Water-requirement Characteristics and Water-saving Irrigation Indices of Dry-raised Rice Seedlings in Paddy Field

The dry-raised seedlings (D-RS)of rice had obvious superiority in tillering and growth after transplanting. Especially under the condition of water-saving irrigation or low soil moisture, D-RS had more productive tillers, higher dry matter accumulation, larger grain-filling rate, slower senescence of leaves and stronger root activity during ripening, and higher grain yield, compared with the moist-raised seedlings (MRS). D-RS had smaller yield reduction than M-RS when subject to heavy water stress. The results suggested that D-RS had the ability to adapt to lower soil moisture in paddy field. Basedon the response of D-RS to soil moisture at each growth stage, the water-saving and high-yielding irrigation indices through controlling lowlimit soil water potential were proposed, i.e. soil water potential was - 15 - - 20 kPa from the recovery to the criticalleaf-age of productive tillering, - 20 - - 40 kPa from the critical leaf-age of productive tillering to secondary branch-differentiating stage, - 15 - - 25 kPa from secondary branch-differentiating stage to 20 days after heading and - 25 - - 35 kPa from 21 to 45 days after heading.

Effects of Silicon Formulations on Cold Tolerance of Rice Seedlings

To investigate the effects of silicon formulations on the cold tolerance of rice seedlings,Song Japonica 16(not cold tolerant)and Dongnong 427(cold tolerant)rice varieties were used as test materials and four different types of silicon formulations,Si-50-G,Si-60-G,Si-T-G,and Si-E-G,were applied as foliar sprays at the seedling stage,and a control group CK(equal amount of distilled water)was set up.One week after the first silicon spray,two types of rice were subjected to low-temperature stress treatments at day/night temperatures of 12℃/10℃for 2,4,6,and 8 days.The effects of different silicon formulations on the chlorophyll,proline(Pro)and soluble sugar contents as well as superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POD)and catalase(CAT)activities of rice seedlings under low-temperature stress were compared to find out the effects of silicon formulations on the cold tolerance of rice seedlings.The results showed that silicon formulations could significantly increase the chlorophyll content of rice seedling leaves,with Si-50-G being the most effective,with a significant increment of 40.17%compared to the CK at 2 days of low temperature.Four silicon formulations significantly increased the proline content and soluble sugar content of rice leaves at low temperature for 4-8 days.For Song Japonica 16,the most significant increment in leaf POD activity was observed in Si-E-G treatment at 2,4 and 8 days of temperature stress,with 73.58%,20.95%and 217.24%increases compared to the CK,respectively.For 4 and 6 days of temperature stress,the most significant increase in CAT activity was observed in Si-E-G treatment,with 25.70%and 75.78%increases compared to the CK,respectively.For Dongnong 427,the Si-60-G treatment showed the highest increase in leaf SOD activity for 4 and 8 days of temperature stress,with significant increases of 58.15%and 82.76%compared to the CK,respectively,and the Si-E-G treatment showed the highest increase in leaf POD activity for 2 and 8 days of temperature stress,with significant increases of 97.75%and 245.10%compared to the CK,respectively.It showed that the spraying of silicon formulations could significantly enhance the cold tolerance of rice.This study provided a scientific basis for the rational use of silicon formulations to enhance cold tolerance in rice and had important theoretical and practical significance for ensuring sustainable high and stable rice yields in Heilongjiang Province,as well as for the development of silicon fertilizers.

Effects of Biostimulant NEAU10 on Growth of Rice Seedlings and Soil Physicochemical Parameters

