Does flooding of rice fields after cultivation contribute to wetland plant conservation in southern Brazil?

Question: Does flooding of rice fields after cultivation contribute to wetland plant conservation in southern Brazil? Location: Rice fields in the coastal plain of southern Brazil. Methods: Six rice fields with different management practices were randomly selected (three dry rice fields and three flooded rice fields). Six collections were carried out over the rice cultivation cycle. Richness and biomass were measured using the quadrat method. Results: A total of 88 macrophyte species was recorded. There was no statistical interaction between management practices and rice cultivation phases for macrophyte richness and biomass. Macrophyte species richness and biomass changed over time, but were similar between flooded and dry rice fields. The first three axes generated by detrended correspondence analysis explained 29% of the variation in species composition and the multivariate analysis of variance showed that there was a statistical interaction between management practices and agricultural periods. Conclusions: Rice fields may help to conserve an important fraction of the aquatic macrophyte diversity of wetlands of southern Brazil by providing the setting up of a greater number of species within the agricultural landscape. However, rice fields must not be viewed as surrogate systems for natural wetlands. The difference in species composition between flooded and dry rice fields is interesting in terms of biodiversity conservation. If rice producers could keep part of their agricultural land flooded during the fallow phase, this management practice could be an important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity in areas where natural wetlands have been converted to rice fields.     

稻田不同耕作制下有机质和氮磷钾的变化研究

６ａ定位研究的结果表明,在东洞庭湖地区土壤,气候及施肥等条件下,４种主要耕作制中,稻－稻－冬闲耕作制不仅产量较低,而且经济效益也较差,并有可能导致土壤肥力的下降和退化,稻－稻－肥（紫云英）耕作制由具有一定的增产效果,并且有较高的经济效益,土壤肥力亦呈现出上升和进化的趋势,稻－稻－麦（大麦）和稻－稻－油（油菜）耕作制则不仅使土地的得用率提高,增加了单位的产量,且土壤肥力也同样得到了上升和进化,但其经     

Rice field ecology and fish culture — an overview

Rice fields are an integral part of the landscape throughout most of the tropics. Rice is also grown widely in higher latitudes. Most rice cultivation is done in flooded fields where a temporary aquatic fauna is generated. Rice cultivation has sustained some of the oldest civilizations but the use of the aquatic phase for raising a crop of fish has not been practiced widely although fragmentary records indicate that rice and fish have been cultivated concurrently but rarely over 2 or 3 millennia. We have more reliable records of rice and fish culture in rice fields during the past 150 years.Rice cultivation is now very highly mechanized and uses high fertilizer and pesticide inputs and extensive irrigation facilities have been constructed to increase the area of rice cultivation and enhance yields. Rice cultivation also provides a suitable habitat for the breeding of mosquitoes, some of which are vectors for diseases. It appears that in regions outside the tropics aquatic pests of rice are also encountered. In the tropics indigenous fishes and other organisms including copepods act as biological control agents for mosquitoes and aquatic rice pests.The rice field is usually a successor of shallow marshes or a lowland area which can be supplied with adequate water. In addition deep water rice is grown in permanent marshes and rice is also grown in terraced hillsides, not to mention relatively dry localities where dry-land rice is cultivated. The marsh habitat is usually rich in plant and animal species. Some of these survive in rice fields. The water supplied to rice fields come via irrigation systems which bring a complement of plants, animals, and other organisms seasonally to colonize the rice field. The rice field is thus a new habitat, like a reservoir, with some similarities to a marsh but manipulated for cultivation of rice. This creates a unique, temporary and rapidly changing habitat which is often very productive and can be used to raise fish on an artisanal or intensive scale.Fish culture in rice fields has had a checkered history during the past 150 years when records are available. Its earlier history is obscure. Long-term records of fish culture activities are not available from any part of the world although apparently thriving enterprises seem to have existed in Japan, Italy, USSR and China. Attempts to culture fish in rice fields have been made on all continents except Australasia and Antarctica of course. At the present time the focus of rice-cultivation seems to have shifted to China, Indonesia, and Thailand. Whether this enterprise will endure even in these countries cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty.     

