Evaluation of rice production potential and yield gap in Iran using SSM-iCrop2 model

Rice has a special role in the diet of Iranians. To meet the needs of the country, it is necessary to increase the production of this crop. Therefore, due to the limited cultivation area, increasing yield per unit area is a more appropriate method. One of the best methods to increase production is to reduce the yield gap. The present study was designed and conducted to estimate the rice yield gap in Iran in 2016. In this study, the climatic zones and reference weather stations of rice production in Iran were determined using the global yield gap atlas (GYGA) protocol. First, the actual yield of rice was extracted from the Iranian agricultural statistics. Then, potential yield in the main production areas of rice was estimated using the SSM-iCrop2 simulation model and management, soil and climatic data. Yield gap was calculated from the difference between the actual yield of farmers and potential yield. The actual yield of rice in the main climatic regions of this crop in Iran was estimated from 3.5 to 5.2 ton.ha-1 and the simulated potential yield from 6.3 to 9.5 ton.ha-1. Therefore, the yield gap varied from 2.1 to 5.1 ton.ha-1. The results of this study showed that if the yield gap of rice is reduced, its production can be increased from 2,440,000 tons to 4,103,000 tons and achieve the self-sufficiency in rice supply in the country.