The process of rice(Oryza sativa L.)seedling cultivation is often subjected to adverse environmental stress.Biostimulants regulate the robust growth of rice seedlings and play a crucial role in promoting the green and ecological development of agriculture.In this study,1.0 and 2.0 g•m^(-2) of the biostimulant were applied to soil in rice seedbeds.Growth indicators of rice,antioxidant enzyme activities and soil physicochemical characteristics were assessed at the 2.5-leaf and 4-leaf stages of rice.The results indicated that applying 2.0 g•m^(-2) of the biostimulant at both the 2.5-leaf and 4-leaf stages had the most significant promoting effect on rice growth.At the 2.5-leaf and 4-leaf stages,the number of fibrous roots increased by 23.43%and 22.25%,stem base width increased by 19.05%and 19.58%,above ground dry weight increased by 18.09%and 16.47%,root dry weight increased by 19.67%and 18.28%,leaf peroxidase(POD)activity increased by 34.44%and 42.94%,superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity increased by 37.24%and 56.79%,malondialdehyde(MDA)content decreased by 18.60%and 27.67%,and chlorophyll content increased significantly by 28.31%and 34.24%,respectively.At the 4-leaf stage of rice,urease,phosphatase and cellulase activities in the seedbed soil increased by 42.13%,25.96%and 33.59%,respectively,while soil alkaline nitrogen,available phosphorus and available potassium content decreased by 19.76%,19.02%and 17.88%,respectively.The application of biostimulants played a crucial role in promoting the growth of rice seedlings and enhancing soil nutrient absorption.

Formula for Determining Number of Basic Seedlings at Scattered-Planting with Seedling Dry-Raised on Plastic Trays in Double-Season Rice

The tiller emergence in seedling nursery beds and field, and panicle formation in the field were investigated under scattered-planting with seedling dry-raised on plastic trays in double-season rice. A significant difference was noted in the non-synchronously-emerged tillers （the tillers that formed from latent buds and did not emerge following the normal tillering law on seedling nursery beds and recovered to grow after scattered-planting or transplanting） as well as the percentage of the available synchronously-emerged tillers between seedlings raised on plastic trays under dry-land conditions （DPT） and seedlings raised on nursery beds under wetland conditions （WB）. The seedlings under DPT had some non-synchronously-emerged tillers, but those under WB had not. Therefore, the traditional formula for determining the number of rice seedlings was improved, and the formula for determining the number of basic seedlings under scattered planting with DPT in double-season rice was introduced. For early rice, it was X=Y/{（I＋t1r1）[1＋（N-n-SN）Rr2]＋（SN-3-t1）R2r5}, and for late rice, it was X=Y/{（1＋t1r1）[1＋（N-n-SN）Rr2]＋（N-n-SN-3）Rr2R1r3＋（SN-3-t1）R2r5}. Where, X represents reasonable number of basic seedlings per unit area at scattered-planting; Y, number of fitting panicles per unit area; t1, total number of tillers per plant; r1, percentage of the total available tillers; N, total number of leaves of the main culm; n, total number of elongated internodes in the main culm; SN, seedling leaf ages at scattered-planting; R, percentage of the primary tillers emerged in available node-position; r2, percentage of the available primary tillers; R1, percentage of the secondary tillers in the field （except the secondary tillers of the seedlings）; r3, percentage of the available secondary tillers; R2, percentage of the asynchronously-emerged tillers after scattered-planting; r5, percentage of the available non-synchronously-emerged tillers after scattered-planting.

Growth of tandem long-mat rice seedlings using controlled release fertilizers:Mechanical transplantation can be more economical and high yielding

The traditional soil-based rice seedling production methods for mechanical transplanting are resource-intensive,time consuming and laborious.The improvement and optimization of nutrient management in soil-less nursery raising methods like tandem long-mat seedlings(TLMS)are necessary for the resource-efficient cultivation of rice.In the present study,a controlled-release fertilizer(CRF)-polymer-coated compound fertilizer with 3 months release period(PCCF-3M)was applied as seedling fertilizer(SF),and five different dosages of SF(SF-0,SF-10,SF-20,SF-30,and SF-40)were compared with an organic substrate as the control(CK).Among all SF treatments,the best results were obtained with the application of 20 g/tray of SF(SF-20),as the seedling quality and machine transplanting quality were comparable to those of CK.In contrast,the lower dosages(SF-0 and SF-10)resulted in low nitrogen content and reduced shoot growth,while the higher dosages(SF-30 and SF-40)resulted in toxicity(increased malondialdehyde accumulation)and inhibited the root growth.Similarly,SF-20 increased panicle number(5.6-7.0%)and yield(4.3-5.3%)compared with CK,which might be related to the remaining SF entangled in the roots supporting the tiller growth of rice seedlings in the field.Moreover,SF-20 reduced the seedling block weight(53.1%)and cost of seedling production(23.5%)but increased the gross margin,indicating that it was easy to handle and economical.Taken together,our results indicate that SF-20 is a cost-effective way to promote the growth and transplanting efficiency of rice seedlings.To our knowledge,this study is the first to determine the optimum dosage of CRF for the soil-less production of rice seedlings.

