Enhancing rice yield potential on cadmium contaminated soils through sorghum and mycorrhiza integration

Remediation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil is a critical challenge for sustainable agricultural productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating sorghum varieties, planting systems (non-ratoon vs. ratoon), and mycorrhizal inoculation for improving the subsequent yield of rice. The experiment was conducted in a paddy field in Sleman, Indonesia, with an initial soil Cd concentration of 2.91 mg kg-¹, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and three replicates. Results showed that remediation treatments had a significant effect on rice yield. The treatment using the Kawali sorghum variety, combined with mycorrhiza and planted using the non-ratoon system, yielded the highest milled rice yield of 2.99 t ha-¹, far exceeding the control, which reached only 0.17 t ha-¹. The highest 1,000-grain weight was obtained from the Super 1-mycorrhiza treatment (39.13 g), while the highest percentage of filled grains (above 90%) was achieved in the Samurai 1-mycorrhiza treatment with the ratoon system. The planting system also had an effect, with the ratoon system improving grain quality, while the non-ratoon system was superior in total yield. These findings confirm that a tailored combination of sorghum varieties, mycorrhiza, and cultivation strategies is crucial for restoring rice productivity on contaminated soil.