Effect of Grain Position within a Panicle and Variety on As,Cd,Cr,Ni,Pb Concentrations in japonica Rice

Two japonica rice varieties, a compact panicle (CP) Xiushui 63 and a loose panicle (LP) Xiushui 11 were grown in a slightly contaminated paddy field, to determine the effect of grain positions within a panicle and variety on grain As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb concentrations. There was a significant difference in grain As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb concentrations among grain positions, and the extent of the difference was variety- and metal-specific; Xiushui 63 showed greater difference than Xiushui 11, and As, Cd, Cr and Pb being greater than Ni. The top grains (TG) of a panicle had higher As, Cd and Ni concentrations than the middle ones (MG), and the bottom ones (BG) contained the lowest. With regard to Cr and Pb, the case was opposite. Significantly positive correlations were found between grain weight and As, Cd, Ni concentrations, but there was a negative correlation between grain weight and Cr, and Pb concentrations. There was a remarkable variation in grain filling pattern among grains within a panicle, and between Xiushui 63 and Xiushui 11. In comparison with MG and TG, BG had the lowest grain filling rate and grain weight, leading to obvious difference in grain weight among grains within a panicle, and a greater difference for Xiushui 63 than for Xiushui 11. The regression analysis showed that grain As and Cd concentrations were positively correlated with the maximum grain filling rate (GRm),while negatively correlated with the required time for reaching the maximum grain filling rate (Tpol). Concerning Cr and Pb, the case was just reverse. It is suggested that As and Cd accumulation in grains might be accompanied by the carbohydrate accumulations, while Cr and Pb accumulation displayed a different pattern.

Changes in Cooking and Nutrition Qualities of Grains at Different Positions in a Rice Panicle under Different Nitrogen Levels

Cooking and nutrition qualities of grain are two of the most important aspects of rice quality. To understand the difference in cooking and nutrition qualities among the grains at different positions within a rice panicle, the distributions of gel consistency （GC）, amylose content （AC） and crude protein content （CPC） of grains in a panicle in association with different nitrogen levels （0, 120 and 240 k c/ha） were investigated by using two rice varieties, Yangdao 6 （indica） and Wuyujing 3 （japonica）. In general, the grains at the basal part of a panicle had lower GC and higher AC than those at the upper or middle part of a panicle. The 1^st grain on the secondary branch with earlier flowering exhibited the highest GC, whereas the 2nd grain on the primary branch with later flowering showed the highest AC. For Yangdao 6, CPC in the grains on the primary branches was lower at the middle part of a panicle than at the upper or basal part of a panicle. For Wuyujing 3, there were no significant differences in CPCs in the grains among the upper, middle and basal parts of a panicle. GC in the grains was increased, whereas AC was reduced from zero nitrogen application （ON） to low amount of nitrogen application （LN）, and the result was reversed from LN to medium amount of nitrogen application （MN）. CPC was increased with the increase in the amount of nitrogen application.

Comparisons of Protein Composition of Grains at Different Positions in Panicles between Erect and Curved Panicle Type Japonica Rice

Under field conditions, three erect panicle type japonica dee cultivars and three curved panicle type japonica rice cultivars were applied as experimental materials to investigate the differences of protein composition of grains at different positions in panicles between two different panicle types of japonica rice. Accord- ing to the results, the panicle type of japonica rice had no direct correlation with albumin content, globulin content, prolamin content and glutelin content in rice, variations of protein composition of grains at different positions in panicles. There were certain correlations between soluble protein contents at different grain posi- tions in the same panicle and the flowering order of glumous flowers in the panicle. Albumin content, prolamin content and glutelin content in grains on secondary rachis branches of two panicle types （erect and curved） of japonica rice cuhivars were higher than that on primary rachis branches, while globulin content exhibited an opposite trend. Globulin content, prolamin content and glutelin content in grains at different positions demonstrated a descending order of bottom 〉 middle 〉 top, while albumin content exhibited an opposite trend. The interactions between primary and secondary rachis branches and among top, middle and bottom rachis branches significantly affected soluble protein contents.

Positional variation in grain mineral nutrients within a rice panicle and its relation to phytic acid concentration

Six japonica rice genotypes, differing in panicle type, grain density, and phytic acid （PA） content, were applied to investigate the effect of grain position on the concentrations of major mineral nutrients and its relation to PA content and grain weight within a panicle. Grain position significantly affected the concentrations of the studied min- erals in both the vertical and horizontal axes of a rice panicle. Heavy-weight grains, located on primary rachis and top rachis, generally had higher mineral concentrations, but were lower in PA concentration and molar ratios of PNZn, compared with the small-weight grains located on secondary rachis and bottom rachis, regardless of rice genotypes. However, on the basis of six rice genotypes, no significant correlations were found among mineral elements, PA, and grain weight. These results suggested that some desired minerals, like Zn and Fe, and their bioavailability, can be enhanced simultaneously by the modification of panicle patterns, and it will be helpful in the selection of rice genotypes with low PA and high mineral nutrients for further breeding strategy without sacrificing their high yields.

Analysis of Variations in White-Belly and White-Core Rice Kernels Within a Panicle and the Effect of Panicle Type

This study aims to investigate the variation in occurrence of white-belly rice kernel（WBRK） and white-core rice kernel（WCRK） among different positions within a panicle. Twenty-four M4 mutants involved in four panicle types, namely the compact, intermediate, loose, and chicken foot panicle were used. They derived from a japonica rice cultivar Wuyujing 3. Considerable differences in morphological characters existed among the four types of panicle, especially in panicle length, the secondary branch number and ratio of grain number to total branch length. Marked differences were found in WBRK and WCRK among different positions within a panicle for all types of panicle. In general, grains located on the primary rachis and top rachis branches had higher WBRK and WCRK percentage than those on the secondary rachis and bottom rachis branches. WCRK exhibited larger variation among grain positions than WBRK did. Moreover, there was a significant difference in WCRK/WBRK among grain positions within a panicle, with primary rachis and top rachis branches having higher values than the secondary and bottom rachis. In addition, panicle type showed no significant effect on the pattern of WBRK and WCRK occurrence within a panicle. The results indicated the difference in mechanism of WBRK and WCRK formation in grain position within a panicle, and are valuable for breeding and agronomic practices aimed at lowering chalky grain rate.