Increasing the appropriate seedling density for higher yield in dry direct-seeded rice sown by a multifunctional seeder after wheatstraw return

Dry direct-seeded rice(DDR) sown using a multifunctional seeder that performs synchronous rotary tillage and sowing has received increased attention because it is highly efficient,relatively cheap,and environmentally friendly.However,this method of rice production may produce lower yields in a rice–wheat rotation system because of its poor seedling establishment.To address this problem,we performed field experiments to determine the rice yield at five seedling density levels(B1,B2,B3,B4,and B5=100,190,280,370,and 460 seedlings m-2,respectively) and clarify the physiological basis of yield formation.We selected a representative high-quality rice variety and a multifunctional seeder that used in a typical rice–wheat rotation area in 2016 and 2018.The proportion of main stem panicle increased with increasing seedling density.There was a parabolic relationship between yield and seedling density,and the maximum yield(9.34-9.47 t ha-1) was obtained under B3.The maximum yield was associated with a higher total spikelet number m-2 and greater biomass accumulation from heading to maturity.The higher total spikelet number m-2 under B3 was attributed to an increase in panicle number m-2 compared with B1 and B2.Although the panicle numbers also increased under B4 and B5,these increases were insufficient to compensate for the reduced spikelet numbers per panicle.Lower biomass,smaller leaf area,and lower N uptake per plant from the stem elongation stage to the heading stage were partially responsible for the smaller panicle size at higher seedling density levels such as B5.The higher biomass accumulation under B3 was ascribed to the increases in the photosynthetic rate of the top three leaves m-2 of land,crop growth rate,net assimilation rate,and leaf area index.Furthermore,the B3 rice population was marked by a higher grain–leaf ratio,as well as a lower export ratio and transport ratio of biomass per stem-sheath.A quadratic function predicted that 260-290 seedlings m-2 is the optimum seedling density for achieving maximum yield.Together,these results suggested that appropriately increasing the seedling density,and thereby increasing the proportion of panicles formed by the main stem,is an effective approach for obtaining a higher yield in DDR sown using a multifunctional seeder in a rice–wheat rotation system.

BEAR1, a bHLH transcription factor, controls seedling growth by regulating gibberellins biosynthesis in rice

The genetic pathways of rice seedling growth have a major impact on seedling emergence from soil and development.In this study,we identified a new bHLH transcription factor,BEAR1,from rice RNAi mutant library.Both the BEAR1-RNAi and bear1 CRISPR mutants had accelerated seedling growth.Histological section of leaves showed accelerated development of lacuna and vascular bundles in bear1 mutant.GUS staining revealed that BEAR1 was highly expressed in coleoptiles and leaves at seedling stage.Expression analysis of gibberellin(GA)biosynthesis and metabolic genes and content determination of active GAs indicated that the expression of GA biosynthesis genes,especially OsKS4 and OsCPS2,were upregulated and the GAs content were significantly increased in bear1,which correlated with the seedling phenotype of bear1 mutant.Molecular and biochemical assays revealed that BEAR1 directly binds to the promoter of OsKS4,thereby repressing its expression.Haplotypes analysis showed clear differentiation in indica and japonica rice varieties,and a strong correlation with seedling height.These findings provide novel insights into the regulation of seedling growth in rice.

Effects of Rice Straw Steam-explosion Spent Liquor on the Growth of Cabbage Seedlings

The direct use of spent liquor from pulping and papermaking engineering,which is abundant in active organic matter,can avoid resource wastage and environmental pollution.In this study,the effects of soaking solution and filtrate from steam-exploded rice straw on seed germination and the early development of cabbage were investigated.The results have shown that soaking solution and filtrate stimulated early cabbage growth at low concentrations.Optimal germination potential and the rate of soaking solution-treated cabbage seeds increased by 8%and 5%,respectively;meanwhile,that of the filtrate-treated cabbage seeds increased by 11%and 5%,respectively.Promotion of root growth by steam-exploded rice straw spent liquor was expressed in lateral root multiplication.The fresh weight of cabbage seedlings treated with the soaking solution/filtrate increased by more than 50%and the dry weight over 20%.Comparatively,the stimulation of filtrate on seed germination and early development of cabbage is superior to that of the soaking solution.Steam-exploded rice straw spent liquor is rich in bioactive lignin and oligosaccharides,which makes it a promising biostimulant for promoting crop growth.

