Analysis of rice yield response to various cropping seasons to develop optimal cropping calendars in Mwea, Kenya

Abstract

Cropping calendar optimization contributes to an increase in rice yield. Information on the seasonal variation in grain yield and climate conditions is necessary to determine an appropriate cropping calendar. We sought to find the optimal cropping calendar in Mwea, Kenya, in a tropical highland in equatorial East Africa. We conducted a series of 58 experiments using a local popular rice variety, Basmati 370, between 2013 and 2016, using a secured water supply and adequate blast control, sowing every 15 days. The grain yield was 0–2 t ha⁻¹ when the variety was sown between March and June. This poor grain yield was attributable to the low temperature and low solar radiation from May to September. In contrast, the grain yield was always more than 3 t ha⁻¹ when the variety was sown between July and February. Sowing Basmati 370 between March and June is not recommended, because it may lead to a suboptimal yield due to cold stress. The current cropping calendar (July–December or August–January) is acceptable even under abundant year-round water supply, but sowing between October and February is a good alternative sowing period for single rice cropping. Rice production per year is expected to increase to >100% with the introduction of double cropping by adding cultivation from between January and February before the current cropping calendar. These findings serve as useful references for considering and determining the appropriate calendar options for single and double cropping of rice in tropical highlands in equatorial East Africa. Graphical Abstract