efflux of a hapludalf soil cultivated with flooding rice at central region of Rio Grande do Sul State; (b) evaluate CH4 efflux of rice cultivated in greenhouse under different irrigation managements and relate the efflux to agronomic parameters of rice plants; (c) evaluate the irrigation systems over the rice crop and how it affect the electrochemical of soil solution and plant development; (d) evaluate CH4 efflux through cultivars of rice from Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States and relate it to plant morphological attributes. Intermittent irrigation was efficient to mitigate CH4 efflux in rice cultivations, when the lack of rain did not establish water layers, without having decrease in rice productivity. intermittent flooding management by irrigations, even at saturated soil, decreased the CH4 efflux by 70%. The management of intermittent flooding by irrigations when soil was bellow the field capacity do not cause CH4 efflux, however, this management caused decrease of rice productivity. Irrigation management does affect electrochemical conditions of soil, which are determinant to the CH4 production in soils. The dynamic of efflux of CH4 is similar between cultivars; however, there are differences on potential of CH4 efflux from cultivars of flooding rice. The cultivars Arize 1003, Avaxi Cl, BRS Atalanta, BRS Querência, BRS Taim, Inov Cl, Irga 422 and Irga 424 have showed lower efflux and higher productivities. Morphological characteristics of plants have not explained completely the differences of CH4 effluxes between cultivars. / A atividade antrópica tem sido apontada como a principal causa do aquecimento global pelo efluxo de CO2, N2O e CH4. Nos últimos anos, os efeitos prejudiciais do aumento da concentração atmosférica desses gases têm despertado os cientistas a propor mecanismos de mitigação. A cultura do arroz irrigado por alagamento é responsável por cerca de 12% do efluxo total de CH4 para a atmosfera, sendo considerada uma das principais fontes emissoras desse gás de efeito estufa. Os fatores que controlam o efluxo de CH4 no arroz irrigado são muitos, dificultando identificar com precisão os mecanismos responsáveis pelo seu efluxo. O regime de irrigação e a seleção de cultivares de arroz são fatores que afetam o efluxo de CH4 e podem ser modificados visando mitigar os efluxos para a atmosfera. Os objetivos da tese foram: (a) verificar o efeito do regime de irrigação contínua, intermitente e a banhos no efluxo de CH4 em um Planossolo cultivado com arroz irrigado por alagamento na Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul; (b) avaliar o efluxo de CH4 no arroz cultivado em casa de vegetação submetido a diferentes manejos de irrigação e relacionar o efluxo com parâmetros agronômicos da planta de arroz; (c) avaliar os sistemas de manejo de irrigação na cultura do arroz e os efeitos nos atributos eletroquímicos da solução do solo e no desenvolvimento das plantas; (d) avaliar o efluxo de CH4 em cultivares de arroz do RS e SC e relacionar com atributos morfofisiológicos das cultivares; e (e) caracterizar morfologicamente a cultura do arroz e verificar a provável rota de difusão do CH4 do solo até a atmosfera. A prática da irrigação intermitente foi eficiente em mitigar o efluxo de CH4 no cultivo do arroz irrigado quando as condições climáticas permitiram a ausência da lâmina de água durante o cultivo, sem diminuir a produtividade do arroz. O manejo da irrigação intermitente com o realagamento do solo ainda saturado diminuiu a emissão de CH4 em 70%. O manejo intermitente da irrigação com o realagamento do solo abaixo da capacidade de campo não causa efluxo de CH4, porém os efeitos foram negativos sobre a produtividade do arroz. O manejo da irrigação afeta as condições eletroquímicas do solo e são determinantes para a produção de CH4 nos solos. A dinâmica de efluxo de CH4 é semelhante entre as cultivares, porém, existem diferenças no potencial de efluxo de CH4 em cultivares de arroz irrigado por alagamento. As cultivares Arize 1003, Avaxi Cl, BRS Atalanta, BRS Querência, BRS Taim, Inov Cl, Irga 422 e Irga 424 apresentaram menor efluxo de CH4 com a maior produtividade do arroz. As características morfofisiológicas das plantas não explicaram completamente as diferenças de efluxos de CH4 entre as cultivares.