The relationships between maize(Zea mays L.)lodging resistance and yield formation depend on dry matter allocation to ear and stem

Lodging is a critical constraint to yield increase.There appear to be tradeoffs between yield formation and lodging resistance in maize.Hypothetically,it is feasible to reduce lodging risk as well as increase grain yield by optimizing dry-matter allocation to different organs under different environments.A three-year field experiment was conducted using four maize cultivars with differing lodging resistances and five growing environments in 2018–2020.Lodging-susceptible(LS)cultivars on average yielded more than lodging-resistant(LR)cultivars when lodging was not present.The yield components kernel number per ear(KN)and thousand-kernel weight(TKW)were both negatively correlated with lodging resistance traits(stalk bending strength,rind penetration strength,and dry matter weight per internode length).Before silking,the LR cultivar Lishou 1(LS1)transported more assimilates to the basal stem,resulting in a thicker basal stem,which reduced dry matter allocation to the ear and in turn KN.The lower KN of LS1 was also due partly to the lower plant height(PH),which increased lodging resistance but limited plant dry matter production.In contrast,the LS cultivars Xianyu 335(XY335)and Xundan 20(XD20)produced and allocated more photoassimilates to ears,but limited dry matter allocation to stems.After silking,LS cultivars showed higher TKW than LR cultivars as a function of high photoassimilate productivity and high assimilate allocation to the ear.The higher lodging resistance of LS1 was due mainly to the greater assimilate allocation to stem after silking and lower PH and ear height(EH).High-yielding and high-LR traits of Fumin(FM985)were related to optimized EH and stem anatomical structure,higher leaf productivity,low assimilate demand for kernel formation,and assimilate partitioning to ear.A high presilking temperature accelerated stem extension but reduced stem dry matter accumulation and basal stem strength.Post-silking temperature influences lodging resistance and yield more than other environmental factors.These results will be useful in understanding the tradeoffs between KN,KW,and LR in maize and environmental influences on these tradeoffs.

Characteristics of Growth and Yield Formation of Rice in Rice-Fish Farming System

By using single rice cultivation as a control, the effect of rice-fish culture on growth dynamic, plant type and yield formation of rice was studied. The results showed as follows： rice-fish culture improved the physical-chemical properties of arable layer soil of paddy field, extended growth period of rice, increased dry matter and LAI of different growth stages, improved three top leaves area, deterred the degeneration of leaves function, increased the diameter of stem, promoted the growth of roots and the formation of roots in the extended stem. At the same time, rice-fish culture extended the length of basal internodes, increased the number of internodes, uplifted the gravity of plant, and depressed the root vigor. For the grain yield and yield structure office, rice-fish culture decreased ear/tillering ratio, spikelet/panicle and seed set percentage, increased grain weight. If variety choice and cultivation technology were controlled appropriately, rice-fish culture could increase the effective panicles and improve grain yield of rice.

Physiological response of flag leaf and yield formation of winter wheat under different spring restrictive irrigation regimes in the Haihe Plain,China

