Evaluation and Quantification of Rice Yield Gap Using Border Line Analysis Method in Ghaemshahr

overcoming the growing human need for food, which is in line with population growth, is a global challenge. Therefore, this study has evaluated the potential performance and yield gap and identified the limiting factors of production using the border line analysis method.

In order to quantify the production and estimate the rice yield gap in Ghaemshahr region, the data collected from 164 paddy fields (local and high yielding cultivars) of this city were used. Information on important managerial, soil and plant factors were recorded during the growing season through continuous field visits and face-to-face interviews with farmers. In this study, using the boundary line analysis method, the yield gap, potential performance and optimal values of yield gap parameters were calculated and the best managements were determined simultaneously.

In the present study, the quadratic function was able to describe the trend of performance changes in relation to different traits. The required optimal minimum values of each factor were determined to achieve the highest performance. The average optimal yield (achievable) and the average actual yield were 9229 and 5160 kg.ha-1, respectively, and the yield gap was 4069 kg.ha-1, equivalent to 43.8% of the potential yield.

The border line analysis method was able to successfully estimate ways to increase production while reducing the yield gap in the region, significantly help. It is recommended that boundary line analysis be used as a functional analysis alongside other methods, for different crops and in other areas.