Greek field activities 2014
The 2014 experimentation in Greece was comprised by three groups of field experiments covering a total area of more than 62 ha.
The three groups were: 1) 5 big scale parcels (>1ha) inside the Kalochori station 2) 11 small scale parcels (1/2 of an acre area), with several stresses induced (low plant density, weed infestation, rice blast, low N input ect) and 3) 24 plots of 11 m2 with several N fertilization levels in order to study the rate of N fertilization update in rice.
In addition, another 31 big scale parcels were included in the collection of data in collaboration with a local rice grower and an End-User of ERMES, Mr Takis Plastiras.
During the cultivation period all management practices were recorded along with several agro-morphophysiological traits. The management data were: time of flooding, sowing, herbicide/ fertilization/fungicide application (if any) and harvesting time. Also, the main phenological stages were recorded such as emergence, tillering, days to 50% heading and to maturity.
The agro-morphophysiological traits were measured either every week or once according to the type of each individual trait in the two first experimental groups. The weekly measurements were: plant height, biomass, Leaf Area Index (LAI) using a DSLR camera attached with hemispherical lenses and the CANEYE software and Chlorophyll Concentration Index (CCI).
The following traits were also assessed once within the cultivation period: number of tillers, panicle length, number of leaves, stem diameter, angle on insertium, yield and dry matter by sampling of five random square meters area, total yield, harvest Index, grain moisture content at harvest, grain length, grain width, grain length/width ratio in paddy and in brown product, grain vitreocity, milling yield and whole milling yield, amylose, nitrogen content. In addition, in the fertilization experiments, N content levels were analyzed on leaves collected weekly.