Haiying Huang

Hier Rice Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Rice Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 5   
Received: 27 Jul., 2025    Accepted: 06 Sep., 2025    Published: 20 Sep., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study systematically evaluated the application effects of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation technology in rice cultivation, with a focus on its role in improving water use efficiency, maintaining yield stability, enhancing grain quality, and reducing environmental impacts. Field experiments were conducted in two representative rice-growing regions in China-Xinghua in Jiangsu Province and Guanghan in Sichuan Province-to compare the performance of AWD and conventional continuous flooding under varying ecological and agronomic conditions. The results showed that AWD significantly reduced irrigation water consumption while maintaining or slightly increasing yield, and effectively mitigated greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating a strong synergy between water saving and emission reduction. By integrating agronomic performance with ecological benefits, this study clarified the practical value and strategic significance of AWD technology in building a climate-resilient and resource-efficient rice production system. The findings aim to provide theoretical guidance and technical support for advancing sustainable and efficient rice farming, and promoting the development of water-saving agriculture.

Rice cultivation; Alternate wetting and drying (AWD); Water use efficiency; Greenhouse gas mitigation; Sustainable agriculture