TDZ对莴苣(Lactuca sativa L.)器官发生及乙烯形成的影响

为了研究TDZ在植物器官发生中的生理作用，用不同浓度的TDZ替代MS中的BA，发现仅用1／50BA浓度（0．1mg／L）的TDZ处理，已相当于用BA处理所得芽数，可见它具有很强的细胞分裂素活性；但是TDZ又能显著促进乙烯形成，较低浓度时抑制莴苣的器官发生，可能此时乙烯起着主导作用。

Selenium distribution and nitrate metabolism in hydroponic lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.): Effects of selenium forms and light spectra

A deficiency in selenium(Se) in the human diet is a worldwide problem. The intake of Se-rich vegetables can be a safe way to combat Se deficiency for humans. However, most leafy vegetables can accumulate a high content of nitrates, which poses a potential threat to human health. Light is an important environmental factor that regulates the uptake and distribution of mineral elements and nitrogen metabolism in plants. However, the effects of Se forms and light conditions, especially light spectra, on the uptake and translocation of Se and on nitrate reduction are poorly understood. In this study, lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.) was treated with exogenous Se applied as selenate(10 mmol L^-1) and selenite(0.5 mmol L^-1) and grown under five different light spectra: fluorescent light(FL), monochromatic red LED light(R), monochromatic blue LED light(B), and mixed red and blue LED light with a red to blue light ratio at 4(R/B=4), 8(R/B=8), and 12(R/B=12), respectively. The effects of light spectra and Se forms on plant growth, photosynthetic performance, Se accumulation and nitrate reduction were investigated. The results showed that the light spectra and Se forms had significant interactions for plant growth, foliar Se accumulation and nitrate reduction. The Se concentration and nitrate content in the leaves were negatively correlated with the percentage of red light from the light sources. Compared to Se applied as selenite, exogenous Se applied as selenate was more effective in reducing nitrate via promoting nitrate reductase and glutamate synthase activities. The lowest nitrate content and highest plant biomass were observed under R/B=8 for both the selenate and selenite treatments. The significant effect of the light spectra on the root concentration factor and translocation factor of Se resulted in marked variations in the Se concentrations in the roots and leaves. Compared with FL, red and blue LED light led to significant decreases in the foliar Se concentration. The results from this study suggest that the light spectra can contribute to Se distribution and accumulation to produce vegetables with better food quality.

Effects of Priming in Combination with Fungicides on Germination and Infestation of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Two seed lots of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cv. Krlowa Majowych were primed in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 at -1.25MPa for 7 days in dark at 20C. Two fungicide treatments combined with PEG were used to control fungi: 1) Funaben T(0.1%) and Apron 35 SD (0.02%) were added to -1.25 MPa PEG solution (PEG+F); 2) After seed priming and drying,Funaben T was mixed at 5 g kg-1 and Apron 35 SD at 1 g kg-1 of seeds (PEG then F dust). PEG, PEG+F and PEG then F dusttreatments reduced significantly thermodormancy and increased the seed germination at 35C in both lots. PEG then Fdust treatment had the best effect on reducing seed thermodormancy at 35C, and increased seed germination to 64.5% inlot 1 and 72.0% in lot 2 compared to 0 in untreated. PEG and PEG then F dust treatments have accelerated germinationspeed at 20 and 15C in both lots. There was a significant reduction in seed infestation in which the seeds were treatedwith PEG+F and PEG then F dust compared to untreated seeds and PEG primed seeds. PEG priming enhanced seedinfestation considerably by Alternaria alternata, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp. and Ulocladium spp. Mycologicalanalysis showed higher frequency of Alternaria alternata and Ulocladium spp. in untreated seeds at 20C. Priming incombination with fungicides significantly alleviated the infestation of fungi, especially Alternaria alternata infestation.

Effects of Different Concentrations of Photosynthetic Bacteria Solutions on Yield and Quality of Lactuca sativa L.