In order to identify the optimum period of spring water-restrictive irrigation for winter wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)in the Haihe Plain,China and elucidate its effects on flag leaf senescence and yield formation,field experiments were conducted at the Xinji Experimental Station of Hebei Agricultural University from 2016 to 2019 by using different irrigation regimes in spring,including the conventional regime involving two irrigation periods(control(CK),the 3-leaf unfolding stage and the anthesis stage)and a series of single,restrictive irrigation regimes(SRI)comprising irrigation at the 3-leaf unfolding stage(3 LI),4 LI,5 LI,and 6 LI.There are five major findings:(1)The senescence(determined by the green leaf area,GLA)in the 4 LI treatment occurred moderately earlier than that in CK,showed no significant difference with that in 5 LI and 6 LI,and occurred significantly later than that in 3 LI.(2)Compared with other SRI treatments,the GLA value and photosynthetic rate in 4 LI were 14.82 and 20.1%higher,respectively.Microstructural analysis of flag leaf also revealed that the mesophyll cells and chloroplasts were irregularly arranged under drought stress in 3 LI and 6 LI;however,drought stress had minimal negative effects on the microstructure in 4 LI and 5 LI.(3)Postponed irrigation in spring could significantly increase superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)activities in the early stage of grain filling;however,these activities would subsequently decrease.Among the four SRI treatments,the overall enzyme activities were the highest in 4 LI,and the combined malondialdehyde(MDA)content in flag leaves in 4 LI and 5 LI was 14.5%lower on average than that in 3 LI and 6 LI.(4)The soluble sugar(SS)and proline(Pro)contents in 4 LI were the highest among the four SRI treatments;however,they were lower than those in CK.The abscisic acid(ABA)hormone content in 4 LI and 5 LI was lower than that in 3 LI and 6 LI,respectively,suggesting a smaller drought stress effect in 4 LI and 5 LI.(5)In two growing seasons,there was a larger number of spikes per unit area in 4 LI(i.e.,13.4%higher than that in 5 LI and 6 LI)and the 1000-grain weight in 4 LI was the highest among the four SRI treatments(i.e.,6.0%higher than that in the other three SRI treatments).Therefore,a single restrictive irrigation regime at the 4-leaf unfolding stage is recommended to be effective in slowing down the senescence process of flag leaves and achieving high yield.

Epoxiconazole Improved Photosynthesis,Yield Formation,Grain Quality and 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Biosynthesis of Fragrant Rice

Epoxiconazole is a triazole compound.However,the effects of epoxiconazole on crop productivity and quality were rarely reported.In this study,we investigated the effects of epoxiconazole application on yield formation,grain quality attributes,and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline(2-AP)content in fragrant rice.A three-year field experiment was carried out with a fragrant rice variety,Meixiangzhan 2.At the heading stage,0,0.02,0.04,0.08,0.16 and 0.32 g/L epoxiconazole solutions were foliar applied to fragrant rice plants,respectively.The results showed that epoxiconazole application significantly increased grain yield,seed-setting rate and 1000-grain weight.Chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate of fragrant rice during the grain-filling stage significantly increased due to epoxiconazole application.Foliar application of epoxiconazole at 0.08 g/L increased grain protein content and decreased both chalky rice rate and chalkiness area ratio of fragrant rice.Epoxiconazole also substantially increased grain 2-AP content by inducing the regulation in contents of related synthetic precursors,including proline,pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid,Δ1-pyrroline and methylglyoxal.Overall,foliar application of epoxiconazole could be used for the improvement in grain yield,grain quality and 2-AP content in fragrant rice production when applied concentration at 0.08-0.32 g/L.Our findings provided the new roles of epoxiconazole in crop production.

The heterotic effects on dry matter production and grain yield formation in hybrid rice

We studied the characteristics of dry matterproduction and matter partitioning in hybridrice and the relationships of them with heterot-ic effect in 1993. Two popular indica hybrids, Shanyou 63(Zhenshan 97A/Minhui 63 ) and Teyou 63(Longtepu A/Minhui 63), as well as theircommon restorer line, Minhui 63 (elite cultivar

Straw strip mulching in a semiarid rainfed agroecosystem achieves winter wheat yields similar to those of full plastic mulching by optimizing the soil hydrothermal regime

