Relationship of Parental Indica-Japonica Indexes with Yield and Grain Quality Traits of Japonica Hybrid Rice in Northern China

Taking the main parents （10 male sterile lines and 10 restorer lines） and their 100 combinations of japonica hybrid rice in northern China as materials, the relationships of parental indica-japonica indexes determined by the methods of the Cheng’s index as well as simple sequence repeat （SSR） markers with yield and grain quality traits of hybrid rice were studied. For the parents, the Cheng’s index （Chi） ranged from 13.5 to 19.3 and the indica index in SSR markers （ADi） were from 0.12 to 0.38. The classification of parents by Chi was not completely consistent with that by ADi. The Chi of male parent was more closely related to hybrid traits than that of female parent, as contrasted to ADi. At the same time, the difference between parents （PD） in Chi was more closely related to hybrid traits than that in ADi. The indica-japonica indexes of parents and their difference between parents appeared quadratic relationship to hybrid traits with the critical extremum. The directions of the correlation of indica-japonica indexes of parents and their differences with hybrid yield traits were on the opposition to those with hybrid grain quality traits. Therefore, the female parent should match the male parent moderately in indica-japonica index to obtain the optimum of hybrid traits, high yield as well as good quality.

Grain yield,nitrogen use efficiency and physiological performance of indica/japonica hybrid rice in response to various nitrogen rates

Utilizing the heterosis of indica/japonica hybrid rice(IJHR)is an effective way to further increase rice grain yield.Rational application of nitrogen(N)fertilizer plays a very important role in using the heterosis of IJHR to achieve its great yield potential.However,the responses of the grain yield and N utilization of IJHR to N application rates and the underlying physiological mechanism remain elusive.The purpose of this study was to clarify these issues.Three rice cultivars currently used in rice production,an IJHR cultivar Yongyou 2640(YY2640),a japonica cultivar Lianjing 7(LJ-7)and an indica cultivar Yangdao 6(YD-6),were grown in the field with six N rates(0,100,200,300,400,and 500 kg ha^(-1))in 2018 and 2019.The results showed that with the increase in N application rates,the grain yield of each test cultivar increased at first and then decreased,and the highest grain yield was at the N rate of 400 kg ha^(-1)for YY2640,with a grain yield of 13.4 t ha^(-1),and at 300 kg ha^(-1)for LJ-7 and YD-6,with grain yields of 9.4–10.6 t ha^(-1).The grain yield and N use efficiency(NUE)of YY2640 were higher than those of LJ-7 or YD-6 at the same N rate,especially at the higher N rates.When compared with LJ-7 or YD-6,YY2640 exhibited better physiological traits,including greater root oxidation activity and leaf photosynthetic rate,higher cytokinin content in the roots and leaves,and more remobilization of assimilates from the stem to the grain during grain filling.The results suggest that IJHR could attain both higher grain yield and higher NUE than inbred rice at either low or high N application rates.Improved shoot and root traits of the IJHR contribute to its higher grain yield and NUE,and a higher content of cytokinins in the IJHR plants plays a vital role in their responses to N application rates and also benefits other physiological processes.

Irrigating with cooler water does not reverse high temperature impact on grain yield and quality in hybrid rice

