Simulation of Rice Performance under Alkaline Soil Pedon Using CERES-Rice Model

A multi-location field experiment was conducted on crop establishment methods of rice under different soil texture. Field experiments in Indian Punjab were conducted on three soil textures including sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and clay loam soils. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with nine treatment combinations of direct-seeded rice (DSR) and transplanted flooded rice (TFR), along with different irrigation strategies. The results of multi locations field study were used for CERES-Rice model calibration and validation. Simulation study was performed in a soil pedon near Ferozpur, Punjab to evaluate the performance of rice establishment methods under alkaline soil enlivenment. The CERES-Rice model showed satisfactory accuracy in simulating grain yield, biomass, and evapotranspiration (ET), with low RMSE values, indicating minimal residual variation. Other evaluation indices such as Nash-Sutcliffe Modelling Efficiency (ME), R² values demonstrated strong correlation between observed and simulated data. The index of agreement (d) values, ranging from 0.71 to 0.76, indicated good reliability of the model. These results confirmed the model's predictive capability and effectiveness under varying climatic conditions, supporting improved crop management. The simulated grain yield of TFR in neutral soil (Pedon 1) was 5.7 t ha⁻¹ and reduced to 5.0 t ha⁻¹ for direct seeded rice. In contrast, alkaline soil (Pedon 2) had lower yields (4.9 t ha⁻¹ for TFR) and crop failure for DSR, reflecting poor nutrient dynamics and water retention. The water use efficiency for TFR in alkaline soil was slightly reduced, highlighting challenges in such soils.