Progress of Genetic Research on Grain Shape in Rice

Grain character is an important factor in yield components of rice. Progress of genetic research on grain length, grain width, lengthwidth ratio, grain thickness and grain weight were reviewed. It＇s considered that the genetic research on grain shape in rice has achieved considerable progress by exploration on genetic research for many years, but there are still some aspects waiting to be strengthened such as the grain shape, the genetic mechanism of grain shape and the genetic and potential value of grain shape in characteristic germplasm resources, etc.

Research Progress on Mechanized Mixed Sowing Seed Production Technology of Hybrid Rice

Hybrid rice planting has been widely popularized and applied in the world. However, the high cost of seed production and the complicated procedures have become a bottleneck in the development of hybrid rice. The research progress on mixed sowing seed production techniques of hybrid rice was introduced from the aspects of rice resources creation, breeding, sowing seed technology research and cost benefit analysis. The production technology of the new mixed seeding combina- tion ＂Xinhunyou 6＂ was investigated, including the research and validation of benta- zon treatment period and dosage, mixing ratio of male and female parents, and the comparative test of different different sowing methods, which revealed that the mechanization technology of seed production of hybrid rice was mature and feasible and would be one of the most important development trend of technological devel- opment of hybrid rice production.

Research on System of Rice Intensification(SRI) Technology in China

[Objective] The paper was to summarize the research of system of rice intensification（SRI） technology in China.[Method] Through combination screening and factor analysis,the effect of appropriate system of rice intensification technology on yield formation of rice was studied.[Result] The technology has strong adaptability with good effort of yield increase in China,which can improve air and light in fields,reduce the incidence of sheath blight,increase photosynthetic capacity of rice plants,increase root activity,enhance nutrient transportation,increase the rate of paddy milled rice,reduce the chalky grain rate,and simultaneously save input and labor,increase revenue.[Conclusion] System of rice intensification broke the China＇s traditional practice of larger planting density,and preliminarily demonstrated a larger yield potential.

Quality Research on the Purple Leaf Mutant of Rice——PLM

[Objective] The aim was to carry out the quality research on a purple leaf mutant （PLM） of rice and provide the basis for applied research of purple rice.[Method] A newly discovered purple mutant of rice and its hybrid filial generations （F1 and F2） were employed as the experimental materials to determine its characteristic indexes,such as grain type,chalky grain rate,chalkiness,1 000-grain weight,brown rice percentage,protein content,amylose content,gelatinization temperature and consistency.[Result] The grain type and brown rice percentage of the parent （pro-Z） both reached standard of Ⅰ Grade,while chalky grain rate,chalkiness,amylose content and consistency did not meet the requirements of the standard.The F2 generation displayed some optimized properties,including larger grain,lower amylose content,reduced chalkiness,lower chalky grain rate and softened consistency.[Conclusion] The majority of the characteristic indexes of pro-Z did not meet the requirements of standard,but the qualities of F2 generation were all optimized to some extent.

Progress and Prospect of Functional Rice Researches

With the rapid development of economy and the increase of people＇s living standards, functional foods are being gradually embraced by consumers and have a great growth potential. Rice is the main staple food in China. It plays an important role in promoting people＇s health and in improving public nutrition, and therefore there is an ever-increasing consumer demand for rice for its functional quality. This study introduces the concept of functional rice and summarizes the current research progress on this topic and the application of breeding strategies including traditional breeding, induced mutagenesis, molecular marker-assisted selection and transgenic engineering in the research of a new generation of functional rice that posses health benefits, therapeutic values, bioreactor properties, and other unique functions. We then point out the prospect of functional rice from the point of view of social development, germplasm innovation, breeding of functional rice by biological technology and the test of active material related functional rice. We conclude that developing and marketing of functional rice is becoming a subject of great importance for research and is to be the focus of research in future.

The Research Progress and Prospect Analysis of Germ-Remaining Rice Whitener

In this paper, the backdrop and significance of the research of germ-remaining rice whitener firstly were expatiated. Then, the study progress in China and overseas was summarized. Lastly, the research prospect of this kind of whitener in China was analyzed. It is hoped that it can coach the design of germ-remaining rice whitener.

Advances in Researches of Functional Rice

Functional rice has functions of adjusting human physiological functions of and preventing diseases. At present,there are researches both at home and abroad about the relationship between nutritional quality and physiological active substances of rice and human physiological activities. Through conventional breeding,gene mutation technology,and molecular-assisted selection( MAS) technology,it is feasible to select and breed new rice varieties and plants with certain health care functions.