Effect of external and internal phosphate status on arsenic toxicity and accumulation in rice seedlings

Phosphorus （P） deficiency is thought to exacerbate the arsenic （As） phytotoxicity in paddy rice. The experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of external phosphate supply on As accumulation in rice and its toxicity under phosphate deficiency conditions. Rice seedlings pretreated with a phosphorus deficient nutrient solution （-P） for 14 d accumulated more As than those pretreated with a normal phosphorus supply nutrient solution （＋P）. Rice protreated with -P showed As toxicity symptoms after being exposed to 50 μmol/L arsenate for 4 h, while ＋P rice did not show any toxicity symptoms. Arsenic toxicity symptoms can be alleviated by increasing external P concentrations. The arsenate uptake rate and accumulation corresponded with the As toxicity in rice plants. Arsenic concentrations in rice roots decreased with increasing external phosphate concentrations. The lowest As accumulation and the highest P accumulation were found when the external P concentration reached 100μmol/L. In short, P deficiency increased the sensitivity of rice to arsenate and increasing of external phosphate supply could alleviate As toxicity.

Protective Roles of Brassinolide on Rice Seedlings under High Temperature Stress

Two indica rice （Oryza sativa L.） materials, Xieqingzao B （sensitive to heat stress） and 082 （tolerant to heat stress） were used to study the role of brassinolide （BR） in protection of rice seedlings from heat stress. Young seedlings were subjected to high temperature （38℃/30℃） and sprayed with 0.005 mg/L of BR. Analysis was conducted on the contents of chlorophyll, protein and malondialdehyde （MDA）, the leakage of electrolyte, the activities of peroxidase （POD） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） and their isozymes expression levels in leaves. Under the high temperature treatment, application of BR significantly increased the contents of chlorophyll and protein, and the activities of POD and SOD, and reduced the content of MDA and the leakage of electrolyte in the leaves of the heat-sensitive material Xieqingzao B, whereas BR had less effect on those of the heat-tolerant material 082 relatively. The BR treatment enhanced the expression of POD isozymes in the leaves of both materials. Under the high temperature stress and BR treatment, the expression of four SOD isozymes reduced in 082, but the expression of two SOD isozymes increased in Xieqingzao B. This suggests that BR plays an important role in protection of rice seedlings from heat stress by enhancing the activities or expression level of protective enzymes in the leaves. The materials with various heat-tolerance might differ in the mechanism of response to heat stress with BR application.

Effects of soilless substrates on seedling quality and the growth of transplanted super japonica rice

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of soilless substrates of hydroponically grown long-mat seedlings （HLMS） on seedling quality and field growth characteristics of transplanted super japonica rice. A widely grown conventional super japonica rice cultivar （Wuyunjing 23） was selected as the test material. The effect of HLMS on seedling quality, mechanical transplantation quality, field growth characteristics, yield, and benefit-cost ratio were compared with seedlings grown in organic substrates and traditional nutritive soil, whJch was selected as the control. Root number, root twJstJng power and root activity of seedlings cultivated by HLMS were decreased compared to that of the organic substrates andcontrol. However, seedling root length as well as aboveground growth were increased compared to the organic substrates and control seed- lings. In the HLMS, the content of gibberellin acid （GA3） decreased while abscisic acid （ABA） content increased compared to that of the organic substrates and control seedlings. During the early stages after transplanting, the re-greening of HLMS was delayed compared to that of the organic substrates and control seedlings. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in tiller dynamics and crop yield among the HLMS, organic substrates and control treatments. The effects of HLMS on seedling production were similar to those of the organic substrates and traditional nutritive soil in the present study, suggesting that HLMS have the potential to replace traditional nutritive soil in seedling production without decreasing crop yield. Finally, it is important to reduce organic substrates and topsoil dependence during rice seedling production and worthwhile to consider HLMS popularization and its application on a larger scale.