Rice grain yield and quality are negatively impacted by high temperature stress.Irrigation water temperature significantly affects rice growth and development,thus influencing yield and quality.The role of cooler irrigation water in counteracting high temperature induced damages in rice grain yield and quality are not explored.Hence,in the present study two rice hybrids,Liangyoupeijiu(LYPJ)and IIyou 602(IIY602)were exposed to heat stress and irrigated with water having different temperatures in a splitsplit plot experimental design.The stress was imposed starting from heading until maturity under field-based heat tents,over two consecutive years.The maximum day temperature inside the heat tents was set at 38℃.For the irrigation treatments,two different water sources were used including belowground water with cooler water temperature and pond water with relatively higher water temperature.Daytime mean temperatures in the heat tents were increased by 1.2–2.0℃ across two years,while nighttime temperature remained similar at both within and outside the heat tents.Cooler belowground water irrigation did have little effect on air temperature at the canopy level but decreased soil temperature(0.2–1.4℃)especially under control.Heat stress significantly reduced grain yield(33%to 43%),panicles m^(-2)(9%to 10%),spikelets m^(-2)(15%to 22%),grain-filling percentage(13%to 26%)and 1000-grain weight(3%to 5%).Heat stress significantly increased chalkiness and protein content and decreased grain length and amylose content.Grain yield was negatively related to air temperature at the canopy level and soil temperature.Whereas grain quality parameters like chalkiness recorded a significantly positive association with both air and soil temperatures.Irrigating with cooler belowground water reduced the negative effect of heat stress on grain yield by 8.8%in LYPJ,while the same effect was not seen in IIY602,indicating cultivar differences in their response to irrigation water temperature.Our findings reveal that irrigating with cooler belowground water would not significantly mitigate yield loss or improve grain quality under realistic field condition.The outcome of this study adds to the scientific knowledge in understanding the interaction between heat stress and irrigation as a mitigation tool.Irrigation water temperature regulation at the rhizosphere was unable to counteract heat stress damages in rice and hence a more integrated management and genetic options at canopy levels should be explored in the future.

Analysis of Yield and Quality Characteristics of Cultivars of Japonica Fragrant and Soft Rice in Yunnan Province

In plateau region of Yunnan Province, japonica rice-growing areas are characterized by high altitude, heavy rain in summer, low temperature and insuffi- cient accumulated temperature in grain-filling stage. In view of the characteristics above, the breeding of japonica soft rice was carried out. In this paper, the yield and quality characteristics of japonica soft rice cultivars bred recently in Yunnan Province were analyzed. The results showed that there was no difference in milling quality, but there were great differences in chemical indexes between soft rice and japonica rice, such as amylose content. For example, in soft rice, the amylose con- tent was significantly lower, but the protein content, gel consistency and taste meter value were significantly higher compared with those in japonica rice. However, there was no significant difference in alkali digestion value between soft rice and japonica rice. The starch RVA profile characteristics of soft rice were significantly better than those of japonica rice. The RVA starch profile of soft rice showed higher maximum viscosity, lower minimum viscosity, higher breakdown value, lower final viscosity, lower setback value and shorter time to reach the maximum viscosity （P〈0.05, P〈 0.01）. The analysis of yield and yield components showed that the yield of japonica soft rice was still lower than that of the control cultivar, which might be caused by weaker tillering capacity, less grains per panicle and lower 1 000-grain weight. In addition, the approaches to improve grain quality and yield of japonica soft rice were also discussed.

Effect of wide-narrow row arrangement in mechanical pot-seedling transplanting and plant density on yield formation and grain quality of japonica rice

Mechanical pot-seedling transplanting is an innovatively developed transplanting method that has the potential to replace mechanical carpet-seedling transplanting. However, the initial pot-seedling transplanting machine lacked optimized density spacing and limited yield potential for japonica rice. Therefore, ascertaining the optimized density by wide-narrow rows and the appropriate transplanting method for yield formation and grain quality of japonica rice is of great importance for high-quality rice production. Field experiments were conducted using two japonica rice cultivars Nanjing 9108 and Nanjing 5055 under three transplanting methods in 2016 and 2017: mechanical pot-seedling transplanting with wide-narrow row(K, average row spacing of 30 cm);equidistant row(D, 33 cm×12 cm);and mechanical carpet-seedling transplanting(T, 30 cm×12.4 cm). In addition, five different density treatments were set in K(K1–K5, from 18.62×10~4 to 28.49×10~4 hills ha^(–1)). The results showed that the highest yield was produced by a planting density of 26.88×104 hills ha^(–1) in mechanical pot-seedling transplanting with wide-narrow row with a greater number of total spikelets that resulted from significantly more panicles per area and slightly more grain number per panicle, as compared with equidistant row, and yield among density in wide-narrow row showed a parabolic trend. Compared with mechanical carpet-seedling transplanting, the treatment of the highest yield increased yield significantly, which was mainly attributed to the larger sink size with improved filled-grain percentage and grain weight, higher harvest index, and increased total dry matter accumulation, especially the larger amount accumulated from heading stage to maturity stage. With the density in wide-narrow row decreasing, processing quality, appearance quality, and nutrition quality were all improved, whereas amylose content and the taste value were decreased. Compared with mechanical carpet-seedling transplanting, mechanical pot-seedling transplanting improved processing quality and nutrition quality, but decreased amylose content and deteriorated appearance quality. These results suggested that mechanical pot-seedling transplanting with wide-narrow row coupling produced a suitable planting density of 26.88×10~4 hills ha^(–1) and may be an alternative approach to improving grain yield and quality for japonica rice.

