Causes and Prevention Methods of Rice Root Hypoxia
Rice is a type of crop. Most rice cultivation is done by households for self-sufficiency, but some is grown on a large scale and sold on the market after harvest. However, growing rice requires us to prevent many problems, and rice root hypoxia is one of them. Rice root hypoxia can lead to many related problems such as yellow leaves and stunted seedlings. So what causes rice root hypoxia? How should it be prevented and treated? Let's take a look!
1. Excessive water accumulation
Causes: Excessive water accumulation in the soil can cause rice hypoxia because too much water seeps into the soil, leaving the soil completely in a waterlogged state and forming a closed space. Especially after rainy days, many planting areas have weak drainage capacity, or farmers water improperly, leaving the rice field in a waterlogged state for a long time. This causes the roots to be soaked in water for a long time, unable to carry out respiration, and the oxygen content is also insufficient, resulting in hypoxia in the rice.
Prevention and treatment: Strengthen the drainage capacity of the rice field, irrigate reasonably, and prevent excessive water accumulation in the rice field. During continuous rainy weather, ditches should be opened in time for drainage to prevent symptoms of hypoxia.
2. Soil causes
Causes: The suitable pH for rice growth is around 7. When the pH of the soil does not reach what rice growth requires, it will affect root respiration. And when the soil is acidic, it can cause soil compaction, and the soil cannot aerate in time, causing hypoxia. This is mainly because farmers do not pay attention to the reasonable use of fertilizer when topdressing. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers or some acidic fertilizers reduces the organic matter content of the soil, causing the soil to gradually become compacted. When the soil has no water, the situation becomes even more serious, and the rice roots cannot breathe, thus suffering from hypoxia.
Prevention and treatment: Increase the proportion of organic fertilizer applied and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. For soil that has already become acidic, alkaline substances such as quicklime powder can be used to neutralize the soil's acidity and alkalinity. Carry out intertillage and hilling regularly to enhance soil permeability, strengthen root respiration, and increase soil oxygen content.
3. Unsuitable environment
Causes: Drought after continuous rainy weather, or sudden heavy rain after continuous drought, can both cause root hypoxia. Especially in spring and summer, under weather that is first rainy and then dry, the soil will form mud during the heavy rain, and then after direct sunlight, the soil becomes very dry and hard. Its density also increases, causing the roots to be unable to exchange air in time and thus suffer from hypoxia. The situation of first dry and then rainy is similar.
Prevention and treatment: Strengthen the management of the rice field, carry out intertillage and soil loosening regularly, reduce soil density, improve soil permeability, and promote root growth and development.
The above is a brief introduction to the causes of rice root hypoxia and the prevention and treatment methods. In fact, you may have noticed that the most fundamental prevention and treatment method is to improve soil permeability and increase soil oxygen content. This is also the most basic work we need to manage in cultivation, so everyone must pay attention to it and prevent rice root hypoxia from causing a series of physiological phenomena unfavorable to rice growth, such as stunted seedlings, yellow leaves, and premature aging.