Straw strip mulching(SM)is a new mulching technology.From 2012 to 2018,SM’s effects on soil moisture and temperature and production performances were compared with other mulching practices,using three treatments:full-cover plastic mulch(PM),no mulch with wheat sown in rows as the control(CK),and SM with 50%to 59%of the field area mulched.Compared with CK,on average over six growing seasons,SM and PM increased grain yield by 27.0%and 21.7%,straw yield by 21.6%and 22.6%,kernels ha;by 26.6%and 19.0%,net income by 29.8%and-25.0%,soil temperature at 5 cm by-1.5°C and 0.2°C from overwintering to maturity,and soil water storage at 0–200 cm by 25 and 22 mm,respectively.The increase in soil moisture in SM and PM was greater in the early period(overwintering to jointing)than in the later period(booting to maturity)and at 0 to 120 cm than at 120–200 cm in the early period.Although the mean evapotranspiration of whole growth period across six seasons was similar among treatments,SM and PM increased water consumption during the key formation period of yield components after overwintering by 16 and 32 mm,respectively,while reducing it before overwintering.Compared with CK,SM and PM had the effects of warming during overwintering and cooling after jointing.By increasing water consumption after overwintering and ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration and providing favorable soil temperature for multiple growth stages and more sufficient soil moisture,SM and PM promoted vegetative growth and increased kernels ha^(-1),the main mechanisms by which SM and PM increased grain yield relative to CK.Relative to PM,SM is a more economically beneficial and environment-friendly technology for dryland wheat production.

Grain Yield, Quality and 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline of Fragrant Rice in Response to Different Planting Seasons in South China

Climate conditions is an important factor affected the fragrant rice growth and development.In order to study the effects of different planting seasons on fragrant rice performance in South China,present study was conducted with three planting seasons(early season(April to July),middle season(June to September)and late season(August to November))and three fragrant rice cultivars,‘Basmati-385’,‘Meixiangzhan-2’and‘Xiangyaxiangzhan’.The results showed that the highest grain yield and grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline(2-AP,key component of fragrant rice aroma)content were both recorded in late season treatment while the fragrant rice in middle season treatment produced the lowest grain yield,grain filling percentage,1000-grain weight and gain 2-AP content.The highest contents of precursors(proline,pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid and 1-pyrro-line)which related to 2-AP biosynthesis were recorded in late season treatment compared with early season treatment and middle season treatment.The highest activities of enzymes(proline dehydrogenase,pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase and ornithine transaminase)which involved in 2-AP biosynthesis were also observed in late season treatment.Moreover,the fragrant rice cultivars in late season possessed the lowest chalk rice rate,chalkiness as well as the highest brown rice rate,head rice and protein content.Thus,the optimal season for fragrant rice production in South China is the late season.

Foliar Application of Brassinolide Induced Regulation of Grain Yield and Quality,Antioxidant Responses and Aroma in Fragrant Rice

Brassinolide(BR)is a new green plant growth regulator.The present field study was conducted on two fragrant rice cultivars(i.e.,Meixiangzhan-2 and Xiangyaxiangzhan)to study the effects of foliar application of BR on fragrant rice performance.At the heading stage,BR solutions at 0.05,0.15,0.25 and 0.50 mg L-1 were sprayed on fragrant rice at 600 liters per hectare;these treatments were named as BR1,BR2,BR3 and BR4,respectively.The treatment sprayed with distilled water was taken as a control(CK).Compared with CK,the BR2 treatment significantly enhanced the chlorophyll concentration and net photosynthetic rate for Meixiangzhan-2,and Xiangyaxiangzhan.The BR3 and BR4 treatments increased the concentrations of chlorophyll a,chlorophyll b and carotenoid,and also enhanced net photosynthetic rate by 31.91%and 40.43%,respectively.Higher grain yields were recorded in the BR2 treatment than on CK on Meixiangzhan-2,while on Xiangyaxiangzhan,the BR3 and BR4 treatments increased grain yield compared with CK.In relation to CK,higher head rice rates were recorded in the BR2 treatment for Meixiangzhan-2,and in the BR3 and BR4 treatments for Xiangyaxiangzhan.BR treatments(BR2 for Meixiangzhan-2,BR3 and BR4 for Xiangyaxiangzhan)also significantly enhanced the activities of GPX,SOD and CAT by 10.22%to 23.00%,and reduced the malonaldehyde concentration.In addition,we observed that some BR treatments(BR2 for Meixiangzhan-2,BR3 and BR4 for Xiangyaxiangzhan)decreased the grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline concentration of fragrant rice.