Relationship Between Plant Type and Grain Quality of Japonica Hybrid Rice in Northern China

Plant type and grain quality are two major aspects in rice breeding. Using canonical correlation analysis and canonical redundancy analysis, the relationship between plant type traits and rice grain quality traits was studied with 100 crosses derived from 10 sterile lines × 10 restorer lines. There was a complex relationship between parts of the traits of the two aspects. The angle of the 2nd leaf from the top and single panicle weight played important roles in plant type system and amylose content and grain length in grain quality system. The angle of the 2nd leaf from the top, plant height and single panicle weight had a great effect on grain quality traits, and amylose content, brown rice rate and translucency were easily influenced by plant type traits. Selection index model indicated that japonica hybrid rice in Northern China with good quality was characterized by broad flag leaf and 2nd leaf from the top, narrow and short 3rd leaf from the top, low plant height, short culm, long and more panicles and low single panicle weight.

Combining Ability Analysis for Yield and Yield Components of Yinshui-type Japonica Hybrid Rice

[Objective] This study aimed to analyze the yield potential of newly developed Yinshui-type japonica hybrid rice parents and provide the theoretical basis for breeding of Yinshui-type japonica hybrid rice. [Method] An incomplete diallel cross of four cytoplasmic male sterile （CMS） lines and four restorer lines was designed to investigate the combining ability for yield and yield components of Yinshui-type japonica hybrid rice. [Result] The variances of general combining ability （GCA） for yield traits were extremely significantly different. GCA variances of male parents were higher than that of female parents except for seed-setting rate. The variances of specific combining ability （SCA） for grain yield per plant, number of effective spikes and seed-setting rate were significantly or extremely significantly different. 139A and Wanlun 422 exhibited higher GCA effects. Most yield traits of these two parents be- longed to type II. Combinations 139AxWanlun 422 and Liaojingl0AxWanlun 422 had relatively high grain yield per plant and SCA effects. GCA effects of restorer lines and SCA effects of combinations greatly affected yield traits, while GCA ef- fects of CMS lines slightly affected yield traits. [Conclusion] In this study, restorer lines exhibited greater genetic differences and impact on yield traits than CMS lines; 139A and Wanlun 422 possessed higher application potential.

Yield and Quality Performance of Japonica Rice Varieties Grown in the Late Season in a Double Rice Cropping System of China

Meeting the demand for high-quality japonica rice is a major challenge facing China's grain security. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the yield, quality, and profitability of japonica rice varieties(including hybrids and inbreds) grown in the late season as compared with local elite indica hybrids in a double rice cropping system of China where indicas are traditionally planted. Indica hybrids had significantly longer vegetative(from sowing to heading) and total(from sowing to maturity) growth durations than japonicas in both2011 and 2012, while reproductive growth duration(from heading to maturity) was longer for indica hybrids than for japonicas in 2011 but not in 2012. Indica hybrids produced higher grain yield than japonicas in 2011, but with no significant differences in 2012. Japonicas had higher brown rice, milled rice, and head rice percentages than indicas, but had lower gelatinization temperature and amylose content,while with no significant differences in gel consistency and protein content. Indica hybrids tended to have lower chalky grain percentage and chalkiness degree than japonicas, though the differences were not statistically significant due to large genotypic variations. The net returns were 16.1% and 9.9% greater for indica hybrids than for japonica hybrids and japonica inbreds in 2011, with only 3.8% and 1.3% in2012, respectively. Thus, our results suggest that replacing indicas with japonica varieties as late rice may not be feasible at the present site unless locally adapted japonica varieties are developed.

