Agronomic practices affect rice yield and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium accumulation, allocation and translocation

Applying appropriate agronomic practices instead of conventional farming practices might improve rice yield. However, few studies have focused on how integrated agronomic practices affect N, P, and K accumulation and allocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate grain yield, N, P, and K accumulation, and allocation under different agronomic practices. A japonica rice cultivar was grown in the field, with four agronomic practice treatments: no N application (N0), local farmers' practice (FP), high-yield practice (HYP), and super-high-yield (SHY) practice. The results showed that the latter two practices significantly increased grain yield by 11.0% and 26.4%, respectively, compared with that under FP, mainly as a result of an increase in mean number of panicles m(-2) and spikelets panicle(-1). Mean aboveground N, P, and K accumulation significantly increased by 24.9, 15.3, and 79.1%, in HYP and 42.0, 38.8, and 219.7% in SHY, respectively, compared with that under FP. In particular, K accumulation was higher than N and P accumulation in HYP and SHY plants than those in FP plants. However, N, P, and K grain productivity was lower by 7.5, 9.5, and 20.3% under HYP, and 20.3, 17.2 and 62.7% under SHY treatments than that of FP, respectively, and N, P, and K grain productivity were negatively correlated with yield. Our results suggest that an increase in N, P, and K accumulation from the full-heading stage (FH) to the maturity stage (MS) may assist with improving rice yields under HYP and SHY treatments.