Rice (
Oryza sativa
L.) is an important crop and breeding has not been able to improve yield. Root characteristics of
hybrid rice ‘Zhuliangyou 02’ under conventional tillage and ridge tillage were studied in a Calcisols in Huaihua, China,
from 2011 to 2013 to find better tillage methods to resolve massive water consumption, improve yield, and enhance
productivity of agricultural labor for rice cultivation. Results showed ridge tillage increased photosynthetic parameters
such as photosynthetic rate (P
N), stomatal conductance (g
s), and water use efficiency (WUE). It also significantly enhanced
rice root number, root activity, and antioxidant enzyme activities; it also increased effective panicle number and actual
yield by 22.12% and 15.18%, respectively, and enhanced aerenchymae during the early growth stage. Overall, ridge tillage
could promote hybrid rice yields by enhancing root absorption, gas exchange, and reducing water consumption. It could be
widely used in rice cultivation.
