Techniques to increase rice productivity

Abstract

For the Republic of Dagestan, where rice growing is concentrated on saline soils, great importance is attached to the selection of varieties with increased tolerance to salt stress without reducing yield and product quality as well as to improving soil fertility by optimizing the timing of primary tillage and improving sowing methods. The results of field experiments on comparative effectiveness of intensive rice varieties, alfalfa layer plowing methods, and sowing methods in the irrigated zone of lowland Dagestan are discussed. The experiments were conducted on meadow soils of the West Caspian region characterized by medium and heavy loamy particle-size composition; the rice varieties developed by the Federal Scientific Center of Rice were used: Istok, Prestizh, Rapan 2, and Regul. Our research findings showed that the variety, as one of the key elements of innovative technology, allowed for the improvement of the entire agricultural production system due to its greater adaptability to adverse environmental conditions. The rice varieties Istok and Prestizh proved to be the most productive. The experiment on the timing of alfalfa plowing with its green manuring showed that incorporating the herbage of alfalfa from the first cutting after its fourth year increased the amount of nutrients in the soil, improved field germination, crop density, and productive tillering, so increasing yield by 0.81 t ha while improving grain quality. Sowing with depth bands contributed to increase of productive stem number by 9.3% and yield increase by 13.7%. The rice varieties were evaluated regarding the adaptability indices; the Istok variety turned out to be the most adaptive variety under intensive agriculture, and the least total rank was revealed in the Regul variety.