Variation in Yield and Physicochemical Quality Traits among Mutants of Japonica Rice Cultivar Wuyujing 3

To select elite germplasms, 112 mutants derived from japonica rice cultivar Wuyujing 3 were evaluated. The yield components such as panicle number per square meter, grain number per panicle, and grain weight were measured. The quality traits such as percentage of chalky grains（PCG）, brown rice yield（BRY）, milled rice yield（MRY）, degree of milling（DM）, amylose content（AC）, protein content（PC）, and relationships among traits were inverstigated. Results showed that grain yield ranged from 2.15 to 12.49 t/hm2 with a mean of 6.4 t/hm2 and number of grains per square meter contributed for 94.64% in grain yield variation. For quality traits, all rice mutants had short size（grain length ≤ 5.5 mm） and bold shape（grain length to width ratio = 1.10-2.00）. Most of rice mutants（87.5%） had PCG values below 20%. All mutants had MRY values above 50%, AC values below 20%, and PC values below 10%. Percentage of chalky grains was significantly negatively correlated with MRY and positively correlated with DM. BRY and MRY were significantly negatively correlated with DM. PC was significantly and positively correlated with MRY and negatively correlated with DM, while AC had no significant correlation with these quality traits. It was concluded that there were 25 rice mutants which fulfilled the major requirements of Jiangsu standard japonica rice such as low percentage of chalky grains, low amylose content, optimal protein content, and which could be used as elite germplasms. Thus the mutants identified may lead to significant progress in improvement of rice quality.

Effects of planting methods on yield and quality of different types of japonica rice in northern Jiangsu plain, China

Mechanical transplanting with carpet seedlings(MC) and mechanical direct seeding(MD) are newly developed planting methods, which increase in popularity and planted area each year. Knowing the difference for yield and rice quality under different planting methods is of great importance for the development of high quality and yield cultivation techniques under mechanical conditions. Therefore, three kinds of japonica rice including hybrid japonica rice, inbreed japonica rice, and soft rice were adopted as materials. And the differences in the quality of processing, appearance, cooking and eating quality, nutrition, and the rapid viscosity analyzer(RVA) profile were studied to reveal the effects of planting methods on yield and quality of different types of japonica rice. Results showed that the milled rice and head rice rates under MC was significantly higher than those under MD, and the processing quality of inbreed japonica rice was the most stable. Compared with MC, length/width ratio of rice under MD was significantly increased, and chalkiness rate, size, and degree were significantly decreased. The protein content under MD was lower than that under MC. MC showed higher peak viscosity and breakdown value than MD. The taste value was the greatest for soft rice, followed by inbreed japonica rice, and then by japonica hybrid rice, with no significant differences resulting from planting methods. Compared with MC, MD significantly improved the appearance quality, though processing quality and nutritional quality were decreased. And there was no significant difference in cooking and eating quality between MC and MD. Under different planting methods, the appearance quality of inbreed japonica rice changed the most and the processing quality was the most stable. The nutritional, cooking and eating quality of soft rice changed the least. Therefore, according to the different planting methods and market needs, selecting the appropriate rice varieties can reduce the risks in rice production and achieve good rice quality.