Progress and Yield Bottleneck of Aerobic Rice in the North China Plain: A Case Study of Varieties Handao 297 and Handao 502

Aerobic rice has been considered a promising rice cultivation system as water scarcity is increasing in the world. This article summarizes the advances in aerobic rice management researches in the North China Plain, focusing on yield formation and its bottleneck. High-yielding and good-quality aerobic rice varieties adapted to aerobic soil conditions have been released officially and adopted by farmers in North China. The varieties Handao 502 and Handao 297 have been recognized as the most promising varieties reaching a yield level ranging 3.5-5.0 t ha-1 with 450-650 mm water input. Compared with lowland rice, water input in aerobic rice was more than 50% lower, and water productivity was 60% higher. Researches on responses of rice cultivars to nitrate nitrogen （N） and ammonium N supplied at early growth stages provided the first evidence for a preference of aerobic rice HD297 for nitrate N supply, compared with the lowland rice variety. Zinc uptake studies demonstrated that introduction of aerobic rice system on calcareous soils may increase zinc deficiency problems. Sink size was identified as the limitation of aerobic rice yield, because its spikelet number m-2 was too low （20000-24 000） compared with the lowland rice. For future research, more attention is suggested to be paid to yield formation focusing on effects of water regimes on tiller dynamics. Understanding of nutrient uptake and response to fertilization effects are also urgently required to establish optimized crop management technology. Additionally, alternative cropping systems based on aerobic rice should be established, and key sustainability and environmental impact issues in the systems need to be identified.

Enhancement of Ultrasonic Seed Treatment on Yield,Grain Quality Characters,and 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Biosynthesis in Different Fragrant Rice Genotypes

Fragrant rice is popular for the good grain quality and special aroma.The present study conducted a field experiment to investigate the effects of ultrasonic seed treatment on grain yield,quality characters,physiological properties and aroma biosynthesis of different fragrant rice genotypes.The seeds of three fragrant rice genotypes were exposed to 1 min of ultrasonic vibration and then cultivated in paddy field.The results of present study showed that ultrasonic seed treatment increased grain yield of all fragrant rice genotypes but the responses of yield formation to ultrasonic were varied with different genotypes.Compared with control,ultrasonic seed treatment increased grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline(2-AP,the key component of fragrant rice aroma)content by 13.40%–44.88%.Ultrasonic seed treatment also reduced the crude protein contents in grains.The head rice rate,rice length,chalky rice rate,and chalkiness degree were influenced by ultrasonic for one or two fragrant rice genotypes.The activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were also enhanced due to ultrasonic seed treatment.In conclusion,ultrasonic seed treatment increased grain,regulated grain aroma and quality,and improved stress resistance of fragrant rice varieties.

Evidence of the predominance of passive symplastic phloem loading and sugar transport with leaf ageing in Camellia oleifera

Phloem loading and transport of sugar from leaves to sink tissues such as fruits are crucial for yield formation.Camellia oleifera is an evergreen horticultural crop with high value;however,its low production limits the development of the C.oleifera industry.In this study,using a combination of ultrastructural observation,fluorescence loss in photobleaching(FLIP)and inhibitor treatment,we revealed that C.oleifera leaves mainly adopt a symplastic loading route from mesophyll cells to the surrounding vascular bundle cells in minor veins.HPLC assays showed that sucrose is the main sugar transported and only a small amount of raffinose or stachyose was detected in petioles,supporting a passive symplastic loading route in C.oleifera leaves.Compared to leaves grown this year(LT),the carbohydrate synthesis capacity in leaves grown last year(LL)was decreased while LL retained more soluble sugar,suggesting a decrease in transport capacity with leaf ageing.TEM and tissue staining showed that a reduction in plasmodesmata density leads to a decline in the degree of cellular coupling and is responsible for the weakening transport capacity in older leaves.RNA-seq revealed several differentially expressed genes(DEGs)including CoPDCB1-1,CoSUT1 and CoSWEET12,which are likely involved in the regulation of phloem loading and sugar transport.An expression correlation network is constructed between PD-callose binding protein genes,sugar transporter genes and senescence-associated genes.Collectively,this study provides the evidence of the passive symplastic phloem loading pathway in C.oleifera leaves and constructs the correlation between sugar transport and leaf ageing.

