Upland Rice Adaptation to Variable Water Availability Along an Altitude Gradient in Madagascar

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Department of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics

Section: Crop Waterstress Management

Recommended sowing Rai n Use E ffi ci en cy (g. L -1 ) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Experimental sowing B22 WA B 8 78 Botr am aits o Chom rong FO FIFA 1 61 FO FIFA 1 67 FO FIFA 1 72 IRA T 1 12 Neric a 4 Prim aver a Rai n Use E ffi ci en cy (g. L -1 ) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Recommended sowing Harve st ind ex 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 Y iel d (t. ha -1 ) 0 5 10 15 20 Experimental sowing B22 WA B 87 8 Bot ram aits o Cho mron g FO FIFA 16 1 FO FIFA 16 7 FO FIFA 17 2 IRA T 11 2 Neri ca 4 Prim avera Harve st ind ex 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 Y iel d (t. ha -1 ) 0 5 10 15 20 Recommended sowing Cr op du rati on (d) 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Experimental sowing B22 WA B 87 8 Bot ram aits o Chom ron g FO FIFA 16 1 FO FIFA 16 7 FO FIFA 17 2 IRA T 11 2 Neric a 4 Prim avera Cr op du rati on (d) 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Upland Rice Adaptation to Variable Water Availability Along an

Altitude Gradient in Madagascar

Suchit Shrestha

1

_{, Julie Dusserre}

2

_{, Alain Ramanantsoanirina}

3

_{, Folkard Asch}

1

_{, and Holger Brück}

1

1_{University of Hohenheim; Germany,}2_{CIRAD; France,}3_{FOFIFA; Madagascar}

Acknowledgements This study is part of a large project adressing „Adaptation of African agriculture to climate change“ funded by the German Ministry for collaboration and

development through GTZ/BEAF. More information can be found at www.risocas.de. Collaborators in this study are the University of Hohenheim; Germany, WARDA; Benin, and CIRAD; France. FOFIFA; Madagascar as a co-partner institute is highly acknowledged for initiating the experiments in the fields.

Introduction

Conclusions

Results and Discussion

Materials and Methods

Tropentag 2009, October 6 - 8, 2009, Hamburg, Germany

Growing demand for rice and increasing pressure on irrigated land leads to upland rice supplementing irrigated rice. Rice is very sensitive to even short drought spells

during sensitive phenological stages.

Adaptation strategies are required to match varietal development and crop management with water availability and changes in the climatic environment imposed by climate change. Field experiments were conducted at three locations in Madagascar along altitude and temperature gradients ranging from hot-equatorial to the lower limit of the

crop’s thermal adaptation. Genotypic

phenology was studied in relation to water use and climatic conditions.

Contact address: Garbenstr. 13, 70599 Stuttgart

Email: suchitps@uni-hohenheim.de

 10 varieties of upland rice were planted at 2 different sowing dates with 3 replications (RCBD) in three locations.  Plot size was 4.8 X 3.8 m with 20 X 20 cm spacing between plants.

 Daily values for temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed were recorded.  TDR and Mini lysimeter were installed in the field to measure soil moisture and bare soil evaporation.  Different physiological and phenological stages were observed during crop cycle.

 Biomass, yield, and yield components were determined at maturity.

Crop Duration

Harvest Index

Rain Use Efficiency

Total rainfall (mm) during cropping period High altitude (Andranomanelatra) 1263 Mid altitude (Ivory) 989 Low altitude (Ankepaka) 622

Total rainfall (mm) during cropping period High altitude (andranomanelatra) 985 Mid altitude (Ivory) 914 Low altitude (Ankepaka) 1012

 High altitude conditions increase crop duration by 36 to 52 days.

 A month delay in sowing date affects crop duration differently depending on altitude.

 Delay in sowing increases crop duration at

higher altitudes.

 All genotypes performed best in mid altitude.

 In high altitude with delayed sowing

Chomrong and FOFIFA varieties out

performed other genotypes.

 Rain Use Efficiency is an inadequate

indicator for water use in mountainous

upland rice systems.

 All varieties yielded best under mid-altitude conditions.

 Delayed sowing constraints yields of all varieties but the cold tolerant varieties in high altitude .

 RUE is lower in higher altitude due to high run-off loss.

 RUE is higher for the recommended sowing

date at lower altitude and for delayed sowing in mid-altitude.

High altitude Mid altitude Low altitude

High altitude Mid altitude Low altitude Yield (High altitude) Yield (Mid altitude) Yield (Low altitude)

Andranomanelatra 1625 m asl

Dec Feb Apr Jun

M ea n te m pe ra ture ( °C ) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Ivory 965 m asl

Dec Feb Apr Jun

Ankepaka 25 m asl

Dec Feb Apr Jun

R ain fall (mm ) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Recommended

sowing date Harvesting Harvesting Harvesting

Experimental sowing date Recommended sowing date Experimental sowing date Recommended sowing date Experimental sowing date