Researchers＇ Attitudes towards Varietal Development of Hybrid Rice： A Case Study in Myanmar

The purpose of this study was to identify the existing rice breeding programs in Myanmar and to determine researchers＇ attitudes on hybrid rice research mid its determinmlts. A sample consists of 56 researchers who are working in Department of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture and Yezin Agricultural University, and involving varietal development of hybrid rice. The research instruments were a questionnaire used by 4 points Likert scale of strongly agree, agree, less agree and not agree to measure on researchers＇ attitudes towards 14 determinants of varietal development of hybrid rice production. The study revealed that the average age of the researchers was 46.5 years ranged from 25 to 60 years. The majority of researchers were 51-60 years old （41.1%）. The working experience of researchers ranged from 5 to 36 years and the metal of their experience was 20 years. The educational level was Ph.D. （35.7%）, M.Agr.Sc. （26.8%）, and B.Agr.Sc. （37.5%）. Majority of researchers were female （76.8%） and 58.9% were rice breeders. Moreover, 48.2% of researchers obtained the hybrid rice technology from breeding training and the researchers who believed in their current breeding works were 51.8%. Among 33 rice breeders, 72.7% of the rice breeders applied only convention breeding method. In addition, researchers＇ opinions on farmer＇s perception of hybrid rice technology, 60.7% of the researchers agreed on inferior grain quality and 73.2% of researchers strongly agreed on not stable market. This study found out more thin1 half of the researchers strongly agreed on 10 out of 14 determinmlts such as poor infrastructure, low human resource development, parental problem, insufficient experience, limit germplasm resource, limit research facilities, no incentive for breeders, weak public-private partnership, fewer quality breeders and not enough research fund. Moreover, half of the researchers agreed on 3 determinants likely need special technical training, need international assistance and climate change challenges. Finally, development of hybrid rice research in Mymlmar, there will be needed international assistmlce, and upgraded to hybrid rice research center from currently hybrid rice research section and need integrated hybrid rice policy supported by government.

Research outline on rice genetics in China

In 1928, studies on the inheritance and evolution of wild rice conducted by Prof TING Yin and the linkage relationship between genes controlling rice wax endosperm and glume top colour by Prof ZHAO Lianfang were reported. Since then, a large number of researches on rice genetics have been carried out in China, which concerned the inheritance of morphological and physiological traits; the identification of the chromosome mutants in number and structure; the analysis of genetic models of qualitative traits; and the heritability estimates of quantitative traits as well as the gene sequence in rice bioengineering, etc. All researches have made a great contribution to rice genetics. This article introduced all these aspects based on the works by

Hybrid rice achievements, development and prospect in China

This article reviews the history and progress of hybrid rice development. Hybrid rice research was initiated back in 1964, and commercialized in 1976. Three-line and two-line system hybrid rice were developed in 1974 and 1995, respectively. Research on super hybrid rice, which was first launched by Ministry of Agriculture, China in 1996, is discussed, and the great progress of super hybrid rice had been achieved with a new yield record by 15.4 t ha^-1 in the 6.84 ha demonstration location in Xupu, Hunan Province, China in 2014. And the mechanism of heterosis, the techniques of hybrid seed production and the modern field managements in hybrid rice over the past decades are also discussed. Additionally, this article dealt with the intellectual property protection（IPR） and development of hybrid rice seed industry in China. Major factors that constrain hybrid rice development are analyzed and possible solutions to this problems are proposed. Finally, the authors present methods to further increase production yield, and propose an improvement for breeding super high-yielding hybrid rice based on these methods.

Occurrence of Rice Dry Straight Head Disease and Its Control

[Objective] Cause of disease and control measures of rice dry straight head disease in Chuzhou area was discussed. [Method] Field investigation and comprehensive analysis of the literature were conducted to study the reason of dry straight head disease in Chuzhou area, some common control measures were summarized. [Result] The characteristic of main symptoms included incidence of single plant, incidence of cluster, inclusive incidence between clusters. Sporadic normal rice grains existed in diseased spikes under the incidence of grains. The main pathogenic factors of dry straight head disease were concentration of arsenic or lack of elements, belonging to physiological disease, while the effect of other pathogenic factors could not be excluded. Heavy application of organic fertilizer and crop rotation should be conducted, white soil field should be paid more attention about the changes of disease condition with more wet and dry roasting over fields. Application time of micro fertilizer should be chosen properly, while tillering final stage and pollen formation stage must be adjusted to avoid high temperature, irrigation management should also be improved. [Conclusion] The study could provide reference for preventing rice dry straight head disease.