Why high grain yield can be achieved in single seedling machine-transplanted hybrid rice under dense planting conditions?

This study was conducted to identify the factors associated with high grain yield in single seedling machine-transplanted hybrid rice under dense planting conditions. Field experiments were done in Yong＇an Town, Hunan Province, China in 2015 and 2016. Two hybrid rice cultivars were grown under single seedling machine transplanting （SMT） and conventional machine transplanting （CMT） at a high planting density in each year. Grain yield and yield attributes were compared between SMT and CMT. Averaged across cultivars and years, grain yield was 12％ higher under SMT than under CMT. Plant height, basal stem width, and shoot and root dry weights were higher in seedlings for SMT than those for CMT. SMT had less maximum tiller number per m2 and consequently less panicle number per m2 than did CMT. Branch number per panicle, especially the secondary branch number per panicle, and spikelet number per cm of panicle length were more under SMT than under CMT, which resulted in more spikelet number per panicle under SMT than under CMT. SMT had higher or equal spikelet filling percentage than did CMT. The difference in grain weight between SMT and CMT was relatively small and inconsistent cross years. SMT had higher or equal total biomass and harvest index than did CMT. Dry weight per stem under SMT was heavier than that under CMT. Larger leaf area per stem was partly responsible for the heavier dry weight per stem under SMT than under CMT. Our study suggests that improvement in seedling quality, panicle size, and dry weight per stem are critical to the high grain yield in single seedling machine-transplanted hybrid rice under dense planting conditions.

Identification of quantitative trait loci for the dead leaf rate and the seedling dead rate under alkaline stress in rice

The quantitative trait loci （QTLs） for the dead leaf rate （DLR） and the dead seedling rate （DSR） at the different rice growing periods after transplanting under alkaline stress were identified using an F2：3 population, which included 200 individuals and lines derived from a cross between two japonica rice cultivars Gaochan 106 and Changbai 9 with microsatellite markers. The DLR detected at 20 days to 62 days after transplanting under alkaline stress showed continuous normal or near normal distributions in F3 lines, which was the quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes. The DSR showed a continuous distribution with 3 or 4 peaks and was the quantitative trait controlled by main and multiple genes when rice was grown for 62 days after transplanting under alkaline stress. Thirteen QTLs associated with DLR were detected at 20 days to 62 days after transplanting under alkaline stress. Among these, qDLR9-2 located in RM5786-RM160 on chromosome 9 was detected at 34 days, 41 days, 48 days, 55 days, and 62 days, respectively; qDLR4 located in RM3524-RM3866 on chromosome 4 was detected at 34 days, 41 days, and 48 days, respectively; qDLR7-1 located in RM3859-RM320 on chromosome 7 was detected at 20 days and 27 days; and qDLR6-2 in RM1340-RM5957 on chromosome 6 was detected at 55 days and 62 days, respectively. The alleles of both qDLR9-2 and qDLR4 were derived from alkaline sensitive parent ＂Gaochanl06＂. The alleles of both qDLR7-1 and qDLR6-2 were from alkaline tolerant parent Changbai 9. These gene actions showed dominance and over dominance primarily. Six QTLs associated with DSR were detected at 62 days after transplanting under alkaline stress. Among these, qDSR6-2 and qDSR8 were located in RM1340-RM5957 on chromosome 6 and in RM3752-RM404 on chromosome 8, respectively, which were associated with DSR and accounted for 20.32% and 18.86% of the observed phenotypic variation, respectively; qDSR11-2 and qDSR11-3 were located in RM536-RM479 and RM2596-RM286 on chromosome 11, respectively, which were associated with DSR explaining 25.85% and 15.41% of the observed phenotypic variation, respectively. The marker flanking distances of these QTLs were quite far except that of qDSR6-2, which should be researched further.

