Nitrogen Uptake and Use Efficiency of Aerobic Rice as Affected by Different Nitrogen Management: A Review

Abstract

A significant amount of the world's population relies heavily on rice, which is grown in both lowland and upland rice systems. Irrigated lowland rice systems account for over 76% of the world's rice production. Although the aerobic rice system can be viewed as a revolutionary substitute for conventional rice, increased nitrogen (N) losses and decreased N-use efficiency (NUE) have made it difficult for this novel method to be widely adopted. One of the most crucial ingredients in the cultivation of rice is nitrogen (N). Less than 50% of N is recovered in both lowland and highland systems. Soil erosion, volatilisation, leaching, and denitrification account for the majority of the loss of applied nitrogen. Consequently, it will be prudent to maximise the use of nitrogenous fertilisers in order to achieve high yields and maintain a level of production costs that can be sustained. For rice cultivation in the aforementioned scenario, nitrogenous fertiliser needs to be used more wisely and efficiently. This review focusses on the various production practices that can increase the efficiency with which N is used, such as liming acid soils, providing N at appropriate rates, using appropriate sources, applying N at the right time and method, rotating crops, using cover crops, implementing conservation tillage, planting N-efficient genotypes.