Discussion on strategy of grain quality improvement for super high yielding japonica rice in Northeast China

japonica rice is mainly distributed in Northeast China and accounts for 44.6% of the total cultivated area of japonica rice in China. The comprehensive using of inter-subspecies heterosis is the main breeding mode of super japonica rice varieties in this region. Improving rice quality at relative high yielding level is the current research focus. Performing crosses between indica and japonica lines allows for the recombination of regulatory genes and genetic backgrounds, leading to complicated genetic rice quality characteristics, which can be used to explore patterns of quality improvement. In the present study, we utilize recombinant inbred lines （RILs） derived from indica-japonica hybridization to analyze the effect factors of rice quality derived from genetic factors, which contain both regulatory genes concerning rice quality and genetic backgrounds＇ random introduction frequency coming from indica （Di value）, and the improvement strategy was further discussed. The regulatory genes involved in amylase content （Wx） and nitrogen utilization efficiency （NRT1.1B） were the major factors affecting the amylose content （AC） and protein content （PC） in RILs, respectively. Both the Di value and the major grain width gene （GS5） had regulatory effects on milled rice width （MRW） in RILs, and their interaction explained the major variance of MRW in the RILs. With the mediation of MRW and chalkiness degree （C）, Di value had a further impact on head rice rate （HR）, which was relatively poor when the Di value was over 40%. In Northeast China, the Di value should be lowered by backcrossing or multiple crosses during the breeding of indica-japonica hybridization to maintain the whole better HR and further to emphasize the use of favorable genes in individual selection.

Dry matter production and panicle characteristics of high yield and good taste indica hybrid rice varieties

Indica hybrid rice(Oryza sativa) production aims to achieve two crucial targets: high yield and good taste. This study selected three types of indica hybrid rice according to grain yield and taste value, including high yield and good taste(HYGT), low yield and good taste(LYGT), and high yield and poor taste(HYPT), to analyze yield components,corresponding growth characteristics, and rice taste quality. When values were averaged across varieties and years,there were almost no differences in taste value between HYGT and LYGT;HYGT showed a significant increase in yield,owing to a higher number of panicles and spikelets per panicle, with a respective increment of 16.2 and 20.6%. The higher grain yield of HYGT compared with LYGT was attributed to three key factors: a higher leaf area index(LAI) during heading, a higher ratio of grain to leaf, and a higher biomass accumulation at maturity. HYGT and HYPT achieved similar high yields;however, HYGT had more panicle numbers and lower grain weight. In addition, HYGT showed a significantly higher taste value than HYPT, attributed to its significantly lower protein and amylose contents, with reductions of 8.8and 15.7%, respectively. Lower protein and amylose contents might be caused by a proper matter translocation from vegetative organs to panicle. This study suggested that reasonable panicle characteristics and translocation efficiency from vegetative organs to panicle during heading to maturity are the key factors in balancing yield and rice taste quality.These results will provide valuable insights for rice breeders to improve the grain yield and quality of indica hybrid rice.

Suitable growing zone and yield potential for late-maturity type of Yongyou japonica/indica hybrid rice in the lower reaches of Yangtze River, China