Simulating Phenology,Growth and Yield of Transplanted Rice at Different Seedling Ages in Northern Iran Using ORYZA2000

Rice crop growth and yield in the north Iran are affected by crop duration and phenology.The purpose of this study was to calibrate and validate the ORYZA2000 model under potential production based on experimental data for simulating and quantifying the phenological development,crop duration and yield prediction of rice crop influenced by different seedling ages.In order to calibrate and validate the crop parameters of ORYZA2000 model,a two-year field experiment was conducted under potential growth condition for transplanted lowland rice during the 2008-2009 rice growing seasons,using three rice varieties with three seedling ages(17,24 and 33 days old).The results showed that the seedling age changed crop duration from 7 to 10 d.The ORYZA2000 model could predict well,but consistently underestimated the length of growing period.The range in normalized root mean square error(RMSEn) values for each phenological stage was between 4% and 6%.From our evaluation,we concluded that ORYZA2000 was sufficiently accurate in simulation of yield,leaf area index(LAI) and biomass of crop organs over time.On average,RMSEn values were 13%-15% for total biomass,18%-21% for green leaf biomass,17%-20% for stem biomass,16%-23% for panicle biomass and 24%-26% for LAI.The RMSEn values for final yield and biomass were 12%-16% and 6%-9%,respectively.Generally,the model simulated LAI,an exceeded measured value for younger seedlings,and best-fit was observed for older seedlings of short-duration varieties.The results revealed that the ORYZA2000 model can be applied as a supportive research tool for selecting the most appropriate strategies for rice yield improvement across the north Iran.

Genetic Analysis on Characteristics to Measure Drought Resistance Using Dongxiang Wild Rice(Oryza rufupogon Griff.) and Its Derived Backcross Inbred Lines Population at Seedling Stage

Drought stress is one of the major constraints to rice （Oryza sativa L.） production and yield stability especially in rainfed ecosystems and is getting worse as the climate changes worldwide. Dongxiang wild rice （DXWR） Oryza rufipogon Griff., contains drought resistant gene. Improving drought resistance of cultivars is crucial to increase and stabilize rice grain yield via transferring resistant gene from species related to rice. In this paper, four upland rice, sixty backcross inbred lines （BILs） derived from BC1F5 of R974//DXWR/R974, and their parents were employed to evaluate drought-resistance at seedling stage in the greenhouse. Nine traits were recorded for assessment of drought resistance, including maximum root length （MRL）, number of roots （NR）, shoot length （SL）, dry root weight （DRW）, fresh root weight （FRW）, root relative water content （RRWC）, leaf relative water content （LRWC）, level for rolling leaf （LRL）, and seedling survivability under repeat drought （SSRD）. Using more than 88% of accumulative contribution resulted from the principal component analysis （PCA）, the nine traits were classified into five independent principal components and the line 1949 showed the highest resistance. Analysis on the stepwise regression equation and correlation demonstrated that MRL, RN, FRW, and RRWC significantly influenced the drought resistance, thus could be used as comprehensive index for drought resistance at the seedling stage. Using the major gene plus polygene mixed inheritance model of quantitative traits, the inheritance of drought-resistance of BIL population at seedling stage was mostly controlled by two independent genes plus polygene. As a result, the DXWR could be precious resources for genetic improvement of drought resistance in cultivated rice.

Analysis on Factors Affecting Seedling Establishment in Rice

Elongations of coleoptile and mesocotyl are related directly to rice seedling establishment in soil and height of plant is related to lodging in rice production. Twelve typical rice cultivars with different lengths of coleoptile and mesocotyl （long, medium and short） were selected by screening the lengths of coleoptile and mesocotyl in 1500 accessions. The seedling establishments of these typical cultivars were compared under the combinations of different sowing depths and flooding durations, and two semi-dwarf varieties （G140, Zhong 96-21） with good seedling establishments and optimum mesocotyl lengths were found. The length of mesocotyl was completely fitted negative binomial distribution and the length of coleoptile was nearly fitted Iognormal distribution. Analysis of the relationships among mesocotyl, coleoptile, seeding depth, flooding duration, and their interactions to seedling establishment percentage showed that there existed significant relations among mesocotyl, coleoptile, mesocotyl x coleoptile, seeding depth, flooding duration and mesocotyl x sowing depth in the experiment for seedling establishment.

