Decreased panicle N application alleviates the negative effects of shading on rice grain yield and grain quality

Light deficiency is a growing abiotic stress in rice production.However,few studies focus on shading effects on grain yield and quality of rice in East China.It is also essential to investigate proper nitrogen(N)application strategies that can effectively alleviate the negative impacts of light deficiency on grain yield and quality in rice.A two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of shading(non-shading and shading from heading to maturity)and panicle N application(NDP,decreased panicle N rate;NMP,medium panicle N rate;NIP,increased panicle N rate)treatments on rice yield-and quality-related characteristics.Compared with non-shading,shading resulted in a 9.5-14.8%yield loss(P<0.05),mainly due to lower filled-grain percentage and grain weight.NMP and NIP had higher(P<0.05)grain yield than NDP under non-shading,and no significant difference was observed in rice grain yield among NDP,NMP,and NIP under shading.Compared with NMP and NIP,NDP achieved less yield loss under shading because of the increased filled-grain percentage and grain weight.Shading reduced leaf photosynthetic rate after heading,as well as shoot biomass weight at maturity,shoot biomass accumulation from heading to maturity,and nonstructural carbohydrate(NSC)content in the stem at maturity(P<0.05).The harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve of NDP were increased under shading.Shading decreased(P<0.05)percentages of brown rice,milled rice,head rice,and amylose content while increasing(P<0.05)chalky rice percentage,chalky area,chalky degree,and grain protein.NMP demonstrated a better milling quality under non-shading,while NDP demonstrated under shading.NDP exhibited both lower chalky rice percentage,chalky area,and chalky degree under non-shading and shading,compared with NMP and NIP.NDP under shading decreased amylose content and breakdown but increased grain protein content and setback,contributing to similar overall palatability to non-shading.Our results suggested severe grain yield and quality penalty of rice when subjected to shading after heading.NDP improved NSC remobilization,harvest index,and sink-filling efficiency and alleviated yield loss under shading.Besides,NDP would maintain rice’s milling,appearance,and cooking and eating qualities under shading.Proper N management with a decreased panicle N rate could be adopted to mitigate the negative effects of shading on rice grain yield and quality.

Optimized tillage methods increase mechanically transplanted rice yield and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions

Biaxia lrotary tillage in dryland(DBRT)can complete biaxial rotary tillage with straw incorporation,secondary suppression,and ditching,and it has been previously studied in direct-seeded rice and wheat.However,the effects of DBRT on the mechanically transplanted rice yield and greenhouse gas emissions remain unclear.To evaluate the effects of DBRT on improving the food security of mechanically transplanted rice and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions,we conducted an experiment for two years with wheat straw incorporation.Three tillage methods were set up:DBRT,uniaxial rotary tillage in dryland and paddy(DPURT),and uniaxial rotary tillage in paddy(PURT).The results showed that compared with DPURT and PURT,DBRT increased the yield of machine-transplanted rice by 7.5-11.0%and 13.3-26.7%,respectively,while the seasonal cumulative CH_(4) emissions were reduced by 13.9-21.2%and 30.2-37.0%,respectively,and the seasonal cumulative N_(2)O emissions were increased by 13.5-28.6%and 50.0-73.1%,respectively.Consequently,DBRT reduced the global warming potential by 10.7-15.5%and 23.7-28.6%,respectively,andtheyield-scaledglobalwarmingpotentialby18.2-21.8%and36.4-39.3%,respectively,compared to DPURT and PURT.These results were mainly related to the fact that DBRT significantly reduced soil bulk density and increased soil redox potential(Eh).Therefore,implementing DBRT in machine-transplanted rice fields is feasible,which cannot only increase the rice yield,but also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.

Reduced nitrogen application rate with dense planting improves rice grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency: A case study in east China

Dense planting could be a feasible method for reducing nitrogen(N) application rates without compromising rice grain yield in northeast and central China. It is still unclear whether reduced N application with dense planting(RNDP) can achieve higher rice yield and N use efficiency(NUE) in Jiangsu, east China. Three japonica inbred rice(JI) and three indica hybrid rice(IH) cultivars were grown in a field experiment. Their grain yield, NUE, and related traits were compared under two cultivation treatments:conventional high-yielding practice(CHYP) and RNDP. JI showed similar yields under the two treatments,while IH showed lower yield under RNDP than under CHYP, and the partial factor productivity of N and N use efficiency for grain yield increased(P < 0.05) in both JI and IH under RNDP. Compared with CHYP,RNDP reduced spikelets per panicle but increased panicles per m2 and filled-kernel percentage of JI and IH, and JI's kernel weight was increased(P < 0.05) under RNDP. Shoot biomass weight and nonstructural carbohydrate(NSC) content in the stem at heading and maturity of JI and IH were reduced under RNDP, while harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve were increased(P < 0.05) under RNDP, especially for JI. Our results suggest that RNDP could achieve a higher rice grain yield and NUE, particularly for JI, a dominant rice cultivar type in Jiangsu. For JI, the increased panicles per m2, sink-filling efficiency, harvest index, and NSC remobilization after heading under RNDP contributed to a grain yield similar to that under CHYP.

