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Behavioural pattern of
upland rice agronomic parameters to variable water supply in
Nigeria
Christopher O. Akinbile
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of
Technology, Akure, Nigeria. E-mail:
coakinbile@futa.edu.ng,
cakinbile@yahoo.com.
Accepted 15 December, 2009 |
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The response of rice crop to water application is of
paramount importance to researchers as it helps in
determining its agronomic development. The study was aimed
at establishing the agronomic responses of rice crop to
differential water supply. A two-year dry season experiment
was conducted at the research farm of International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA Ibadan, Nigeria. Two
upland rice varieties (NERICA 2 and NERICA 4) were planted
on a 5 × 5 m plot in a randomized complete block design with
four treatments based on different water application.
Agronomic parameters such as plant height, root depth,
canopy shading, leaf area index, panicle and tiller
configuration, biomass and grain yield in relation to crop
water use were obtained and the results were subjected to
statistical analysis. Maximum plant height (89.0 and 100.3
cm), maximum root depth (22.1 and 23.8 cm), panicle diameter
(3.9 and 4.5 cm), panicle length (26.1 and 25.7 cm), leaf
area index (LAI) 3.27 and 3.95, canopy shading (CS) 0.22 and
0.99 were obtained for both NERICA 2 and NERICA 4,
respectively. Leaf width (1.3 and 1.4 cm), total tillers (14
and 12) and leaf length (36.9 and 38 cm) were also observed
for the two varieties respectively. The highest total grain
and biomass yields of 1.94 and 1.95 t/ha were observed in
treatment A for NERICA 2 while the least values of 0.29 and
1.09 t/ha were observed in treatment D. As for NERICA 4, the
highest values (1.90 and 2.27 t/ha) were from A and the
least (0.38 and 2.29 t/ha) in D. The result of ANOVA showed
significant differences in biomass and grain yield, LAI, CS,
plant height and root depth among treatments (P > 0.05).
Specific behavioural pattern to differential water
application was observed in the development of agronomic
parameters monitored during the experiment. This was
indicative that water is a major yield - influencing factor
in rice production.
Key
words:
Upland rice, LAI, CS, agronomic parameters, water supply. |
