Biofortification with calcium and magnesium in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant in different growing systems

Increasing the concentration of micro-and macronutrients in cereal grains is a major challenge in alleviating the problems associated with hidden hunger among populations in developing countries. In the agricultural research world, the number of studies on the important role of agronomic biofortification of plants in increasing micro and macronutrient levels is increasing. On the other hand, a paddy cultivation system known as "Intensive Rice Cultivation", which was born in the 80s, continues to prove itself in increasing rice yield. There are few or almost no studies on Intensive Rice Cultivation devoted to the chemical quality of rice grains. Based on the general hypothesis that Intensive Rice Cultivation can facilitate the transport of calcium and magnesium to the grain part of the rice, this study aimed to increase calcium and magnesium concentrations in rice grains in two paddy growing systems (Intensive and Traditional). In this context, separate calcium and magnesium experiments were carried out in the greenhouse of Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture. In each of the calcium and magnesium trials, rice plants were grown using Intensive and Traditional paddy farming. For calcium and magnesium, 4 doses were applied to rice plants in each cultivation. The doses of calcium and magnesium applied to the soil are 0kg, 2kg, 4kg, and 6kg, and 0.2% applied to the leaves. In this research, vegetative parameters, yield, and the chemical quality of the rice grains were investigated. The results demonstrated that Intensive Rice Cultivation had high efficiency in rice biomass production and grain chemical quality in two trials of calcium and magnesium. The application of calcium and magnesium to the leaves has shown to have a much more positive effect on the chemical quality of the grains than the vegetative parameters of the plants in both Intensive Rice Cultivation and Traditional Rice Cultivation. The highest values of all vegetative parameters examined at the end of the two trials of calcium and magnesium were obtained from the dose of 4kg/da soil + 0.2% leaf. Leaf area in the magnesium test and dry mineral amount in the calcium test were excluded. The highest values in these two parameters were obtained at 2kg/da soil + 0% leaf dose for TRC and 4kg/ha soil + 0% leaf dose for IRC. In the magnesium experiment, the highest values in Ca and Mg contents were obtained at 6kg/da soil + 0.2% leaf dose for IRC. In Traditional Rice Cultivation, the highest Mg containing grains are from 4kg/da soil + 0.2% leaf dose; Ca was determined from 2kg/da soil + 0.2% leaf dose. In the calcium trial, the highest Ca containing grains were determined from the soil dose of 6kg/da for IRC, while in the TRC it was determined from the soil + 0.2% leaf dose of 6kg/da. The highest Mg containing grains were obtained from 6kg/da soil + 0.2% leaf dose for IRC, and 4kg/ha soil + 0.2% leaf dose for TRC. It has been determined that the transport of magnesium from the soil to the rice grains is much more efficient than the transport of calcium.