Effects of Ultrasonic Seed Treatment on Rice Performances under the Seawater Irrigation

Irrigation with desalinated seawater is an effective way to use ocean resources and save freshwater resources.However,seawater irrigation would cause yield loss of rice.In order to explore the effects of ultrasonic seed treatment on rice performances under seawater irrigation,the present study was conducted with three irrigation treatments(fresh water(SW0),ten times diluted seawater(SW1%,0.34%salinity),and five times diluted seawater(SW2%,0.68%salinity))and two seed treatments(ultrasonic treated seeds(UT)and untreated seeds(CK)).Compared with SW0+CK treatment,SW1+CK and SW2+CK treatments significantly decreased grain yield by 56.19%and 66.69%,spikelets per panicle by 30.11%and 55.80%,seed-setting rate by 23.05%and 18.87%,and 1000-grain weight by 4.55%and 14.50%,respectively.Seawater irrigation also significantly increased malonaldehyde(MDA)and proline contents and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and peroxidase(POD).Ultrasonic seed treatment significantly increased the grain number per panicle,seed-setting rate,and grain yield of rice under seawater irrigation.Compared with CK,UT treatment substantially reduced MDA content,SOD activity,and POD activity in SW1 and SW2 conditions.Furthermore,UT treatment significantly increased proline content and down-regulated proline dehydrogenase activity under seawater irrigation.We deduced that ultrasonic seed treatment enhanced the salinity tolerance of rice by inducing the proline accmulation.Our findings indicated that ultrasonic seed treatment could an effective strategy to promote rice productivity under seawater irrigation.

Comparison of agronomic performance between inter-sub-specific hybrid and inbred japonica rice under different mechanical transplanting methods

Mechanical transplanting has been applied to rice cultivation to save labor costs and ease labor shortages in Asian countries, especially in China. However, little information is available related to the characteristics of agronomic performance when comparing inter-sub-specific hybrid rice(IHR) and inbred japonica rice(IJR) under mechanical transplanting method. In 2013 and 2014, field experiments were conducted using IHR(Yongyou 2640) and IJR(Wuyunjing 24) under two cultivation patterns, that is, pot seedlings mechanically transplanted(PS) and carpet seedlings mechanically transplanted(CS). Grain yield, yield components, leaf area index(LAI), leaf area duration(LAD), aboveground biomass, crop growth rate(CGR), nitrogen(N) uptake, and N accumulation were investigated. When compared with CS, PS displayed significantly increased grain yield for both varieties because the larger sink size allowed higher N accumulation from panicle initiation to maturity. Moreover, total aboveground biomass under PS increased significantly compared with that under CS; that is, higher photosynthetic productivity resulted from a greater LAI and higher LAD during the grain filling stage. Higher N absorption capacity in the middle and late growth periods resulted in significantly enhanced total N uptake under PS. When compared with IJR for both treatments, IHR generated 75.2% more grain yield. However, the characteristics creating high yield of IHR were different from those of IJR. Greater aboveground biomass production as well as higher N uptake and accumulation created higher grain yield in IHR than in IJR. These results suggest higher yield could be achieved using PS with IHR, attributing to exploit both yield superiority and productive potential.

Investigation of the Relationship among Water and Crop Production under Bounded Irrigation Conditions

Water scarcity is relative and variable concept that can occur at any level of supply and demand. It is also a social construct, which is linked to the intervention in the water cycle and changes over time as a result of natural hydrological change. It is more severe when water acts as a backbone in economic policies, planning and management methods. Water scarcity can be expected to increase with most forms of economic development, but, if properly identified, many of its causes can be expected and avoided or mitigated. However, the limited irrigation management is considered a very important issue in the agricultural scope. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between water, crop production, photosynthesis, crop transpiration, crop growth, crop yields and water use efficiency have been discussed under limited irrigation conditions. However, the crops have some ability to adapt and resist against limited irrigation. Hence, under high temperate conditions, this is a shortage of water and photosynthesis is decreased with a pore (stoma) restraining. At the same time, the evapotranspiration reaches to the utmost value and the water use efficiency rises because of optimal monitoring of leaf pore (stoma). Therefore, the modality which is the reduction of the risks and improving industrial control in incomplete irrigation are the chief constraints of providing irrigation water in the future, which leads to increased crop production and ultimately providing a provision of food security.

