Effects of Aeration on Root Physiology and Nitrogen Metabolism in Rice

In order to clarify the effects of aeration on root nitrogen metabolism in rice seedlings,rice cultivars Guodao 6 （indica） and Xiushui 09 （japonica） were investigated for root growth,the activities of glutamine synthetase （GS）,glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase （GPT） and glutamic acid oxaloacetate transaminase （GOT）,the nitrate （NO 3-N） concertration,the contents of free amino acids and soluble sugar in root under hydroponics with continuous aeration treatment.The results showed that rice seedlings grown in oxygenation solutions had higher root dry matter,longer root length,stronger root activity and larger root absorption area compared with the control.In addition,the contents of soluble sugar,root vigor and the activities of GS,GOT and GPT in the aeration solutions were higher than those in the control.The results also indicated that the activities of enzymes involved in root nitrogen metabolism of Xiushui 09 were enhanced by aeration,however,there was no significant influence on root nitrogen metabolism of Guodao 6,which suggested that effect of oxygenation on rice root nitrogen metabolism might be genotype-specific.

Differing responses of root morphology and physiology to nitrogen application rates and their relationships with grain yield in rice

Root morphology and physiology influence aboveground growth and yield formation in rice.However,root morphological and physiological differences among rice varieties with differing nitrogen(N)sensitivities and their relationship with grain yield are still unclear.In this study,rice varieties differing in N sensitivity over many years of experiments were used.A field experiment with multiple N rates(0,90,180,270,and 360 kg ha^(-1))was conducted to elucidate the effects of N application on root morphology,root physiology,and grain yield.A pot experiment with root excision and exogenous application of 6-benzyladenine(6-BA)at heading stage was used to further verify the above effects.The findings revealed that(1)under the same N application rate,N-insensitive varieties(NIV)had relatively large root biomass(root dry weight,length,and number).Grain yield was associated with root biomass in NIV.The oxidation activity and zeatin(Z)+zeatin riboside(ZR)contents in roots obviously and positively correlated with grain yield in N-sensitive varieties(NSV),and accounted for its higher grain yield than that of NIV at lower N application rates(90 and 180 kg ha^(-1)).(2)The root dry weight required for equal grain yield of NIV was greater than that of NSV.Excision of 1/10 and 1/8 of roots at heading stage had no discernible effect on the yield of Liangyoupeijiu(NIV),and it significantly reduced yield by 11.5%and 21.3%in Tianyouhuazhan(NSV),respectively,compared to the treatment without root excision.The decrease of filled kernels and grain weight after root excision was the primary cause for the yield reduction.Root excision and exogenous 6-BA application after root excision had little influence on the root activity of NIV.The oxidation activity and Z+ZR contents in roots of NSV decreased under root excision,and the increase in the proportion of excised roots aggravated these effects.The application of exogenous 6-BA increased the root activity of NSV and increased filled kernels and grain weight,thereby reducing yield loss after root excision.Thus,the root biomass of NIV was large,and there may be a phenomenon of"root growth redundancy."Vigorous root activity was an essential feature of NSV.Selecting rice varieties with high root activity or increasing root activity by cultivation measures could lead to higher grain yield under lower N application rates.

Root Morphology and Physiology in Relation to the Yield Formation of Rice

Root system is a vital part of plant and regulates many aspects of shoot growth and development. This paper reviews how some traits of root morphology and physiology are related to the formation of grain yield in rice （Oryza sativa L.）. Higher root biomass, root oxidation activity, and cytokinin contents in roots are required for achieving more panicle number, more spikelets per panicle, greater grain-filling percentage, and higher grain yield. However, these root traits are not linearly correlated with yield components. When these traits reach very high levels, grain filling and grain yield are not necessarily enhanced. High numbers of mitochondria, Golgi bodies, and amyloplasts in root tip cells benefit root and shoot growth and yield formation. Proper crop management, such as an alternate wetting and moderate soil drying irrigation, can significantly improve ultra-structure of root tip cells, increase root length density and concentration of cytokinins in root bleedings, and consequently, increase grain-filling percentage, grain yield, and water use efficiency. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism underlying root-shoot and root-soil interactions for high grain yield, the roles of root-sourced hormones in regulating crop growth and development and the effects of soil moisture and nutrient management on the root architecture and physiology.

Deciphering the morpho–physiological traits for high yield potential in nitrogen efficient varieties(NEVs):A japonica rice case study

The use of nitrogen(N)-efficient rice(Oryza sativa L.) varieties could reduce excessive N input without sacrificing yields. However, the plant traits associated with N-efficient rice varieties have not been fully defined or comprehensively explored. Here, three japonica N-efficient varieties(NEVs) and three japonica N-inefficient varieties(NIVs) of rice were grown in a paddy field under N omission(0 N, 0 kg N ha^(-1)) and normal N(NN, 180 or 200 kg N ha^(-1)) treatments. Results showed that NEVs exhibited higher grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE) than NIVs under both treatments, due to improved sink size and filled-grains percentage in the former which had higher root oxidation activity and greater root dry weight, root length and root diameter at panicle initiation(PI), as well as higher spikelet-leaf ratio and more productive tillers during the grain-filling stage. Compared with NIVs, NEVs also exhibited enhanced N translocation and dry matter accumulation after heading and improved flag leaf morpho-physiological traits, including greater leaf thickness and specific leaf weight and higher contents of ribulose^(-1),5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, chlorophyll, nitrogen, and soluble sugars, leading to better photosynthetic performance. Additionally, NEVs had a better canopy structure, as reflected by a higher ratio of the extinction coefficient for effective leaf N to the light extinction coefficient, leading to enhanced canopy photosynthesis and dry matter accumulation. These improved agronomic and physiological traits were positively and significantly correlated with grain yield and internal NUE, which could be used to select and breed N-efficient rice varieties.

Physiological relevance of soma secretion in dorsal root ganglion neurons

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are primary sensory neurons and are important in pain. Recently, a distinct type of exocytosis, Ca2+ independent but voltage-dependent, is found