The effects of 15 N-labelled green manure (GM) application on rice yield and N uptake were investigated and compared with those of inorganic fertilizer (IF) and no fertilizer (NF) application. Nine GMs (white clover, Chinese milk vetch, hairy vetch, crimson clover, oats, rye, Italian ryegrass, white mustard, lacy phacelia) were either incorporated into or surface-applied on paddy soil. Among the nine GM treatments, the rice yield and N uptake tended to be higher in the white clover and hairy vetch treatments. The rice N uptake efficiency from the applied N source was highest in the incorporated hairy vetch (56%), followed by IF (52%), and incorporated white clover (44%), whereas for the other treatments there were no significant differences. The mineral fertilizer equivalent values of hairy vetch and white clover in case of the incorporation were 108% and 84%, respectively. Therefore, hairy vetch and white clover seem to be the most efficient organic N source as alternatives to inorganic N fertilizers. The N uptake efficiency of rice and residual N in soil derived from GM were higher in the incorporation treatments than that in the surface-applied treatments, indicating that N losses from the soil-plant system were lower with the incorporation.

Effects of organic (Italian ryegrass and Bokashi) and chemical fertilizer on growth, yield, and grain quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were compared under different planting densities in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. Italian ryegrass was incorporated into the soil as green manure. Bokashi (a mixture of organic materials) was applied as basal dressing. To measure yield and its components, 30 hills were chosen for each treatment. Rice grains were harvested from each treatment to assess the grain quality and to evaluate accumulation structures using a scanning electron microscope. Bokashi treatment increased panicle number per hill, ripened grain percentage, panicle number per m 2 , and grain yield compared to no fertilizer treatment at normal planting density. Chemical fertilizer treatment increased plant length at high planting density. Italian ryegrass and Bokashi treatments promoted the taste point (taste score as reference) by reduction of amylose and protein contents at normal planting density in contrast to chemical fertilizer. 1000-grain weight, panicle number per m 2 , and grain yield were higher at high planting density than at normal planting density. However, high planting density decreased panicle number per hill and spikelet number per panicle. It also enhanced the amylose content of rice grain. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed that chemical fertilizer treatment marked up protein bodies and their traces on amyloplasts. However, Bokashi treatment produced large amyloplasts, which included many starch granules. These results show that Italian ryegrass and Bokashi can offset reductions of chemical fertilizer and can lead to sufficient starch accumulation structures in rice grains.

Abstract:Organic farming has attracted attention in Indonesia because consumers increasingly prefer the putative safety and health benefits of organic farm products. Although national standards for organic farm products were established in 2002, some products sold as organic products in supermarkets do not carry the certification mark. This study investigated organic rice farming on the island of Bali in Indonesia using fieldwork to ascertain the actual increase in organic farming. Results revealed that government certified organic farming used originally produced cattle manure to grow organic rice. At the market, however, some "quasi-organic farming" products, which had not been given the organic farming certification, were sold as organic rice. This eventuality suggests that although organic farming has been increasing steadily in Bali, development of sustainable recycling agriculture demands technical guidance and increased publicity for organic farming, based on national certification, to address misunderstandings and confusion about the definitions of organic farming and national standards that are transparent to producers and consumers. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 5172

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