Farmyard manure application increases spikelet fertility and grain yield of lowland rice on phosphorus-deficient and cool-climate conditions in Madagascar highlands

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Abstract
Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major yield constraint for lowland rice production in the tropics. As P-fertilizer resources are finite, alternative fertilizer management is needed for sustainable rice production. We examined whether farmyard manure (FYM), a major nutrient source for smallholder farms, can overcome issue in typical P-deficient lowlands in the central highlands of Madagascar. A multi-location trial in sites varying in altitude and soil P availability, clarified that the effect of both FYM and mineral P fertilizer application on grain yield greatly increased at higher elevation and when the soil oxalate-extractable P content was −1. The yield increase was attributable to improved grain fertility, probably because FYM and mineral P applications decreased days to flowering and avoided low temperatures at late growth stages. Nutrient uptake assessment clarified that despite its relatively low P content, FYM had an equivalent effect on plant P uptake to those of mineral P fertilizer. We concluded that FYM application was effective in low-P availability soils at high altitude, as alternative of mineral P fertilizer. Further monitoring is required to assess the effect of consecutive FYM use on grain yield and plant nutrient uptake in the context of cold stress induced by P deficiency. Graphical Abstract
Funding Information
  • Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development
  • Japan Science and Technology Agency
  • International Cooperation Agency
  • Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development
  • Japan Science and Technology Agency
  • International Cooperation Agency

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