There has been a partial shift away from conventional flood irrigation (FI) practices for rice (Oryza stativa L.) production in water-scarce northern China. Drip irrigation with plastic film mulch (DI-PFM) can maintain high rice yields with significant water savings. However, rice seedlings often develop chlorosis when grown with DI-PFM on calcareous soil. Bicarbonate is a concern with regard to chlorosis in calcareous soil. The objective of this simulation experiment was to determine the effect of irrigation method and irrigation water HCO À 3 concentration on (1) soil pH and DTPA-Fe concentration, (2) chlorophyll, total Fe, and active Fe concentrations of rice leaves, and (3) rice root and shoot biomass. The experiment consisted of four treatments: FI with water containing either 2 or 10 mM HCO À 3 (referred to as FI-2 and FI-10, respectively) and DI-PFM with water containing 2 or 10 mM HCO À 3 (referred to as DI-2 and DI-10, respectively). The results show that the HCO À 3 concentrations of the soil solution were greater under FI than under DI-PFM, because more irrigation water was applied in the FI system. Soil pH increased as the HCO À 3 concentration of the irrigation water increased. The increase in soil pH was greater in DI-PFM than in FI. Soil DTPA-Fe concentration, leaf SPAD values, leaf total Fe concentration, leaf active Fe concentration, shoot biomass, and root biomass decreased as the HCO À 3 concentration of the irrigation water increased. The decreases were less under DI-PFM than under FI. Overall, the results indicate that rice plants are more sensitive to the HCO À 3 concentration of irrigation water under FI than under DI-PFM.