Effect of Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Strategies on Rice Growth and Yield

Nitrogen fertilizer is an important factor for crop production. The N application strategies named as former nitrogen moved backward( FNMB) are tested in three ecological regions to optimize the N application in rice. The dry matter accumulation and distribution,yield and quality are studied to understand the formation of yield and quality of rice under different N application strategies. The result indicates that former nitrogen moved backward( FNMB) can increase tiller number and dry matter accumulation; effective ears and yield can be increased with the increase of fertilization; rational nitrogen application can help to establish scientific group structure,harmonize yield component,and then achieve high ratio of input to output and benefit.

Mechanized Transplanting of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)in Nonpuddled and No-Till Conditions in the Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Haryana,India

The common practice of establishing rice in the rice-wheat system in India is manual transplanting of seedlings in the puddled soil. Besides being costly, cumbersome, and time consuming, puddling results in degradation of soil and the formation of a hard pan, which impedes root growth of subsequent upland crops. In addition, decreased availability and increasing cost of labor have increased the cost of rice cultivation through conventional methods. Because of these concerns, there is a need for mechanized transplanting of rice which is less labor-intensive and can ensure optimum plant population under nonpuddled and/or no-till conditions. A large number of on-farm trials were conducted at farmers’ fields in Haryana, India, from 2006 to 2010 to evaluate the performance of the mechanical transplanted rice (MTR) under nonpuddled and no-till situations as compared to conventional puddled transplant rice (CPTR). Compared with CPTR, nonpuddled MTR produced 3%-11% higher grain yield in different years. Rice cultivars, viz. HKR47, HKR127, PR113, PR114, PB1, PB1121, CSR30, and Arize6129, performed consistently better under nonpuddled MTR as compared to CPTR. Performance of different cultivars (PR113, PR114, HKR47, and Pusa 44) was also better under no-till MTR as compared to CPTR. The “basmati” cultivar CSR30 performed equally in no-till MTR and CPTR systems. The results of our study suggest that rice can be easily grown under nonpuddled and no-till conditions with yield advantages over the CPTR system. Even in the case of similar yield between CPTR and MTR systems, the MTR system will help in reducing labor requirement and ultimately, will increase overall profits to farmers.

EDITORIAL BOARD OF RICE SCIENCE

Chairman and Editor-in-Chief CHENG Shihua, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China Vice Chairmen and Vice Editor-in-Chief WAN Jianmin, Crop Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China RUAN Liuqing, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China Members of Editorial Board AHN Sang-Nag, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea BAO Jinsong, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Bui Chi BUU, Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Niranjan CHAKRABORTY, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India CHEN Jianping, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou,

Bioprocessed Black Rice Bran Potentiates the Growth Inhibitory Activity of an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor against Murine Colon Carcinoma

This study determined the effect of orally fed polysaccharide-rich bioprocessed (fermented) black rice bran produced by culturing with shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushroom mycelium on CT-26 colon cancer cells in vivo in an intracutaneously transplanted mouse tumor alone and in combination with intraperitoneally administered anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor. Analysis of the isolated tumor weights at the end of the study shows that the average tumor size in control mice is 3.78 grams, and the average tumor size in mice treated with anti-PD-1 antibody is 2.16 grams. The average tumor size in mice treated with BRB-F alone is 2.25 grams, and the average tumor size in mice treated with anti-PD-1 antibody BRB-F combination is 1.38 grams. Thus, BRB-F or anti-PD-1 antibody alone each reduce tumor size by 40.5% or 42.9%, whereas the combination of BRB-F and anti-PD-1 antibody reduces tumor size by 63.5%, with their cooperative effect being statistically significant. The observed anti-tumor effects were accompanied by a series of biomarkers associated with cancer formation and inhibition. These results indicate that the reported potentiation of cancer therapy using drug-based medical chemotherapies with added checkpoint inhibitors in human patients are mechanistically similar with the functional food evaluated in the present study. These beneficial effects in mice challenge clinicians to investigate if the black rice bran food product can also protect against human cancer.

