Effect of various combinations of temperature during different phenological periods on indica rice yield and quality in the Yangtze River Basin in China

Rice grain yield and quality declines are due to unsuitable temperatures from wide regions and various sowing dates.This study aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature on rice yield and quality at different phenological periods and obtain suitable temperatures for phenological periods in the Yangtze River Basin,China.This study conducted experiments on different sowing dates under different areas in the Yangtze River Basin to observe and compare the differences in rice growth,yield,and quality,controlling for regional varieties.The results showed significant differences in rice growth,yield,and quality among sowing dates and areas,which were related to the average daily temperature during the vegetative period(VT)and the first 20 days of the grain-filling period(GT20).In addition,there was a smaller variation in the average daily temperature in the reproductive period(RT)than in the two phenological periods.Therefore,according to the VT and GT20 thresholds of different yields and qualities,the experimental results were divided into four scenarios(Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,andⅣ)in this study.In Scenario I,high head rice production(rice grain yield multiplied by head rice rate)and rice quality could be obtained.The head rice production of ScenariosⅢandⅣwas lower than that of ScenarioⅠ,by 30.1 and 27.6%,respectively.In Scenario II,the head rice production increased insignificantly while the chalky grain rate and chalkiness were 50.6 and 56.3%higher than those of Scenario I.In conclusion,the Scenario I combination with VT ranges of 22.8-23.9℃and GT20 ranges of 24.2-27.0℃or the combination with VT ranges of 23.9-25.3℃and GT20 ranges of 24.2-24.9℃,which can be obtained by adjusting sowing date and selecting rice varieties with suitable growth periods,is recommended to achieve high levels of rice grain yield and quality in the Yangtze River Basin.