The effects of different concentrations of photosynthetic bacteria solutions （CK, 0 ml photosynthetic bacteria agent＋4 000 ml nutrient solution; T1, 200 ml pho- tosynthetic bacteria agent＋3 800 ml nutrient solution; T2, 400 ml photosynthetic bacteria agent＋3 600 ml nutrient solution; T3, 600 ml photosynthetic bacteria agent＋ 3 400 ml nutrient solution; T4, 800 ml photosynthetic bacteria agent＋3 200 ml nutrient solution; and T5, 1 000 ml photosynthetic bacteria agent＋3 000 ml nutrient solu- tion） on the leaf number, fresh mass, root vigor, vitamin C content, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and nitrate content of hydroponic Lactuca sativa L. were investigated. The results showed that the leaf number was increased by 62.66%, the fresh mass was increased by 139.7%, the root vigor was increased by 132.04%, the vitamin C content was increased by 18.34%, the soluble protein content was increased by 16.60%, the soluble sugar content was increased by 192.37%, and the nitrate content was reduced by 69.44% in the T3 group com- pared with those in the control group. The photosynthetic bacteria solution in the T3 group reduced the content of nitrate and improved the yield and quality of hydroponic L. sativa.

The auxin transporter OsAUX1 regulates tillering in rice(Oryza sativa)

Tillering is an important agronomic trait of rice(Oryza sativa)that affects the number of effective panicles,thereby affecting yields.The phytohormone auxin plays a key role in tillering.Here we identified the high tillering and semi-dwarf 1(htsd1)mutant with auxin-deficiency root characteristics,such as shortened lateral roots,reduced lateral root density,and enlarged root angles.htsd1 showed reduced sensitivity to auxin,but the external application of indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)inhibited its tillering.We identified the mutated gene in htsd1 as AUXIN1(OsAUX1,LOC_Os01g63770),which encodes an auxin influx transporter.The promoter sequence of OsAUX1 contains many SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE(SPL)binding sites,and we demonstrated that SPL7 binds to the OsAUX1 promoter.TEOSINTE BRANCHED1(OsTB1),a key gene that negatively regulates tillering,was significantly downregulated in htsd1.Tillering was enhanced in the OsTB1 knockout mutant,and the external application of IAA inhibited tiller elongation in this mutant.Overexpressing OsTB1 restored the multi-tiller phenotype of htsd1.These results suggest that SPL7 directly binds to the OsAUX1 promoter and regulates tillering in rice by altering OsTB1 expression to modulate auxin signaling.

Irrigation regimes modulate non-structural carbohydrate remobilization and improve grain filling in rice(Oryza sativa L.)by regulating starch metabolism

Recently developed ‘super’ rice cultivars with greater yield potentials often suffer from the problem of poor grain filling, especially in inferior spikelets. Here, we studied the activities of enzymes related to starch metabolism in rice stems and grains, and the microstructures related to carbohydrate accumulation and transportation to investigate the effects of different water regimes on grain filling. Two ‘super’ rice cultivars were grown under two irrigation regimes of well-watered(WW) and alternate wetting and moderate soil drying(AWMD). Compared with the WW treatment,the activities of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase(AGPase), starch synthase(StSase) and starch branching enzyme(SBE), and the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates(NSCs) in the stems before heading were significantly improved, and more starch granules were stored in the stems in the AWMD treatment. After heading, the activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, sucrose phosphate synthase(SPS) and sucrose synthase in the synthetic direction(SSs)were increased in the stems to promote the remobilization of NSCs for grain filling under AWMD. During grain filling, the enzymatic activities of sucrose synthase in the cleavage direction(SSc), AGPase, StSase and SBE in the inferior spikelets were increased, which promoted grain filling, especially for the inferior spikelets under AWMD.However, there were no significant differences in vascular microstructures. The grain yield and grain weight could be improved by 13.1 and 7.5%, respectively, by optimizing of the irrigation regime. We concluded that the low activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism is the key limitation for the poor grain filling, as opposed to the vascular microstructures, and AWMD can increase the amount of NSC accumulation in the stems before heading, improve the utilization rate of NSCs after heading, and increase the grain filling, especially in the inferior spikelets, by altering the activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism.

