Influence of water potential and soil type on conventional japonica super rice yield and soil enzyme activities

Abstract We carried out a pool culture experiment to determine the optimal water treatment depth in loam and clay soils during the late growth stage of super rice. Three controlled water depth treatments of 0–5, 0–10 and 0–15 cm below the soil surface were established using alternate wetting and drying irrigation, and the soil water potential (0 to –25 kPa) was measured at 5, 10 and 15 cm. A 2-cm water layer was used as the control. We measured soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and rice yield. The results showed that the 0–5-cm water depth treatment significantly increased root antioxidant enzyme activities in loam soil compared with the control, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield did not differ from those of the control. The 0–10- and 0–15-cm water depth treatments also increased root antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield decreased. In clay soil, the soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and yield did not change with the 0–5-cm water treatment, whereas the 0–10- and 0–15-cm water treatments improved these parameters. Therefore, the appropriate depths for soil water during the late growth period of rice with a 0 to –25 kPa water potential were 5 cm in loam and 15 cm in clay soil.