Abstract
In organic rice systems, cover crop (CC) cultivation is commonly adopted to increase rice productivity. However, factors such as CC species and their management, co-incorporation with rice straw, and intrinsic soil fertility status may influence the benefits and trade-offs related to this practice. A mesocosm study was therefore setup to simulate different scenarios and evaluate the best CC management practice to improve nutrient inputs and efficiency, limit weeds and mitigate greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions during paddy rice cropping. The treatments included two CC species (hairy vetch and Italian ryegrass), two CC termination practices (green manuring and mulching), two soil types (high and low fertility), with and without rice straw incorporation. Cover crop biomass and nutrient contents were determined prior to termination, while rice and weed growth, grain yields, N availability and nutrient uptake, and methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions were measured and compared. Green mulching with hairy vetch on the high fertility soil showed the best results in terms of nutrient inputs with CC and rice yield. On the other hand, ryegrass resulted in a substantially higher biomass that allowed for better weed control, although no significant differences in CC nutrient inputs, rice grain and straw yields were observed. Furthermore, the high CC biomass of ryegrass resulted in highest CH 4 emissions over the rice cropping season. The green mulching was more effective than green manuring in controlling weeds, which also influenced rice growth and yield. Avoiding the incorporation of rice straw prior to cultivating hairy vetch and green mulching did not have an impact on weed infestation during rice cropping, but decreased soil available N although this did not affect rice growth and grain yields. Soil fertility was an important factor positively affecting CC development and nutrient inputs, rice growth and grain yields, but was also responsible for higher CH 4 emissions. Together these findings indicate that CCs could have a positive effect on plant nutrition, rice grain yields and weed control. However, high CH 4 emissions associated with the additional organic matter inputs require the implementation of appropriate management strategies to mitigate the environmental impact. • Cover crops enhanced rice yield parameters and nutrient uptake, but enhanced CH 4 emissions. • Italian ryegrass produced more biomass and consequently higher CH 4 emissions than hairy vetch. • hairy vetch green mulching suppressed weed infestation with clear benefits for rice nutrient uptake and grain yield. • Absence of rice straw incorporation increases soil N availability during rice growth without effects on rice grain yield. • Soil fertility has an impact on the development of CC, as well as on rice growth, grain yield and CH 4 emissions.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Hairy vetch mulching on high-fertility soil gave the best cover-crop nutrient inputs.
- Taxon
- hairy vetch
Vicia villosae0 - Treatment
- Green mulching with hairy vetch on the high fertility soile0
- Outcome
- nutrient inputs with CCe0
- Direction
- beste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Green mulching with hairy vetch on the high fertility soil showed the best results in terms of nutrient inputs with CC and rice yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Hairy vetch mulching on high-fertility soil gave the best rice yield.
- Taxon
- rice
Oryza sativat0 - Treatment
- Green mulching with hairy vetch on the high fertility soile0
- Outcome
- rice yielde0
- Direction
- beste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Green mulching with hairy vetch on the high fertility soil showed the best results in terms of nutrient inputs with CC and rice yield”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Ryegrass produced substantially more biomass.
LoliumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ryegrass resulted in a substantially higher biomass”
e1“two CC species (hairy vetch and Italian ryegrass)”
Claim · model-written summary
Ryegrass biomass improved weed control.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- ryegrasse1
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed controle0
- Direction
- bettere0
- Qualifier
- higher biomasse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher biomass that allowed for better weed control”
e1“ryegrass resulted in a substantially higher biomass”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Ryegrass and hairy vetch did not differ significantly in cover-crop nutrient inputs.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no significant differences in CC nutrient inputs, rice grain and straw yields were observed”
e1“ryegrass resulted in a substantially higher biomass”
e2“two CC species (hairy vetch and Italian ryegrass)”
Claim · model-written summary
Ryegrass and hairy vetch did not differ significantly in rice grain and straw yields.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- ryegrasse1
- Outcome
- rice grain and straw yieldse0
- Comparator
- hairy vetche2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no significant differences in CC nutrient inputs, rice grain and straw yields were observed”
e1“ryegrass resulted in a substantially higher biomass”
e2“two CC species (hairy vetch and Italian ryegrass)”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
High ryegrass biomass led to the highest methane emissions during rice cropping.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- CH 4 emissionse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- high CC biomass of ryegrasse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“high CC biomass of ryegrass resulted in highest CH 4 emissions over the rice cropping season”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Green mulching controlled weeds more effectively than green manuring.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- green mulchinge0
- Interactor
- weedse0weed
- Outcome
- controlling weedse0
- Direction
- more effectivee0
- Comparator
- green manuringe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“green mulching was more effective than green manuring in controlling weeds”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
The difference in weed control influenced rice growth and yield.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- rice growth and yielde0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which also influenced rice growth and yield”
e1“green mulching was more effective than green manuring in controlling weeds”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Avoiding straw incorporation before hairy vetch and mulching did not affect weed infestation.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativae0
- Treatment
- Avoiding the incorporation of rice strawe0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed infestatione0
- Direction
- did not have an impacte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Avoiding the incorporation of rice straw prior to cultivating hairy vetch and green mulching did not have an impact on weed infestation during rice cropping”
Claim · model-written summary
Avoiding straw incorporation lowered soil available nitrogen.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativae0
- Treatment
- Avoiding the incorporation of rice strawe0
- Outcome
- soil available Ne0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Avoiding the incorporation of rice straw prior to cultivating hairy vetch and green mulching did not have an impact on weed infestation during rice cropping, but decreased soil available N”
Claim · model-written summary
Avoiding straw incorporation did not affect rice growth or grain yield.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- Avoiding the incorporation of rice strawe1
- Outcome
- rice growth and grain yieldse0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“although this did not affect rice growth and grain yields”
e1“Avoiding the incorporation of rice straw”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher soil fertility promoted cover-crop development and nutrient inputs.
Verbatim
e0“Soil fertility was an important factor positively affecting CC development and nutrient inputs”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher soil fertility promoted rice growth and grain yields.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- rice growth and grain yieldse0
- Direction
- positively affectinge0
- Setting
- Soil fertilitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil fertility was an important factor positively affecting CC development and nutrient inputs, rice growth and grain yields”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher soil fertility was associated with higher methane emissions.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- CH 4 emissionse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Setting
- Soil fertilitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil fertility was an important factor positively affecting CC development and nutrient inputs, rice growth and grain yields, but was also responsible for higher CH 4 emissions”
t0“rice”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend management to mitigate high methane emissions associated with added organic matter.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- implementation of appropriate management strategies to mitigate the environmental impacte0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“high CH 4 emissions associated with the additional organic matter inputs require the implementation of appropriate management strategies to mitigate the environmental impact”
t0“rice”
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