Determination and Quantification of Susceptibility of Heritance Resistance to Root Rot of Eight Commercial Genotypes of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize is susceptible to a number of diseases that can infect all plant organs and serve as a constraint on cereal production. The reduction in cereal production caused by disease is estimated at an average of 9.4%. Corn root rot contributes greatly to the reduction in grain production and quality. The main objective of this work was to review the research on root rot in maize to determine the susceptibility of genotypes to root rot and to quantify the inheritance of resistance to root rot in maize. The methodology used was a complete 8 × 8 diallel design planted during the year 1999/2000. Root discoloration, plant length, root volume, effective volume and yield were the evaluated parameters. To analyze the data and determine the combinatorial abilities, genetic correlations, heritability and correlated response, diallel analysis was used. Eight parental lines;P28, I137TN, MP706, E739, MO17, B37, B73, and B14 were planted. The lines were crossed into each other, all combinations according to the complete diallel model (Model 1). The F1 was harvested after maturation. For statistical analysis, the version of the Agrobase program (2016) was used. Results show that F1 hybrids showed significant differences in root rot discoloration, plant height, root volume, effective root volume and yield. The P28 line and the B73XE739 cross had, respectively, the highest general and specific combinations. Root discoloration had the highest genetic correlation (rA = 0.47) with plant length. Broad and narrow heritability for root rot discoloration were, respectively, h2 = 0.81 and h2 = 0.51. Root rot discoloration showed the highest correlated response (CR = 0.14) on plant length.

Salt Stress Affects the Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Altering the Antioxidant Machinery and Expression of Hormones and Stress- Specific Genes

Understanding physiological responses in saline agriculture may facilitate wheat breeding programs.Based on a screening test,the Ningmai-14(NM-14)and Yangmai-23(YM-23)wheat cultivars were selected for further experiments to understand the underlying salinity tolerance mechanism.This study investigated the effects of five salinity levels such as Control(CK)=0(without NaCl stress),S1=0.20%,S2=0.25%,S3=0.30%and S4=0.35%of NaCl concentrations of soil on wheat plants.The results showed that increased salinity concentration reduced the growth and yield of wheat cultivars(NM-14 and YM-23).However,YM-23(12.7%)yielded more than NM-14 at maximum salinity stress.The higher salinity(S4)increased the concentration of Na^(+)(4.3 to 5.8-fold)and P contents(2.5 to 2.2-fold),while reducing the average concentrations of K^(+),Cu,and K^(+)/Na^(+)ratio.The higher salinity(S4)reduced the spikelet length by 21.35%(followed by grain spike−1),and the starch content by 18.81%.In the YM-23 cultivar,higher salinity increased superoxide dismutase(SOD),total antioxidant capacity(TAC),and amylase.Compared to NM-14,induced expression of TaYUC2,6,and TaGA13ox,20ox genes were recorded in YM-23.Similarly,in YM-23 the stress-specific genes such as TaHSP70,90 were enhanced whereas,TaSOS1,2 were suppressed.Overall,our study revealed that salt tolerant cultivars modulate hormonal and antioxidant activities,thus maintaining high growth.

Higher leaf area through leaf width and lower leaf angle were the primary morphological traits for yield advantage of japonica/indica hybrids

The yield potential of japonica/indica hybrids(JIH)has been achieved over 13.5 t ha–1 in large-scale rice fields,and some physiological traits for yield advantage of JIH over japonica inbred rice(JI)and indica hybrid rice(IH)were also identified.To date,little attention has been paid to morphological traits for yield advantage of JIH over JI and IH.For this reason,three JIH,three JI,and three IH were field-grown at East China(Ningbo,Zhejiang Province)in 2015 and 2016.Compared with JI and IH,JIH had 14.3 and 20.8%higher grain yield,respectively,attributed to its more spikelets per panicle and relatively high percentage of filled grains.The advantage in spikelets per panicle of JIH over JI and IH was shown in number of grains on the upper,middle,and lower branches.Compared with JI and IH,JIH had higher leaf area through leaf width and lower leaf angle of upper three leaves,higher leaf area index and leaf area per tiller at heading and maturity stages,higher stem weight per tiller and K and Si concentrations of stem at maturity,higher dry matter weight in leaf,stem,and panicle at heading and maturity stages,and higher biomass accumulation after heading and lower biomass translocation from stem during ripening.Leaf width of upper three leaves were correlated positively,while leaf angle of upper three leaves were correlated negatively with biomass accumulation after heading,stem weight per tiller,and per unit length.Our results indicated that the grain yield advantage of JIH was ascribed mainly to the more spikelets per panicle and relatively high percentage of filled grains.Higher leaf area through leaf width and more erect leaves were associated with improved biomass accumulation and stem weighing during ripening,and were the primary morphological traits underlying higher grain yield of JIH.

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.