Protection of Allergic Asthma in Mice by Black Rice Bran Bioprocessed with Shiitake Mushroom Mycelia

We evaluated the potential of orally fed new food formulations to inhibit biomarkers reported to be involved in the causes of allergic asthma in mice. Asthma, a serious non-communicable disease, affects both adults and children and can be undertreated. New functional foods could provide therapeutic approaches. Here, the anti-asthma mechanism of a new functional food and three isolated fractions produced by bioprocessing black rice bran with shiitake mushroom mycelia was evaluated in mast cells, B cells, and orally fed mice and compared with non-bioprocessed black rice bran. In vitro, the treatments inhibited RBL-2H3 cell degranulation and immunoglobulin E (IgE) production. The in vitro anti-asthma effects were confirmed in orally fed mice following asthma induction by alumina and chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA). The suppression of asthma resulted from the inhibition of inflammation- and immune-related substances, including OVA-specific IgE, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, eotaxin, leukotriene C4, prostaglandin D2, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum. The treatment also reversed the thickening of the lung airway wall. The inflammation and asthma inhibition seems to be regulated by the balance of the T-helper cells’ Th1/Th2 immune response and the inhibition of multiple biomarkers associated with the cause of asthma. Future human clinical studies with adults and children should determine the potential therapeutic value of the anti-asthma effects of the new functional foods.

Sustainabilty of Rice Processing in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Energy and environmental sustainability are important considerations for increased rice production. This study examined the energy utilization and sustainability of rice processing in sub-Saharan Africa. The community of Gadan Loko village in the song local government of Adamawa State, Nigeria was selected as the focus of study. Rice parboiling, the most energy intensive process in rice processing is carried out usually by women in small quantities of about 13.2 kg using traditional pots on tripod support stoves. The parboiled rice is sun dried on mats before it is taken to the milling stalls where it is milled using milling machines driven by single cylinder diesel engines. There were large variations in the quality of milled rice due to lack of consistency in processing parameters. Accumulation of rice husk in the community created important environmental issues. In this study, methods of improving sustainability of rice processing were investigated. The areas included： the utilization of waste heat from the diesel engines for improved drying and efficient pre-soaking; the utilization of solar energy for pre-soaking; the utilization of rice husks as alternative fuel to firewood; and the optimization and redesign of the stoves and parboiling vessels to minimize heat loss to the environment. The results showed that the utilization of rice husk as alternative fuel and the redesign of the stoves and parboiling vessels will increase the sustainability of rice processing and can be easily adopted by the community. While solar energy pre-soaking was not economical and the utilization of waste heat from the diesel engines for drying and pre-soaking would be difficult to implement at the rural scale, because most of the parboiling is done far away from the milling stalls. The study showed that research, development of appropriate technology, and education （RATE） of the rural community is an important way of increasing sustainability.

Rice industrial economy and its development strategy

On the basis of the analysis of the present situation of food grain and rice production in China, countering the beginning tendency to neglect rice production because of rice grain structural surplus and low market price after China’s agriculture entering the new development stage, this paper puts forward the concept of rice industrial economy, explains its attribute, connotation, key factors, etc., forms the basic idea of developing the rice industrial economy, and suggests some strategic measures such as regionalized layout of rice production,etc. to develop the rice industrial economy.

水稻耐淹基因的发掘及研究进展

综述了前人对水稻在芽期、苗期、分蘖期、孕穗期4个生育期耐淹抗逆的研究,探索了水稻的耐淹机理和研究进展,并对水稻不同生长时期在各种耐淹逆境中的鉴定和评价方法进行了概述,以期为发掘水稻耐淹的有利基因、培育耐淹品种提供更好的思路,奠定有利的基础。

透骨香酸汤饮料工艺优化研究

为丰富米酸汤加工原料的多样性,以透骨香为研究对象,按照酸汤饮料加工工艺流程,在单因素试验基础上利用响应面法对透骨香酸汤饮料的加工工艺进行研究与优化.结果表明:食盐添加量为0.15%、白砂糖添加量为4.00%、透骨香原液添加量为21.00%、凯里米酸汤添加量为21.00%为透骨香酸汤饮料的最佳工艺配比,感官评价分值为90.66;各因素对透骨香酸汤饮料感官评分的影响依次是B(白砂糖添加量)>D(凯里米酸汤添加量)>A(食盐添加量)>C(透骨香原液添加量).加工所得的透骨香酸汤饮料淡金黄色,澄清透明,无任何杂质,酸甜度适中,口感细腻,具有透骨香叶特有的清香茶味.本试验填补了米酸汤多元化发展的空缺,为酸汤饮料的发展与创新提供了理论依据.