Sustainable Rice Production in Tropical Paddy Systems: Key Findings and Insights

Strategic Insights -

Research published in the Journal of Cleaner Production has shed light on the effectiveness of integrating organic amendments with enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) for achieving sustainable rice production in tropical paddy systems. A three-season field experiment conducted in Hainan, China, explored the impact of combining organic amendments, EEFs, and 4R nitrogen management stewardship on rice grain attributes, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and soil quality. The results showed that the 40% organic substitution combined with controlled release fertilizer (40MC) treatment achieved the best performance on improving grain quality, with lower amylose content and higher head rice rate.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study demonstrated that integrating organic amendments with EEFs can improve soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrient use efficiency, but the optimal combination for rice production is unclear.
  • The 40% organic substitution combined with controlled release fertilizer (40MC) treatment achieved the best performance on improving grain quality, with lower amylose content and higher head rice rate.
  • Controlled release fertilizer (CRF) was more effective than inhibitor-based EEFs in improving rice yields, quality, and NUE.
  • The 40MC treatment reduced N surplus to 60 kg N ha-1 and achieved a NUE of 57%.
  • Inhibitor-based treatments averaged an N surplus of 75 kg N ha-1 with NUE of 46%, with no significant differences in grain quality between inhibitors.
  • Supplementing 40MC with amino acid powder further increased yield by 10% and NUE to 60%, while biochar application did not improve rice quality or yield but significantly enhanced soil fertility.

Statistics:

  • Rice yield increased by 4% and 5% respectively under reduced N application with 20% and 40% organic N substitution.
  • The content of mineral nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, and iron increased by 5-8% with increasing proportion of organic substitutes.
  • The amino acid structure was improved by 10-15% with increasing proportion of organic substitutes.
  • The 40MC treatment reduced N surplus to 60 kg N ha-1 and achieved a NUE of 57%.
  • Inhibitor-based treatments averaged an N surplus of 75 kg N ha-1 with NUE of 46%.
  • Biochar application increased soil fertility by 12%.

Sources:

  • NewsRx LLC. Hainan University Details Findings in Sustainable Food and Agriculture (Integrating Organic Amendments and Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers for Sustainable Rice Production--a Case Study In a Tropic Paddy System). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 25, 2025; p 193.
  • Elsevier Sci Ltd. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2025;516.