Experiment of no-tillage and drought direct sowing rice and feasibility analysis in Shandong Province

Abstract: To study the adaptability of the rice planting pattern of no-tillage and drought direct sowing in Shandong Province, the experiments were carried out in 2 different places Taoluo and Gaoqing. Taoluo is the wheat-rice double cropping area and Gaoqing is the single cropping area. In these 2 areas, rice was planted by a planter with wide seedlings and stubble cleaning device, and at the same time, the mechanical transplanting was used for the comparison. In the process of experiments, the influences of different patterns on the rice height and tillering situation were analyzed, and the rice yield and its components were compared to the mechanical transplanting as well. In addition, the costs of different patterns were compared. The result showed that the rice growth period of no-tillage and drought direct sowing was shorter than mechanical transplanting, but the growing speed was higher. At the early stage of rice growth period, the rice height of no-tillage and drought direct sowing was lower than mechanical transplanting and had significant difference, but no difference existed in the late stage. The rice tillering rates of no-tillage and drought direct sowing were respectively 57% and 58% in Taoluo and Gaoqing, 6.5% and 10.4% lower than mechanical transplanting, respectively. The yields in Taoluo and Gaoqing were respectively 8 970 and 10 020 kg/hm2 under the no-tillage and drought direct sowing, 50 and 30 kg/hm2 lower than mechanical transplanting respectively, but there was no significant difference between them. In the components of yield, the panicle length, seed setting rate, grain number per panicle and one thousand grain weight were lower than mechanical transplanting, but had no significant difference except grain number per panicle. The number of valid panicles was much more than mechanical transplanting, which guaranteed yield, and had significant difference (P<0.05). Through the comparison, the cost of no-tillage and drought direct sowing was 2 427 and 3 312 yuan/hm2 lower than mechanical transplanting in Taoluo and Gaoqing respectively, and significant difference existed between the 2 different planting patterns. In Taoluo, 2 kinds of crops are planted in a year, and the straw of preceding crop must be returned to the soil and rotary cultivation must be carried out, which cost respectively about 600 and 1 200 yuan/hm2. At the same time, the process of seeding raising and transplanting are complicated, it costs 1 497 and 780 yuan/hm2 in the conventional pattern of transplanting. In Gaoqing, one crop is planted in a year, it costs 1 200 yuan/hm2 for winter-cultivation, and costs as the same as Taoluo for seeding raising and transplanting. But all these mentioned did not be needed in the pattern of no-tillage and drought direct sowing, and the stubble-cleaning, cultivation, fertilization and planting were completed at one time, which made the rice planting much simpler. Through the experiment, it is proved that rice no-tillage and drought direct sowing is feasible in the conventional rice planting area of Shandong Province. If it is available for hybrid rice in Shandong Province remains to be further verified, but we can conclude that if the seeding time and rate are appropriate, it would be possible.