Rice Cluster I methanogens, an important group of Archaea producing greenhouse gas in soil

Methane, which is an important greenhouse gas, is to a large part produced by methanogenic archaea in anoxic soils and sediments. Rice Cluster I methanogens have been characterized on the basis of their 16S rRNA and mcrA gene sequences, and were found to form a separate lineage within the phylogenetic radiation of Methanosarcinales and Methanomicrobiales. As isolation has not been achieved until recently, our knowledge of distribution, physiology and environmental significance of Rice Cluster I is solely based on molecular biology techniques. Rice Cluster I seems to be widely distributed, particularly in rice fields, possibly occupying different niches among the methane producers. One niche seems to be methane production on roots driven by plant photosynthesis, contributing substantially to the release of methane from rice fields into the atmosphere.     

Patterns of bird abundance and habitat use in rice fields of the Kanto Plain, central Japan

Rice fields, the most widespread cropland in Japan, provide important habitat for birds, but few studies have examined bird communities that are influenced by agriculture in rice fields. I studied the seasonal pattern of bird abundance and their habitat preferences in terms of agricultural habitats in the rice fields of the central Kanto Plain, central Japan. In total, 19 waterbird species and 31 landbird species were recorded over the study year. Waterbird occurrence was largely restricted to the cultivation season (i.e. the flooded season, May–August), with maximum abundance in August. Rice fields dried up during winter and supported few waterbirds except for irregular occurrences of little egrets (Egretta garzetta) and common snipes (Gallinago gallinago), which selectively used ditches with shallow water. Landbird abundance increased after the start of cultivation (May) to August, but more birds were attracted to the rice fields in midwinter (around January). For both waterbirds and landbirds, most species preferred levees and fallow grass fields, but avoided fields with rice vegetation. Unplowed fields after harvest were preferred by several species including skylarks (Alauda arvensis), while plowed fields were less attractive to most species. These results suggest the need for advanced agricultural practices to include improvement in habitat quality for birds.     

Assessment of the methane mitigation potentials of alternative water regimes in rice fields using a process‐based biogeochemistry model

Rice production is a substantial source of atmospheric CH₄, which is second only to CO₂ as a contributor to global warming. Since CH₄ is produced in anaerobic soil environments, water management is expected to be a practical measure to mitigate CH₄ emissions. In this study, we used a process‐based biogeochemistry model (DNDC‐Rice) to assess the CH₄ mitigation potentials of alternative water regimes (AWR) for rice fields at a regional scale. Before regional application, we tested DNDC‐Rice using site‐scale data from three rice fields in Japan with different water regimes. The observed CH₄ emissions were reduced by drainage of the fields, but were enhanced by organic amendments. DNDC‐Rice gave acceptable predictions of variation in daily CH₄ fluxes and seasonal CH₄ emissions due to changes in the water regime. For regional application, we constructed a GIS database at a 1 × 1 km mesh scale that contained data on rice field area, soil properties, daily weather, and farming management of each cell in the mesh, covering 3.2% of the rice fields in Japan's Hokkaido region. We ran DNDC‐Rice to simulate CH₄ emissions under five simulated water regimes: the conventional water regime and four AWR scenarios with gradually increasing drainage. We found that AWR can reduce CH₄ emission by up to 41% compared with the emission under conventional water regime. Including the changes in CO₂ and nitrous oxide emissions, potential mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) was 2.6 Mg CO₂ Eq. ha^?1 yr^?1. If this estimate is expanded to Japan's total rice fields, expected GHG mitigation is 4.3 Tg CO₂ Eq. yr^?1, which accounts for 0.32% of total GHG emissions from Japan. For a reliable national‐scale assessment, however, databases on soil, weather, and farming management must be constructed at a national scale, as these factors are widely variable between regions in Japan.     

Unraveling the importance of rice fields for waterbird populations in Europe

Rice fields are an alternative habitat for waterbirds and provide food and shelter for many avian species, but there is a lack of information about how the use of rice fields translates into population level effects. The aim of this study was to test the relationship between the use of rice fields by European waterbirds and trends in their populations. We tested this relationship during the autumn migration season and during the breeding season. Based on counts conducted over the last 23 years in natural marshes and areas of rice fields in Doñana (SW Spain), an index of rice field use was constructed for 76 bird species, which was then compared to these species’ European population trends obtained from the literature. A positive relationship was found between waterbird population trends and the use of rice fields during autumn migration season. Our study suggests that changes in the Common Agriculture Policy in Europe leading to reductions in areas of rice cultivation may have important effects on waterbirds. The restoration of former marsh areas and the maintenance of rice cultivation would seem to be more environmentally friendly approaches than the use of these areas to grow alternative crops or solar farms.     