生菜(Lactuca sativa var ro mana Hort.)下胚轴愈伤组织的诱导与植株再生

通过对生菜下胚轴的愈伤诱导和植株再生的研究 ,发现诱导愈伤组织时 ,MS培养基中加 0 .5mg/L 6 BA + 1mg/L 2 ,4 D + 0 .1mg/LNAA效果最好 ,其出愈率达 94 %;愈伤组织分化为芽时 ,在MS + 1.0mg/L 6 BA + 0 .0 5mg/L NAA中分化频率最高 ,达 10 0 %.再生苗可在 1/ 2MS+ 0 .5mg/L NAA中诱导生根成完整植株 .

Environmantal Risk Phytoaccumulation of Arsenic in Spinacea Olaracea L, and Lactuca Sativa L

Pollution of the environment, particularly the soil, appears to be one of the major contemporary issues. In addition, many studies point to the involvement of ecological risk of heavy metals into the food chain through edible plants like Spinaceae oleraceae L. and Lactuca sativa L.. This paper presents the results of the ＂ex-situ＂ application of phytoacumulation on the soils of contaminated terrain using the plant species of spinach （Spinacea oleracea L.） and lettuce （Lactuca sativa L.）. Sequestration of arsen from the soil by these plant species was observed through phytoaccumulation factor--PF and limit values （mg/kg）. The main task and objective of this research was to establish the level of accumulation of toxic element As from the soil by plants and to calculate the PF factor of transfer. The experiment was set up in the control conditions where the soil from eight contaminated locations was placed in the experimental containers. The AAS method was used to analyze heavy metal in plant material and soil. PF factor values ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 which indicates that the spinach and lettuce plants rechargeable moderate compared to arsenic.

Conventional Breeding and Molecular Markers for Blast Disease Resistance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Monogenic lines,which carried 23 genes for blast resistance were tested and used donors to transfer resistance genes by crossing method.The results under blast nursery revealed that 9 genes from 23 genes were susceptible to highly susceptible under the three locations(Sakha,Gemmeza,and Zarzoura in Egypt);Pia,Pik,Pik-p,Piz-t,Pita,Pi b,Pi,Pi 19 and Pi 20.While,the genes Pii,Pik-s,Pik-h,Pi z,Piz-5,Pi sh,Pi 3,Pi 1,Pi 5,Pi 7,Pi 9,Pi 12,Pikm and Pita-2 were highly resistant at the same locations.Clustering analysis confirmed the results,which divided into two groups;the first one included all the susceptible genes,while the second one included the resistance genes.In the greenhouse test,the reaction pattern of five races produced 100%resistance under artificial inoculation with eight genes showing complete resistance to all isolates.The completely resistant genes:Pii,Pik-s,Piz,Piz-5(=bi2)(t),Pita(=Pi4)(t),Pita,Pi b and Pi1 as well as clustering analysis confirmed the results.In the F1 crosses,the results showed all the 25 crosses were resistant for leaf blast disease under field conditions.While,the results in F2 population showed seven crosses with segregation ratio of 15(R):1(S),two cross gave segregated ratio of 3 R:1 S and one gave 13:3.For the identification of blast resistance genes in the parental lines,the marker K3959,linked to Pik-s gene and the variety IRBLKS-F5 carry this gene,which was from the monogenic line.The results showed that four genotypes;Sakha 105,Sakha 103,Sakha 106 and IRBLKS-F5 were carrying Pik-s gene,while was absent in the Sakha 101,Sakha 104,IRBL5-M,IRBL9-W,IRBLTACP1 and IRBL9-W(R)genotypes.As for Pi 5 gene,the results showed that it was present in Sakha 103 and Sakha 104 varieties and absent in the rest of the genotypes.In addition,Pita-Pita-2 gene was found in the three Egyptian genotypes(Sakha 105,Sakha 101 and Sakha 104)plus IRBLTACP1 monogenetic.In F2 generation,six populations were used to study the inheritance of blast resistance and specific primers to confirm the ratio and identify the resistance genes.However,the ratios in molecular markers were the same of the ratio under field evaluation in the most population studies.These findings would facilitate in breeding programs for gene pyramiding and gene accumulation to produce durable resistance for blast using those genotypes.

Two new eudesmane sesquiterpenes from Lactuca sativa var.anagustata L

Two new eudesmane sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from the stalk of Lactuca sativa vat anagustata L and their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR （1H-1H COSY, HMBC and NOESY） as 1β-O-β-D- glucopyranosyl-4α-hydroxyl-5α, 6β, 11βH-eudesma-12, 6α-olide （1） and 1β-hydroxyl-15-O-（p-methoxyphenylacetyl）-5α, 6β, 11 βH-eudesma-3-en- 12, 6a-olide （2）.

