Effect of Duck Density on Some Morphological and Physiological Determinants of Paddy Yield in Three Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars in Organic Rice-Duck Farming

پژوهشهای زراعی ایران

Article 12, Volume 11, Issue 4 - Serial Number 32, January 2014, Pages 648-657   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/gsc.v11i4.32893

Authors

M Mohammadi^* ; H Pirdashti; Gh Aqajani Mazandarani; S. Y Mousawi Toghani

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of duck density on some morphological and physiological determinants of paddy yield of three rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars in rice paddy fields, a field experiment was conducted in research field of Sari Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources University in 2011. This experiment was arranged in split plot based on complete randomized block design with four replications. Number of duck (0, 400 and 800 piecesha-1) and rice cultivars (Tarom, Shirodi and Ghaem) were considered as main and sub plots, respectively. The results of variance analysis showed significantly differences among studied cultivars in terms of tiller number, SPAD value, chlorophyll a and grain yield. Results indicated that the maximum amount of morphological parameter (tiller number, leaf number and root length), physiological traits (chlorophyll content and SPAD value and paddy yield were belonged to 400 and 800 duck per hectare. The highest paddy yield was recorded in Shirodi (5.3 tonha-1), Ghaem (4.3 ton ha-1) and Tarom (3.6 ton ha-1) under 800 duck per hectare. These amounts were 23, 7 and 20 percent higher than Shirodi (4.1 ton ha-1), Ghaem (4 tonha-1) and Tarom (2.4 ton ha-1) in 400 duck per hectare, respectively. Regression analysis revealed that tiller number, root length, SPAD value and paddy yield differently related to duck number per hectare. Contrast cultivars differently respond to duck density in rice fields in which Tarom cultivar had the maximum equation slope. In conclusion, using Tarom as a traditional cultivar with higher competitive index was superior to dwarf and improved cultivars (Ghaem and Shirodi) especially at 800 duck per hectares in terms of higher economic yields for farmers.

Keywords

Rice; Duck density; Cultivar; Sustainably farming; grain yield