Research shows how to produce rice with low water consumption

Despite the economy , productivity reaches levels close to those of irrigated production
by Globo Rural Online

( Technique provides a considerable rise in the productivity of rainfed rice , reaching levels consistent with the system of flood irrigation - Photo : Shutterstock )

A Brazilian study of rainfed rice cultivation showed that it is possible to achieve a high level of productivity , with great water savings . Coordinated by Professor of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of Universidade Estadual Paulista ( UNESP ) , Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol , and undertaken with the support of FAPESP , the study shows that with the water supply by rain and supplemented by sprinkler irrigation system during dry periods , the production of rice in flooded conditions has not obtained yields up to 6,000 kg / ha ( average rice production is 7,000 kg / ha ) spending a lot less water . Without the completion fluid , the average yield is about 2,700 pounds per acre . That's because , in domesticated environments flooded rice has low tolerance to water shortages , especially during the pre - flowering and flowering .

Rice production by the traditional flood irrigation (which cultivars receive a water depth of about 7 to 10 centimeters up to 120 days ) consumes 24% to 30 % of the available fresh water in the world. In Brazil , currently , 65 % of rice fields using the system or rainfed uplands . However , depending solely on rainfall for moisture , account for only 35 % of the rice produced in the country . Thus, research can be a major positive impact on rainfed rice production , commonly produced in the Brazilian cerrado .

In the experiment , only 8.7 % of the water supplied to the cultivars during the first year came from sprinkler irrigation , while the rest originates from rainfall . In this case, the productivity was increased by 54.4% . In the second year, irrigation aspeção provided 14.5 % of the water for the crop , which achieved a 43.1% increase in productivity . Thus , according concluded the research coordinator , showed that the technique provides a considerable rise in productivity to levels compatible with the system of flood irrigation , although this increase is not proportional to the volume of water available for irrigation .

Another factor that contributed to the success of the research is the quality of rice in Brazil , which has the best materials in the world , resulting from several decades of genetic improvement by selection - initially promoted by the Agronomic Institute of Campinas ( IAC ) , and then by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation ( Embrapa ) . Some Brazilian cultivars already have good tolerance to short periods of water stress ( water deficiency ) .

To offset the high costs of investment in irrigation aspeção - since the price of rice usually does not pay, the study suggests the rotation of crops such as grains ( beans, soybeans , sweet corn ) , fibers (cotton ) or vegetables ( potatoes, tomatoes , peppers etc. . ) . In addition to the value-added in these cultures , the technique optimizes the use of equipment and get additional benefits , such as stopping the cycle of pests and diseases that affect these other cultures , especially in the rainy season ( in which rice is grown ) .

Source : Globo Rural magazine