Anxiolytic property of hydro-alcohol extract of Lactuca sativa and its effect on behavioral activities of mice

Lactuca sativa, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a leafy vegetable known for its medicinal properties. This study aimed to understand the mechanism of Lactuca sativa extract with respect to pharmacological action. We investigated the anxiolytic effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of leaves of Lactuca sativa on mice. The behav- ioral tests performed on mice models to assess anti-anxiety properties were： open field test （OFT）, elevated plus maze test （EPM）, elevated T maze test, and marble burying test. Increased locomotor activity and time spent in the ＂open-ann＂ were observed in extract fed group. Malondialdehyde （MDA） and nitrite levels were decreased, cata- lase and glutathione levels were increased in Lactuca sativa treated mice. The data obtained in the present study suggests that the extract of Lactuca sativa can afford significant protection against anxiolytic activity.

基于水稻大粒染色体片段代换系Z29的鉴定及QTL定位

千粒质量作为水稻产量的三要素之一,对产量的影响较大,其中千粒质量主要受水稻粒型的影响,因此挖掘新的粒型基因在生产中具有重要的意义.研究选育到1个以日本晴为受体亲本、自育优良籼稻恢复系R225为供体亲本的水稻染色体片段代换系(CSSL)Z29. Z29含有来自R225的10个代换片段,平均代换长度2.90 Mb. Z29粒长和粒宽均极显著增加,表现为大粒表型,且其籽粒变大是由颖壳细胞数量极显著增多、增大引起.利用日本晴与Z29杂交构建的次级F2群体进行QTL定位,共检测到8个粒型相关QTL.进一步利用MAS法在F3群体中选育出14个次级染色体片段代换系,包括4个单片段代换系、 5个双片段代换系、 2个三片段代换系和3个四片段代换系.结果可为目的粒型相关QTL克隆和分子机制解析奠定基础,为分子设计育种提供资源.

DROUGHT-INDUCED UNKNOWN PROTEIN 1 positively modulates drought tolerance in cultivated alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.)

Alfalfa is the most widely cultivated perennial legume forage crop worldwide.Drought is one of the major environmental factors influencing alfalfa productivity.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying alfalfa responses to drought stress are still largely unknown.This study identified a drought-inducible gene of unknown function,designated as Medicago sativa DROUGHT-INDUCED UNKNOWN PROTEIN 1(MsDIUP1).MsDIUP1 was localized to the nucleus,chloroplast,and plasma membranes.Overexpression of MsDIUP1 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased tolerance to drought,with higher seed germination,root length,fresh weight,and survival rate than in wild-type(WT)plants.Consistently,analysis of MsDIUP1 over-expression(OE)alfalfa plants revealed that MsDIUP1 also increased tolerance to drought stress,accompanied by physiological changes including reduced malondialdehyde(MDA)content and increased osmoprotectants accumulation(free proline and soluble sugar),relative to the WT.In contrast,disruption of MsDIUP1 expression by RNA interference(RNAi)in alfalfa resulted in a droughthypersensitive phenotype,with a lower chlorophyll content,higher MDA content,and less osmoprotectants accumulation than that of the WT.Transcript profiling of alfalfa WT,OE,and RNAi plants during drought stress showed differential responses for genes involved in stress signaling,antioxidant defense,and osmotic adjustment.Taken together,these results reveal a positive role for MsDIUP1 in regulating drought tolerance.

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Microbial Pollution of Lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>) Cultivated in Two Sites (Paspanga and Tanghin) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Environmental pollution can have detrimental effects on crop yield and its consumers. The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with the consumption of lettuce crop contaminated with toxic heavy metals and microbiological status. Irrigated water, soil and lettuce were analyzed by AAS technics for heavy metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Transfer factor (TF), daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were also calculated. Microbial analysis was carried out for the presence foodborne pathogens. The results showed that the heavy metals contents were higher in the soil than wastewater and the vegetables. Heavy metals ranged (mg·Kg-1) for Cd (1.27 to 2.93), Cr (7.28 to 7.38), Cu (0.91 to 1.70), Mn (0.29 to 6.60), Ni (1.74 to 2.16), Pb (1.32 to 1.69), Zn (3.08 to 3.79);and were higher than the WHO maximum limit permissible (ML) in vegetables. HRI TF values designated an enhanced bio-contamination. Microbial numeration revealed the presence of spoiler and pathogenic microorganisms. The lettuce tested was not safe for human use, especially for direct consumption by human beings.

