Zeolite amendment enhances rice production, nitrogen accumulation and translocation in wetting and drying irrigation paddy field

Zeolite (Z) has been widely used for improving rice production, but there is a lack of information on how nitrogen (N) accumulation and translocation affect yield performance of paddy field in the alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD) amended with zeolite. In this study, a 2-year field experiment with installed lysimeters was carried out to determine the influence of Z application (0, 5 and 10 t Z ha⁻¹) on rice yield, tiller number, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation and translocation (DMA and DMT), N accumulation and translocation (NA and NT), inorganic N content in soil under two irrigation regimes (CF: continuously flooded irrigation, AWD). The results showed that AWD didn’t affect rice grain yield in 2016, but reduced it in 2017 without Z application; and rice yield was not affected by AWD with the application of 10 t Z ha⁻¹ in two years, relative to CF. AWD reduced highest and ineffective tiller number in 2016, and highest and final tiller number in 2017; as well as LAI after joint-booting stage, relative to CF. Z amendment significantly increased highest and final tiller number, but didn’t affect ineffective tiller number; and increased LAI after joint-booting stage. The principal components analysis showed that grain yield was more significantly correlated with the panicles per m², NT, and aboveground DMA and NA after panicle-initiation stage. As compared to CF, AWD significantly reduced aboveground DMA after panicle-initiation stage; aboveground NA after joint-booting stage in both years; and NT in 2016, but not in 2017. Z amendment significantly improved aboveground DMA and NA after tillering stage, as well as NT and panicles per m². In addition, AWD with Z amendment significantly improved inorganic N content in soil.