Rice growth and post-rice mungbean in relation to two puddling intensities under glasshouse conditions

The effect of soil puddling on growth of lowland rice (Oryza sativa) and post-rice mungbean (Vigna radiata) was investigated using mini rice beds under controlled glasshouse conditions. Each mini rice bed was approximately 1 m(3) in size. Three different soil types were used: a well-drained, permeable loam; a hardsetting, structurally unstable silty loam; and a medium clay. Rice yields were reduced by low puddling compared with high puddling intensity on the loam but not affected on the heavier textured soils (silty loam and clay). Yield of mungbean was reduced on highly puddle, structurally unstable soil, indicating that puddling should be reduced on structurally unstable soils. Under glasshouse condition where crop establishment was not a limiting factor and plant available water in 0.65 m of soil was 100 mm, mungbean yields of >1 t/ha were achieved. However, under conditions where subsoil water reserves were depleted for the production of vegetative biomass during initial optimal growing condition, grain yield remained well below 1 t/ha.

Variabilidade espacial da umidade relativa do ar no interior de uma casa de vegetação em clima tropical

Greenhouse with natural ventilation is widely used in tropical countries, and little knowledge is available about how this type of structure affects the spatial variability of agroclimatic variables. The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial variability of relative humidity inside a greenhouse with natural ventilation. The measurement of relative humidity was done at 114 points inside the greenhouse at 9, 12 and 16 hours and on heights of 0.3, 1.2 and 2.0 m. The acquired data were processed by the geostatistical software GS+ and maps were generated and displayed for each time and height using the Surfer 10.3.705 software. The results showed that there were variations in the spatial distribution of relative humidity inside the greenhouse.