全基因组关联分析定位水稻分蘖角度QTL

【目的】水稻分蘖角度是影响水稻产量的关键农艺性状,挖掘水稻分蘖角度QTL(基因)及其优势单倍型,有助于构建水稻理想株型。【方法】以333份来自水稻3K资源的核心种质为研究材料,于2020年和2022年分别在湖南农业大学耘园基地和春华基地种植,在抽穗期测量分蘖角度,结合基因型,利用TASSEL 5.2的MLM模型进行全基因组关联分析。【结果】共检测到6个分蘖角度QTL位点,分布在水稻2、5、6、9和12号染色体上,分别命名为qTA2、qTA5、qTA6.1、qTA6.2、qTA9和qTA12,这些QTL的表型贡献率为6.23%~16.22%。除了qTA9与分蘖角度主效QTL TAC1共定位外,其余5个QTL均为新的位点。进一步对5个QTL位点进行候选基因分析,初步筛选到qTA2和qTA6.1的候选基因别为Os02g0817900和Os06g0682800,候选基因Os02g0817900编码水稻细胞色素P450家族蛋白,候选基因Os06g0682800编码锌指结构域蛋白。【结论】本研究挖掘到新的水稻分蘖角度相关位点并对候选基因进行了分析,为分蘖角度新QTL(基因)的克隆以及分蘖角度的遗传改良提供参考。

一个新的水稻黄绿叶突变体ygl-9108的鉴定与基因定位

本研究旨在对水稻黄绿叶突变体ygl-9108进行表型分析和基因定位,为后续图位克隆该叶色相关基因奠定基础。以黄绿叶突变体ygl-9108为试材,利用突变体ygl-9108和‘五山丝苗’杂交的F2群体进行基因定位。结果表明,与野生型相比,突变体的株高、有效穗数、穗长、每穗粒数、结实率、粒宽、千粒重和单株谷重均显著下降,下降比例分别为21.5%、21.2%、14.6%、19.2%、11.0%、10.2%、12.9%和52.2%。透射电镜观察显示,突变体叶肉细胞的叶绿体数量大量减少,类囊体结构异常。遗传分析表明,突变体的表型由一个隐性核基因控制。利用图位克隆方法,ygl-9108被定位于水稻第11号染色体两InDel标记11Y39和11Y45之间,物理距离约为147 kb,该区间内未见有叶色相关基因的报道,表明ygl-9108是一个新的黄绿叶调控基因。本研究结果为ygl-9108的克隆和功能分析奠定了坚实的基础。

Anxiolytic property of Lactuca sativa,effect on anxiety behaviour induced by novel food and height

Objective:To study anxiolytic property of hydro alchohol extract and to estimate polyphenols present in the extract by HPLC.Methods:To evaluate anxiolytic properly two animal models were used viz.Elevated T maze and hyponeophagia.Diazepam(1 mg/kg body wt.) served as the standard anxiolvtic agent for all the tests.The dried extract of the plant leaf in doses of 100.200 and 400 mg/kg body weight was administered orally to mice for duration of 1? or 30 days and locomotor and anxiolytic activities were performed.Polyphenols was estimated using HPLC. Results:The HPLC analysis of the polyphenols revealed the presence chlorogenic acid,vanillin, epicatechin,caffeic acid,rutin hydrate,sinapic acid,quercetin-3-rhamnoside.p-coumeric acid and quercitin.Time spent and number of entries into the open arm was improved in 30 days treated animals than that of 15 days treated groups,200 and 400 mg/kg body weight treated group showed significant results when comparing with the control group.Conclusions:Te hydro alcohol extract rich in Polyphenols and other secondary metabolites is a potent anxiolytic agent.

