Wood vinegar seed priming improves yield and suppresses weeds in dryland direct-seeding rice under rainfed production

Abstract

A declining farm labor force and increasing water scarcity worldwide are forcing rice farmers to adopt directseeding rice production. Under this production system, speed of germination, field emergence, and crop yield depend prominently on rice seed vigor. We hypothesized that seed priming can enhance rice seed vigor and agronomic performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of GA 3 and wood vinegar seed priming on seed vigor, seedling performance, and grain yield in farmer's fields. The experimental design was a split-split plot with four replications and planted in Thailand between April to December 2013 and 2014. Two rice cultivars (KDML 105 and RD6) were main plots; two planting methods (broadcast and row) were sub-plots, and three seed priming treatments (GA 3 , wood vinegar, and untreated control) were sub-sub-plots. Seed priming enhanced speed of germination and final germination percentage under both laboratory and field condition. However, soil moisture availability during flowering and seed formation significantly affected agronomic performance. Wood vinegar-primed seeds had greater shoot growth and plant population at maturity, while GA 3-primed seed had more rapid germination. Yieldrelated agronomic performance characteristics of tillers plant −1 and yield in ton ha −1 were significantly higher for primed seed, and weed biomass was significantly reduced in 2013. Here, we show for the first time that wood vinegar is a sustainable alternative to chemicals for seed priming. Also, when water is available during flowering and seed development, wood vinegar priming increases grain yield and reduces weed pressure.

Ascorbic Acid Preconditioning Effect on Broccoli Seedling Growth and Photosynthesis under Drought Stress

“…Many compounds have been used successfully as SPAs. Salicylic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, and glycinebetaine promoted germination in carrots [ 22 ], 5-hydroxybenzimidazole increased yields and stress resistance in tomatoes [ 23 ], and pyroligneous acid increased yields in rice [ 24 ]. Several naturally occurring antioxidants, such as lycopene, β-carotene, and ascorbic acid (AsA), also increased tomato dry mass and photosynthesis when used as SPAs [ 25 ].…”

Co‐application of wood distillate and biochar improves soil quality and plant growth in basil (Ocimum basilicum)#

“…In recent years, research on WD has focused on studying its antioxidant, plant growth regulating, bacteriostatic, and soil additive effects on crops and plants of food interest, with particular attention for the environment. It has also been reported that the application of WD can promote plant growth (Simma et al, 2017), increasing the content of mineral and nutritional elements in the soil (Polthanee et al, 2014). Furthermore, the acidic nature of WD can regulate soil pH (Lashari et al, 2015), improve nutrient availability (Lashari et al, 2013), inhibit ammonium loss (Grewal et al, 2018), mitigate N 2 O and CH 4 emissions (Sun et al, 2018), and influence the soil microbial community (Cardelli et al, 2020).…”

“…Wood distillate (WD) is widely recognized as a promising multifunctional amendment in agriculture (Simma et al., 2017). WD, also known as pyroligneous acid or wood vinegar, is a by‐product originated from the condensation of gases during B production (Grewal et al., 2018).…”

The Antifungal Effect of Pyroligneous Acid on the Phytopathogenic Fungus Botrytis cinerea

“…The most abundant substance (about 50%) is acetic acid, which gives PA its characteristic pH below 3, while the phenolic group gives it a smoky smell [ 19 ]. Recently, researchers have begun to study the possible uses of PA in agriculture, highlighting an increase in yield, product quality, and plant health [ 23 , 24 ], improvement of germination and seed growth [ 25 , 26 , 27 ], resistance to fungal pathogens [ 28 , 29 ], resistance to exposure to high concentrations of ozone [ 30 ], an increase in nitrogen concentration in the soil [ 31 ], and resistance to stress, disease, and insects [ 32 ]. PA inhibits the growth of fungal mycelium due to its negative effects on the speed of division, cell membranes, electrolytes, and protein synthesis [ 28 ].…”