The impact of changing irrigation practices in rice fields on frog populations of the Kanto Plain, central Japan

Rice fields are important substitute wetlands for frogs. Traditionally, rice fields in Japan were supplied with water and drained via shallow earth ditches (old-style). In the last 30 years, however, more than 80% of rice fields have been converted to a new irrigation system in which water is typically supplied through underground pipes via taps and is drained into deep, concrete-sided ditches (new-style). We compared the occurrence of frogs in paired areas of old- and new-style rice fields at six locations in Ibaraki Pref., central Japan, from May to August 1995. The Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica) did not differ in abundance between the two types of rice fields, but the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica) and the Tokyo daruma pond frog (Rana porosa porosa) preferred the old-style rice fields. These findings suggest that the status ofRana species has been adversely affected by the conversion of rice fields to the new irrigation system. Modification of the deep, U-shaped concrete ditches and the water management regime during the spawning season is needed to safeguard these species.     

浙北单季晚(粳)稻区稻飞虱发生特点与原因探讨

近年来 ,浙北单季晚 (粳 )稻区稻飞虱发生特点为 ,以白背飞虱Sogatellafurcifera (Horvath)和Ni laparvatalugens (St l)褐飞虱为优势种群 ;发生代次多 ,主害代为 3代白背飞虱和 5代褐飞虱 ,少数年份 4代褐飞虱也成为主害代 ;发生偏重 ,但地区和田块间不平衡性突出。其发生主要受外迁虫量、水稻栽增管理和品种特性、夏秋季气候条件和农药防治等因素影响     

稻田蜘蛛群落的重建及与其种库的相关性

稻田生态系统是一个不稳定的生态系统,包括稻田和非稻田生境2个部分。随着水稻的移栽与收割,稻田蜘蛛群落周期性地呈现出群落重新形成、群落发展和群落瓦解3个阶段。这一群落的发展不同于自然群落的演替。因此,将稻田生境内蜘蛛群落的重新形成过程定义为群落的重建,而非稻田生境内的蜘蛛群落称之为稻田生境内蜘蛛群落的种库。群落重建是一个季节性的、可重复的动态变化过程,以群落的周期性彻底瓦解和周期性重新形成为最主要特征。种库为群落的重建提供移居者并接受群落瓦解时所迁出的蜘蛛.二者之间呈现出互补的相互关系。保护群落的种库将有助于自然天敌群落的重建。自然天敌群落的重建是自然天敌保护和持续利用的生态学基础的一个重要组成部分,对天敌的保护利用和天敌效能的提高有十分重要的意义。     

Outbreak of Rice Blast Disease at Yeoju of Korea in 2020

Rice blast is the most destructive disease threatening stable rice production in rice-growing areas. Cultivation of disease-resistant rice cultivars is the most effective way to control rice blast disease. However, the rice blast resistance is easy to breakdown within years by blast fungus that continually changes to adapt to new cultivars. Therefore, it is important to continuously monitor the incidence of rice blast disease and race differentiation of rice blast fungus in fields. In 2020, a severe rice blast disease occurred nationwide in Korea. We evaluated the incidence of rice blast disease in Yeoju and compared the weather conditions at the periods of rice blast disease in 2019 and 2020. We investigated the races and avirulence genes of rice blast isolates in Yeoju to identify race diversity and genetic characteristics of the isolates. This study will provide empirical support for rice blast control and the breeding of blastresistant rice cultivars.     