Construction of Lactuca sativa Plastid Transformation Vector and High-level Expression of gfp Gene in Escherichia coli

Using genomic DNA of bolting-tolerant lettuce as a template,flanking fragments of lettuce plastid rpo A gene were amplified and cloned by PCR. Targeting the sites of these two fragments,homologous recombinant fragments of exogenous gene were integrated to construct lettuce plastid expression vector p Brpo AGFP,which harbored the expression cassette Prrn-gfp-aad A-Tpsb A. The results showed that the amplified flanking fragments were 1.2 and 1.1 kb in size. After sequencing,restriction digestion,ligation and transformation,lettuce plastid expression vector containing expression cassette Prrn-gfp-aad A-Tpsb A was constructed and confirmed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The results of SDS-PAGE electrophoresis indicated that gfp gene was efficiently expressed under the regulation of plasmid specific promoter Prrn and terminator Tpsb A. GFP accounted for 45. 6% of total soluble proteins; inclusion bodies accounted for 47.5 % of bacterial proteins,which reached relatively high expression levels. The construction of lettuce plastid expression vector p Brpo A-GFP laid a solid foundation for establishment of subsequent lettuce plastid transformation system and genetic improvement of lettuce using various functional genes.

微囊藻毒素-LR对生菜非结构性碳水化合物代谢的影响

【目的】研究低质量浓度微囊藻毒素-LR(MC-LR)慢性暴露对生菜(Lactuca sativa)叶片及根系非结构性碳水化合物代谢的影响,为富营养化水体在生菜灌溉中的应用提供理论指导。【方法】以散叶生菜为试验材料,采用土培试验方法,设置不同质量浓度(0(对照组),1,5,10,30μg/L)MC-LR的水溶液灌溉生菜30 d,通过分析生菜叶片及根系中可溶性糖(葡萄糖、果糖和蔗糖)及淀粉含量、蔗糖和淀粉代谢相关酶活性的变化,探讨生菜非结构性碳水化合物代谢对MC-LR慢性暴露的响应。【结果】10和30μg/L MC-LR组生菜对MC-LR的富集系数较5μg/L MC-LR组分别显著上升10.85%和17.83%(P<0.05),而对MC-LR的转运系数分别显著下降17.46%和13.85%(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,1μg/L MC-LR组生菜净光合速率显著提高了9.17%(P<0.05),叶片中果糖含量及根系中葡萄糖含量和淀粉酶(AMS)活性分别显著增加了52.71%,19.13%和37.01%(P<0.05);5,10和30μg/L MC-LR组生菜净光合速率提高,但差异不显著(P>0.05),叶片和根系中葡萄糖、果糖和蔗糖含量均显著增加(P<0.05),叶片中性转化酶(NI)活性分别显著降低了27.10%,38.01%和37.29%(P<0.05),淀粉合成酶活性分别显著增加20.92%,24.57%和30.28%(P<0.05),根系蔗糖合成酶、蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)和AMS活性均显著增加(P<0.05)。【结论】1μg/L MC-LR水溶液灌溉对生菜叶片和根系中非结构性碳水化合物的分布和代谢影响较弱;而5~30μg/L MC-LR水溶液灌溉通过促进生菜根系淀粉分解和蔗糖代谢活性,维持体内较高浓度的可溶性糖,从而提高生菜的抗逆性。

A Farmer’s Approach to Detecting Photoperiod Sensitivity in Rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) Landraces

Most indigenous rice landraces are sensitive to photoperiod during short day seasons,and this sensitivity is more pronounced in indica than in japonica landraces.Attempts to identify photoperiod sensitive(PPS)cultivars based on the life history stages of the rice plant,and several models and indices based on phenology and day length have not been precise,and in some cases yield counterfactual inferences.Following the empirical method of traditional Asian rice farmers,the author has developed a robust index,based on the sowing and flowering dates of a large number of landraces grown in different seasons from 2020 to 2023,to contradistinguish PPS from photoperiod insensitive cultivars.Unlike other indices and models of photoperiod sensitivity,the index does not require the presumed duration of different life history stages of the rice plant but relies only on the flowering dates and the number of days till flowering of a rice cultivar sown on different dates to consistently identify photoperiod sensitive cultivars.