Late-maturity type of Yongyou japonica/indica hybrids series （LMYS） have shown great yield potential, and are being widely planted in the lower reaches of Yangtze River, China. Knowledge about suitable growing zone and evaluation of yield advantage is of practicall importance for LMYS in this region. Fifteen LMYS, two high-yielding inbred japonica check varieties （CK-J） and two high-yielding hybrid indica check varieties （CK-I） were grown at Xinghua （119.57°E, 33.05°N） of Lixiahe region, Yangzhou （119.25°E, 32.30°N）of Yanjiang region, Changshu （120.46°E, 31.41°N）of Taihu Lake region, and Ningbo （121.31°E, 29.45°N） of Ningshao Plain in 2013 and 2014. The results showed that maturity dates of the 15 were later than the secure maturity date at Xinghua and 6, 14 and 15 LMYS were mature before the secure maturity date at Yangzhou, Changshu and Ningbo, respectively. One variety was identified as high-yielding variety among LMYS （HYYS） at Yangzhou, 8 HYYS in 201：3 and 9 HYYS in 2014 at Changshu, 9 HYYS at Ningbo. HYYS here referred to the variety among LMYS that was mature before the secure maturity date and had at least 8% higher grain yield than both CK-J and CK-I at each experimental site. Grain yield of HYYS at each experimental site was about 12.0 t ha-1 or higher, and was significantly higher than CK varieties. High yield of HYYS was mainly attributed to larger sink size due to more spikelets per panicle. Plant height of HYYS was about 140 cm, and was significantly higher than check varieties. Significant positive correlations were recorded between duration from heading to maturity stage and grain yield, and also between whole growth periods and grain yield. HYYS had obvious advantage over check varieties in biomass accumulation and leaf area duration from heading to maturity stage. Comprehensive consideration about safe matudty and yield performance of LMYS at each experimental site, Taihu Lake region （representative site Changshu） and Ningshao Plain （representative site Ningbo） were thought suitable growing zones for LMYS in the lower reaches of Yangtze River. The main factors underlying high yield ofHYYS were larger sink size, higher plant height, longer duration from heading to maturity stage and whole growth periods, and higher biomass accumulation and leaf area duration during grain filling stage.

Yield characteristics of japonicalindica hybrids rice in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China

Although a lot of researches have been done on yield characteristics of japonica/indica hybrid rice,there is itte information on differences of yield characteristics between different types of hybrid.To determine common characteristics of japonical indica hybrid rice(JIHR)and identify the differences between different types of JIHR,the present study assessed yield characteristics,such as panicle trait,leaf area index(LAI),above-ground biomass accumulation,and nitrogen absorption and uilization,among three types of cultivar of JIHR.In our field experiments,three types of JIHR,e.g.,Yongyou,Chunyou and Jiayouzhongke,were divided,and each of them has two cultivars,which were used as materials,meanwhile,using conventional japonica rice(CJR)Wuyingjing 31 and Sujing 9 were as controls.The results showed that the mean yield of those JIHR was above 12 t ha^-1 in 2017 and 2018,and was 31.9 and 32.2%,respectively higher than that of CJR in the two years.Spikelet number per panicle of JIHR resulted in high yield.Higher yield of JIHR was likely contributed to greater panicle number and more spikelets per panicle.Higher yielding JIHR showed stronger tllering capacity,larger LAI and above-ground biomass accumulation from jointing to heading stages,which likely contributed to the higher number of spikelets per panicle.The long duration from heading to maturity stages allowed more nitrogen accumulation of higher yielding JIHR.

Breeding and Application of Japonica CMS Line Yangfujing 7A with Fine Grain Quality, Disease Resistance and High Combining Ability in Rice

Yangfujing 7A, derived from the cross between Xu 9201A and Yangfujing 7 and its successive backcrosses, is a BT-type japonica CMS line developed by the Agricultural Institute of Riparian Region of Jiangsu Province. It shows good integrat- ed characteristics, stable male sterility, good flowering habits, high out crossing rate, strong disease resistance, fine grain quality （reaching the 1st class of national standards for fine quality rice） and high combining ability. In 2012, it was technically identified in Jiangsu Province. Its F1 hybrid combination Tongyoujingl （Yangfujing 7 A/R98）, showing high yield and good grain quality, was registered and released to commercial production by Jiangsu Crop Variety Appraisal Committee in 2013.

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.