鄱阳湖周边稻田对白鹤的承载力

鄱阳湖是世界重要的候鸟越冬地,承载了全球约98%的白鹤(Leucogeranus leucogeranus)。然而,近年来鄱阳湖沉水植被退化严重,白鹤的传统食物苦草(Vallisneria spp.)冬芽丰富度急剧减少。食物短缺导致白鹤的觅食生境由自然湿地的浅水生境转移至稻田、藕塘等人工生境,稻田在白鹤保护中发挥的作用日益突出。了解鄱阳湖周边稻田对白鹤的承载力可为白鹤的保护和管理提供科学依据。为此,调查了鄱阳湖周边稻田散落稻谷的生物量,测量了稻谷的营养成分,并利用遥感影像对鄱阳湖周边10 km范围内稻田的总面积进行估算,从而得出鄱阳湖周边稻田散落稻谷能提供的总能量。然后,计算稻田中以稻谷为主要食物的6种鸟类的日能量消耗,用以表示日能量摄入。最后,依据稻田能提供的总能量、鸟类的日能量摄入、鸟类的越冬时长、以及各种鸟类的数量占比,计算得出鄱阳湖周边稻田能承载的白鹤数量。结果表明,鄱阳湖周边稻田散落稻谷的生物量为6.494 g/m²,环鄱阳湖周边10 km范围内稻田的总面积为1984.46 km²,这些稻田能承载的鸟类总数量为140860只,其中能承载的白鹤数量为10775只,超过了全球白鹤的总数量(3500-4000只)。因此,鄱阳湖周边稻田能为白鹤等鸟类提供丰富的食物资源。     

水稻稻瘟病抗性基因研究概况

稻瘟病是由稻瘟病菌引起的世界性水稻病害,对水稻生产构成严重威胁。分子标记辅助培育持久抗性品种是目前解决稻瘟病抗病品种感病化问题的有效措施。稻瘟病菌-水稻之间的相互作用机理,DNA分子标记的开发与应用,稻瘟病抗性基因定位、克隆与分离及其功能表达等方面的研究进展在很大程度上影响分子标记辅助育种的进程。就此方面的研究概况作一综述。     

A possible alternative method for collecting mosquito larvae in rice fields

Background  

Rice fields are efficient breeding places for malaria vectors in Madagascar. In order to establish as easily as possible if a rice field is an effective larval site for anophelines, we compared classical dipping versus a net as methods of collecting larvae.     

我国稻田氮磷流失现状及影响因素研究进展

水稻是我国主要的粮食作物,分析现阶段我国稻田氮磷流失现状及影响因素,对明确不同区域水稻化肥减施潜力具有重要意义.本研究对我国主要稻区地表径流氮磷流失现状特征和降雨、种植模式、栽培技术、施肥管理、水分管理方式及其他影响因素进行了总结.六大稻区全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)径流损失量范围分别在5.09～21.32和0.70～3.22 kg·hm^-2,均以华南双季稻区最高,TN径流损失量以华北单季稻区最低,TP径流损失量以西南高原单双季稻区最低.各稻区农户习惯施肥的水稻田田面水TN、TP峰值普遍高于径流水.水稻施肥后一周内为氮磷流失高峰期.与优化施肥相比,农户习惯施肥仍具有20%左右的氮磷减施潜力.各因素中,降雨和施肥管理是影响稻田径流氮磷流失的主要因素,而施肥管理和水分管理则最具可控性,具体调控措施包括化肥减量、施用新型肥料、有机肥代替化肥和节水灌溉等.整体上我国稻田氮磷流失风险在南方更突出.应以资源高效利用模式进行水稻种植以降低养分流失风险.未来研究应侧重稻田面源污染监测、氮磷流失风险评估、氮磷流失特征和机理、化肥减施增效新技术等方向.     

Biogeography of wetland rice methanotrophs

We focused on the functional guild of methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB) as model organisms to get deeper insights into microbial biogeography. The pmoA gene was used as a functional and phylogenetic marker for MOB in two approaches: (i) a pmoA database (> 4000 sequences) was evaluated to obtain insights into MOB diversity in Italian rice paddies, and paddy fields worldwide. The results show a wide geographical distribution of pmoA genotypes that seem to be specifically adapted to paddy fields (e.g. Rice Paddy Cluster 1 and Rice Paddy Cluster 2). (ii) On the smaller geographical scale, we designed a factorial experiment including three different locations, two rice varieties and two habitats (soil and roots) within each of three rice fields. Multivariate analysis of terminal restriction fragment analysis profiles revealed different community patterns at the three field sites, located 10–20 km apart. Root samples were characterized by high abundance of type I MOB whereas the rice variety had no effect. With the agronomical practice being nearly identical, historical contingencies might be responsible for the field site differences. Considering a large reservoir of viable yet inactive MOB cells acting as a microbial seed bank, environmental conditions might have selected and activated a different subset at a time thereby shaping the community.     

