Abstract
Rain-fed lowlands are major agricultural ecosystems used for rice production in Northeast Thailand. Developing a tool to assess the effects of variable water conditions on the regional scale yield is also important to predict the effects of climate change on food supply. To estimate regional yields, we need a simple but accurate measure of the crop calendar (i.e., the distribution of planting dates), which has a strong influence on grain yield. In this article, we modeled the dependence of the crop calendar on rainfall patterns based on a survey of the region’s farmers as a part of an effort to provide a stronger basis for regional yield estimates. Our survey, conducted in 11 provinces for 2 years, confirmed the existence of large windows for sowing and transplanting versus narrow windows for heading and harvesting for rain-fed lowland rice culture in all the provinces. Variable water, soil, and toposequential conditions in the paddy fields were responsible for the large sowing and transplanting windows, whereas the use of photoperiod-sensitive varieties explained the narrow windows for heading and harvesting. The crop calendar was well expressed as a function of cumulative precipitation from June onward. When the crop calendar model was combined with a simple phenology-based model that uses growing degree-days adjusted by a day-length factor, we could estimate the rice crop calendar under rain-fed lowland conditions with acceptable accuracy. The model described in this article will be combined with a crop growth model to improve regional yield estimates for rain-fed lowland rice.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahloowalia BS, Mauluszynski M, Nichterlein K (2004) Global impact of mutation-derived varieties. Euphytica 135:187–204
Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2002) FAO rice information, vol 3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, p 222
Fukai S (1999) Phenology in rain-fed lowland rice. Field Crop Res 64(1):51–60
Fukui H, Chumphon N, Hoshikawa K (2000) Evolution of rain-fed rice cultivation in Northeast Thailand: increased production with decreased stability. Global Environ Res 2:145–154
Goto S, Kuwagata T, Konghakote P, Polthanee A, Ishigooka Y, Toritani H, Hasegawa T (2008) Characteristics of water balance in a rainfed paddy field in Northeast Thailand. Paddy Water Environ. doi:10.1007/s10333-007-0100-z
Hasegawa T, Sawano S, Goto S, Konghakote P, Polthanee A, Ishigooka Y, Kuwagata T, Toritani H, Furuya J (2008) A model driven by crop water use and nitrogen supply for simulating changes in the regional yield of rain-fed lowland rice in Northeast Thailand. Paddy Water Environ. doi:10.1007/s10333-007-0099-1
Hayashi S, Kamoshita A, Yamagishi J, Kotchasatit A, Jongdee B (2007) Genotypic differences in grain yield of transplanted and direct-seeded rain-fed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Northeastern Thailand. Field Crop Res 102(1):9–21
Homma K, Horie T, Ohnishi M, Shiraiwa T, Supapoj N, Matsumoto N, Kabaki N (2001) Quantifying the toposequential distribution of environmental resources and its relationship with rice productivity. In: Fukai S, Basnayake J (eds) Increased lowland rice production in the Mekong region. Proceedings of an international workshop, Vientiane Laos, pp 281–291
Homma K, Horie T, Shiraiwa T, Supapoj N, Matsumoto N, Kabaki N (2003) Toposequential variation in soil fertility and rice productivity of rain-fed lowland paddy fields in mini-watershed (Nong) in Northeast Thailand. Plant Prod Sci 6(2):147–153
Homma K, Horie T, Shiraiwa T, Sripodok S, Supapoj N (2004) Delay of heading date as an index of water stress in rain-fed rice in mini-watersheds in Northeast Thailand. Field Crop Res 88(1):11–19
Horie T, Nakagawa H (1990) Modeling and prediction of developmental process in rice. Japan J Crop Sci 59(4):687–695; (in Japanese with English abstract)
Konchan S, Kono Y (1996) Spread of Direct Seeded Lowland rice in Northeast Thailand: farmers’ adaptation to economic growth. J Southeast Asian Stud 33(4):523–546
Kono Y, Tomita S, Nagata Y, Iwama K, Nawata E, Junthotai K, Katawatin R,Kyuma K, Miyagawa S, Niren T, Noichana C, Sakuratani T, Sributta A,Watanabe K (2001) A GIS-based crop-modelling approach to evaluating the productivity of rain-fed lowland paddy in north-east Thailand. In: Fukai S, Basnayake J (eds) Increased lowland rice production in the Mekong region. Proceedings of an international workshop, Vientiane Laos, pp 301–318
Maclean JL, Dawe DC, Hardy B, Hettel GP (eds) (2002) Rice almanac. Los Baños, (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute, Bouaké (Côte dIvoire): West Africa Rice Development Association, Cali (Colobia): International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Rome (Italy): Food and Agriculture Organization
Miyagawa S (1995) Expansion of an improved variety into rain-fed rice cultivation in Northeast Thailand. J Southeast Asian Stud 33(2):187–203
Miyagawa S, Kuroda T (1988a) Variability of yield and yield components of rice in rain-fed paddy fields of Northeast Thailand. Jpn J Crop Sci 57(3):527–534
Miyagawa S, Kuroda T (1988b) Effects of environmental and technical factors on rice yield in rain-fed paddy fields of Northeast Thailand. Jpn J Crop Sci 57(4):773–781
Miyagawa S, Kono Y, Nagata Y, Nawata E (1999) Technical changes in rain-fed rice cultivation in Northeast Thailand. In: Horie T et al (eds) Proceedings of international symposium on world food security, Kyoto, pp 169–172
Nawata E, Nagata Y, Sasaki A, Iwama K, Sakuratani T (2005a) Mapping of climated data in Northeast Thailand: temperature and solar radiation. Tropics 14(2):179–190
Nawata E, Nagata Y, Sasaki A, Iwama K, Sakuratani T (2005b) Mapping of climated data in Northeast Thailand: rainfall. Tropics 14(2):191–201
Ohnishi M, Horie T, Homma K, Kondo S, Takano H, Inamura T, Thongthai C, Supapoj N (1999) Modeling and evaluation of productivity of rain-fed rice in Northeast Thailand. In: Horie T et al (eds) Proceedings of international symposium on world food security, Kyoto, pp 173–176
Polthanee A (1997) Rice-based cropping systems in Northeastern Thailand. In: Fukai S, Cooper M, Salisbury J (eds) Breeding strategies for rain-fed lowland rice in drought-prone environments. Proceedings of an international workshop held at Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, 5–8 November 1996. ACIAR Proceedings No. 77, pp 13–22
Suzuki K, Goto A, Mizutani M, Sriboonlue V (2003) Simulation model of rain-fed rice production on sloping land in Northeast Thailand. Paddy Water Environ 1(2):91–97
Tsubo M, Fukai S, Basnayake J, Tuong TP, Bouman B, Harnpichitvitaya D (2007) Effects of soil clay content on water balance and productivity in rain-fed lowland rice ecosystem in Northeast Thailand. Plant Prod Sci 10(2):232–241
Yin X, Kropff MJ, Goudriaan J (1996) Differential effects of day and night temperature on development to flowering in rice. Ann Bot (Lond) 77(3):203–213
Acknowledgments
This study was financially supported by the research project of Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries “Assessment of the impact of global-scale change in water cycles on food production and alternative policy scenarios”.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sawano, S., Hasegawa, T., Goto, S. et al. Modeling the dependence of the crop calendar for rain-fed rice on precipitation in Northeast Thailand. Paddy Water Environ 6, 83–90 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-007-0102-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-007-0102-x