Morpho-physiological traits contributing to better yield performance of japonica/indica hybrids over indica hybrids under input-reduced practices

It is widely reported that japonica/indica hybrids(JIH)have superior grain yield over other main varietal groups such as indica hybrids(IH)under sufficient resource inputs.To date,little attention has been paid to yield performance of JIH under input-reduced practices,and whether JIH could have better grain yield performance over IH under input-reduced practices.In this study,three JIH varieties and three IH varieties were compared in grain yield and their related morpho-physiological traits under two cultivation modes,i.e.,conventional high-yielding method(CHYM)and double reductions in nitrogen rate and planting density(DRNP).Our results showed that JIH had 8.3 and 13.3%higher grain yield over IH under CHYM and DRNP,respectively.The superior grain yield of JIH over IH under DRNP was mainly attributed to larger sink size and improved sink filling efficiency.Three main morpho-physiological traits were concluded for better yield performance of JIH over IH under DRNP.Firstly,JIH had the reduced unproductive tillers growth,indicated by a higher percentage of productive tillers and the percentage of effective leaf area index(LAI)to total LAI at heading stage.Secondly,a synergistic increase in biomass accumulation and harvest index were achieved of JIH,supported by higher biomass accumulation and leaf area duration during the main growth periods,and improved non-structural carbohydrate(NSC)remobilization after heading.Thirdly,JIH had an improved canopy structure,showing as higher leaf area of upper three leaves and lower light extinction coefficient.Our results suggested that improved morpho-physiological traits of JIH could lead to better grain yield performance over IH under input-reduced practices.

Relationships of Panicle Type Index with Subspecies Characteristics and Yield Traits in Filial Generation of Crosses between Indica and Japonica Rice

Two recombinant inbred line （RIL） populations, one derived from a cross between Zhongyouzao 8 （indica） and Toyonishiki （japonica） and the other from a cross between Qishanzhan （indica） and Akihikari （japonica）, were grown in Liaoning and Sichuan Provinces, China, to study the panicle type index （PTI, the ratio of a number of node position on panicle axis where the secondary branch with the most numerous secondary branch grains is located to the number of primary branches） and its relationships with subspecies characteristics and yield traits. With continuous distribution of PTI and numerous of lines with different PTIs in the progenies, indica-japonica hybridization could be a method for breeding cultivars with ideal panicle type. PTI was significantly influenced by environments, with a significant decrease from Liaoning to Sichuan A significantly negative correlation was found between PTI and most of subspecies characteristics. PTI varied remarkably with different subspecies types. As a whole, it showed a trend of indica （H）〉indicalinous （H＇）〉japonicalinous （K＇）〉japonica （K） However, it is not appropriate to regard PTI as a parameter for subspecies classification in rice because it was recombined in the filial generations of cross between indica and japonica rice. The negative correlations were found between PTI and most of panicle characteristics, as well as yield-related traits. Based on PTI, most of lines from the two populations were middle dominant panicle type （the number of grains on the secondary branch is numerous in middle position of the panicle） and lower dominant panicle type （the number of grains on the secondary branch is numerous in lower position of the panicle and becomes less towards the top of panicle） with significant yield advantages.

Genetic Analysis of Leucine Content in Indica-Japonica Hybrid Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Genetic control of leucine content in indica-japonica hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) was studied in 35 crosses of F1 and F2 generations, which were derived from crossing 7 male sterile indica rice lines with 5 restorer japonica rice lines along with their parents. Two genetic models and their corresponding statistical methods for quantitative traits of triploid seeds in cereal crops were used for the analysis. The first was the unconditional genetic model, which refers to the analysis of cumulative measurements (from flowering to a specific time) along the developmental stages, while the second was the conditional genetic model, which relates to analysis from one developmental stage to another stage (t - 1→t). The results showed that leucine content of indica-japonica hybrid rice was controlled by the expression of triploid endosperm effect (endosperm additive effect and endosperm dominant effect), cytoplasm effect, diploid maternal plant effect (maternal additive effect and maternal dominant effect) and their environmental interaction effects. Of these effects, endosperm dominant effect and maternal dominant effect were more important at the earlier stages, while endosperm additive effect and maternal additive effect were more important at the later stages of rice grain development under both unconditional and conditional genetic analyses. Due to the high heritabilities, which came from endosperm, maternal and cytoplasm effects for leucine content at different developmental stages, selection for leucine content of indica-japonica hybrid rice would be more efficient at early generations in breeding programs.

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.