Impacts of diverse water management systems on growth and yield of two prominent boro rice cultivars in Bangladesh

Increasing the production of rice to meet the food needs of the growing population amid the increasing water scarcity in the world has become a matter of great concern in recent days. Continually, climate change and water scarcity have also created significant challenges for rice production in Bangladesh, which has resulted in the urgent need for water-saving practices to increase rice production. A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to find out the effects of different water management practices on growth and yield of two boro rice cultivars. The experiment was carried out in split-plot design with water management practices in the main plot and rice varieties in the sub-plot. The water management practices were as (I1) alternate wetting and drying of the field denoting application of 5 cm irrigation water when water level in the perforated PVC pipe fell 15 cm below ground level, (I2) irrigation after 5 days of saturation, (I3) continuous flooded condition. The varieties of boro rice were BRRI dhan47 and BRRI dhan29. The highest grain yield of rice was obtained from the variety BRRI dhan47 followed by BRRI dhan29. Among the different water management practices, alternate wetting and drying (I1) recorded the highest grain yield of rice followed by irrigation after 5 days of saturation (I2) and continuous flooded condition (I3). These water-saving techniques offer promising strategies for increasing rice production while conserving water resources. Further research is recommended to optimize these practices across diverse agro-ecological zones, enhancing climate resilience in rice cultivation.