Soil Nitrogen Dynamics and Transformation Under No-Tillage Perennial Rice Farming Systems

Annual rice growing lands are mainly threatened by soil loss. High-yielding perennial rice cultivars with great socioeconomic values are developed to stabilize fragile rice farms. Nitrogen balance in perennial rice fields can be facilitated by its no-tillage-based management system. However, systematic studies on nitrogen transformation and its distribution pattern are lacking. This study has therefore been conducted to look for the merits of no-tillage-based perennial rice farming on maintaining balanced nitrogen under perennial rice field conditions. From 2021 to 2023, a field experiment was conducted for six successive seasons, and the effect of no-tillage-based perennial rice plantation on apparent nitrogen balance was assessed. Plant nitrogen dry matter production efficiency and nitrogen recovery efficiency under the perennial rice production system were higher than the annual rice farming system by 10.32% (p < 0.05) and 14.17% (p < 0.05) per annum, respectively. Perennial rice systems exhibit higher nitrogen use efficiency and soil nitrogen potential for crops, sustain soil nitrogen balance and enhance soil fertility for long-term rice productivity. Perennial rice farming system is conducive to green and sustainable production in farmland.