Temporal and spatial variations of carbon isotope signature reveal substantial contribution of bracts and internode assimilates to grain filling of japonica rice

Carbon isotope composition(δ^(13)C)of a plant organ is an inherent signature reflecting its physiological property,and thus is used as an integrative index in crop breeding.It is also a non-intrusive method for quantifying the relative contribution of different source organs to grain filling in cereals.Using the samples collected from two-year field and pot experiments with two nitrogen(N)fertilization treatments,we investigated the temporal and spatial variations of δ^(13)C in source organs of leaf,sheath,internode,and bracts,and in sink organ grain.Constitutive nature of δ^(13)C was uncovered,with an order of leaf(−27.84‰)<grain(−27.82‰)<sheath(−27.24‰)<bracts(−26.81‰)<internode(−25.67‰).For different positions of individual organs within the plant,δ^(13)C of the leaf and sheath presented a diminishing trend from the top(flag leaf and its sheath)to the bottom(the last leaf in reverse order and its sheath).No obvious pattern was found for the internode.For temporal variations, δ^(13)C of the leaf and sheath had a peak(the most negative)at 10 days after anthesis(DAA),whereas that of the bracts showed a marked increase at the time point of anthesis,implying a transformation from sink to source organ.By comparing the δ^(13)C in its natural abundance in the water-soluble fractions of the sheath,internode,and bracts with the δ^(13)C in mature grains,the relative contribution of these organs to grain filling was assessed.With reference to the leaf,the internode accounted for as high as 32.64%and 42.56%at 10 DAA and 20 DAA,respectively.Meanwhile,bracts presented a larger contribution than the internode,with superior bracts being higher than inferior bracts.In addition,N topdressing reduced the contribution of the internode and bracts.Our findings clearly proved the actual significance of non-foliar organs of the internode and bracts for rice yield formation,thus extending our basic knowledge of source and sink relations.

A Major QTL, Ghd8, Plays Pleiotropic Roles in Regulating Grain Productivity, Plant Height, and Heading Date in Rice

Rice yield and heading date are two distinct traits controlled by quantitative trait loci （QTLs）. The dissection of molecular mechanisms underlying rice yield traits is important for developing high-yielding rice varieties. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of Ghd8, a major QTL with pleiotropic effects on grain yield, heading date, and plant height. Two sets of near isogenic line populations were developed for the cloning of GhdS. Ghd8 was narrowed down to a 20-kb region containing two putative genes, of which one encodes the OsHAP3 subunit of a CCAAT-box binding protein （HAP complex）; this gene was regarded as the Ghd8 candidate. A complementary test confirmed the identity and pleiotropic effects of the gene; interestingly, the genetic effect of Ghd8 was dependent on its genetic background. By regulating Ehdl, RFT1, and Hd3a, Ghd8 delayed flowering under long-day conditions, but promoted flowering under short-day conditions. Ghd8 up-regulated MOC1, a key gene controlling tillering and branching; this increased the number of tillers, primary and secondary branches, thus producing 50% more grains per plant. The ectopic expression of Ghd8 in Arabidopsis caused early flowering by 10 d-a situation similar to the one observed by its homolog AtHAP3b, when compared to wild-type under long-day conditions; these findings indicate the conserved function of Ghd8 and AtHAP3b in flowering in Arabidopsis. Our results demonstrated the important roles of Ghd8 in rice yield formation and flowering, as well as its opposite functions in flowering between rice and Arabidopsis under long-day conditions.