Influence of Seedling Age and Nitrogen Rates on Productivity of Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.): A Review

Rice is an important crop and the food security of the world is strongly associated with it as it is the staple food of half of the world’s population. Among various agro-management practices seedling age and nitrogen rates significantly affected its growth, development and yield components. Rice cultivars performed differently when transplanted in field at varying seedling ages depending upon their genetic makeup and adoptability to certain environmental conditions. Seedling age plays an important role in yield contributing parameters like number of productive tillers, panicle length, filled grains panicle-1 and 1000-kernel weight leading to higher paddy yield in different rice cultivars and hybrids. Nitrogen is required in huge quantity in rice production as it is an important constituent of plant parts and processes. Paddy yield increases significantly with the increase in nitrogen rate but after a certain limit yield starts decreasing. Keeping in view the significance of seedling age and nitrogen rates in different rice cultivars and hybrids, an effort has been made to review some research work already conducted and will be helpful to the researchers and scientists to plan future strategies.

Morpho-Physiological Changes in Roots of Rice Seedling upon Submergence

Submergence is a serious environmental condition that causes large loss in rice production in rain fed lowland and flood affected area. This study evaluated morphological and physiological responses of rice roots to submergence using two tolerant rice genotypes FR13A and Swarna-Sub 1 and two sensitive ones Swarna and IR42. The tolerant genotypes had higher survival rate and less shoot elongation but greater root elongation during submergence than the sensitive ones. After submergence,the tolerant genotypes also had higher root dry weight and more active roots than the sensitive ones.Tolerant genotypes exhibited less root injury, with less malondialdehyde production and slower electrolyte leakage after submergence. Tolerant genotypes also maintained higher concentrations of soluble sugar and starch in roots and shoots and higher chlorophyll retention after submergence than the sensitive ones.Our data showed that root traits such as root activity and root growth are associated with survival rate after submergence. This is probably accomplished through higher energy supply, and membrane integrity is necessary to preserve root function and reduce injury during submergence. These root traits are important for submergence tolerance in rice.

Changes in Nutrient-Homeostasis and Reserves Metabolism During Rice Seed Priming:Consequences for Seedling Emergence and Growth

In this study influence of different seed priming treatments on the nutrient-homeostasis and reserve metabolism during seedling emergence and growth of rice were determined. Seed priming treatments included pre-germination, hydropriming for 48 h, osmohardening with KCl and CaCl2, ascorbate priming and hardening. All treatments shortened the emergence time and enhanced the energy and index of seedling emergence. Seedlings from primed seeds had greater length, number of roots and fresh and dry mass than control. Among the treatments, CaCl2, ascorbate and KCl proved better in enhancing emergence and seedling growth. Seed priming changed the pattern of N and Ca^2＋ homeostasis both of the seeds and seedlings, which were associated to enhancing s-amylase activity and reducing sugars content. Positive correlations of seedling attributes with nutrient content suggested that as a result of seed priming, most of N and Ca^2＋ were partitioned to embryo, which enhanced seedling emergence and subsequent growth of rice seedlings.

Effects of Toxic Levels of Aluminium on Seedling Parameters of Rice under Hydroponic Culture

The presence of AI in the rhizosphere of rice in acid soil restricts root growth and significantly reduces crop productivity. In this study, the effects of AI （30, 60 and 90 μg/mL） on seedling root growth, number of primary roots per seedling, seedling shoot length, number of leaves per seedling, seedling fresh weight, and seedling dry weight were studied. Rice genotypes were classified into three different classes, namely, tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible, based on root tolerance index. The method of hydroponic culture was modified, and elaborated in the text. Toxic levels of AI in nutrient solution significantly decreased seedling root growth, number of primary roots, seedling shoot length, number of leaves per seedling, seedling fresh weight, and seedling dry weight. Few genotypes showed longer root length at 30 pg/mL AI in nutrient solutions compared with the control. High levels of AI in nutrient solutions were highly toxic for rice seedlings. Based on root tolerance index, Radhunipagal, Gobindobhog, Badshabhog, Kalobhog, UBKVR-11, UBKVR-16, UBKVR-18, Khasha and IVT4007-B were classified as tolerant genotypes, and these genotypes may be used as donors for breeding of Altoxicity tolerance.