Using Landsat images to map habitat availability for waterbirds in rice fields

Rice fields are an important habitat for waterbirds. Knowledge of the availability of this habitat is important since the reduction in the area of natural wetlands has converted rice fields into vital refuges. This paper presents a method for mapping habitat availability in rice fields according to different waterbirds’ habitat preferences and examining its phenology during the crop cycle. Data from bird censuses carried out in the Doñana rice fields were analysed to determine the habitat preferences of 22 species of waterbird at different stages in the rice production cycle. Discriminant function analysis of seven Landsat images was used to classify paddy field stages. The phenology of habitat availability in rice fields during autumn and winter was examined. Waterfowl and waders preferentially used the ‘flooded’ and ‘mudflats with water’ paddy field stages, respectively, and the ‘rice growing’ and ‘dry’ stages were rejected by waterbirds. The area of preferred habitats within rice fields increased during autumn; subsequently, the area of the ‘flooded’ paddy fields decreased in January, whereas that of ‘mudflats with water’ remained available until March. The automatic classification of paddy field stages with Landsat images allowed habitat availability for different species of waterbirds to be monitored and provides relevant information for understanding behavioural and population responses in waterbirds that use rice fields. After examining the phenology of the availability of habitat and comparing it with dates of arrival and departure of migrant waterbirds, best crop practices could be defined to favour waterbirds (i.e. adjusting harvest, ploughing and flooding dates). Taking into account climatic change and loss of wetlands this method could help in the integration of agriculture and conservation, in particular in areas where there is no remaining natural wetland habitat.     

Conserving Waste Rice for Wintering Waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Abstract: Rice lost before or during harvest operations (hereafter waste rice) provides important food for waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA, but >70% of waste rice is lost during autumn. We conducted experiments in 19 production rice fields in Arkansas and Mississippi during autumns 2003 and 2004 to evaluate the ability of common postharvest practices (i.e., burn, mow, roll, disk, or standing stubble) to conserve waste rice. We detected a postharvest treatment effect and a positive effect of initial abundance of waste rice on late-autumn abundance of waste rice (P ≤ 0.022). Standing stubble contained the greatest abundance of waste rice followed by burned, mowed, rolled, and disked stubble. We recommend standing stubble or burning to maximize waste rice abundance for wintering waterfowl.     

Effects of intensive rice production practices on avian biodiversity in Southeast Asian managed wetlands

Rice fields are common throughout the agricultural landscape of Southeast Asia and sustain various bird species. These birds can provide ecosystem services, such as pest control, that improve agricultural yields whilst minimising the use of agrochemicals. This study quantified avian biodiversity in rice production landscapes during three farming stages in Peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, rice fields can be an important habitat for migrating birds due to Malaysia’s position on the East-Asian–Australasian Flyway. We determined bird abundance, species richness, and composition in rice field landscapes and compared these during different stages of rice growing. Wetland and terrestrial birds were counted in rice fields using the point-count method. Sixty sampling points were randomly established in three locations, from which 3447 individual birds of 46 species and 26 families were recorded. There was a significant difference in total bird abundance and species richness between the three different stages of rice growing. The growing stage supported greater bird abundance and species richness compared to the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages. Rice-growing provides temporary habitats to different bird species in this managed aquatic landscape. This implies the presence of abundant food, such as small fish and amphibians. The evidence from this study suggests that biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices should be implemented to improve habitat quality for birds in rice production landscapes.     

Effects of Agricultural Management Policies on the Exposure of Black-Winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) Chicks to Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticides in Rice Fields

Levels of exposure to pesticides in rice fields can be significant depending on the environmental policies practiced. The aim of European Union integrated management policy is to reduce pesticide use and impact on environment. Rice fields provide an alternative breeding habitat for many waterbirds that are exposed to the pesticides used and therefore can be valuable indicators of their risk for wildlife. To evaluate integrated management success we examined exposure of Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) to cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides in rice fields under different types of management by measuring plasma cholinesterase activity. Cholinesterase activity was lower in birds sampled in (a) 2008 after a period of intense pesticide application, than in (b) 2005-2007 and 2011 in rice fields subject to integrated management in Doñana (SW Spain) and (c) in control natural wetlands in Spain and Morocco. During 2009 and 2010, cholinesterase activity was lower in rice fields in Doñana than in rice fields in Larache and Sidi Allal Tazi (NW Morocco). Our results suggest that integrated management successfully reduced the exposure of Black-winged Stilts to pesticides in most of the years. Care should be taken to implement mosquito and pest crop controls on time and with environmentally friendly products in order to reduce its impact on wildlife.