Challenge and Opportunity in Improving Fertilizer-nitrogen Use Efficiency of Irrigated Rice in China

Today, about 30% of world nitrogen (N) fertilizer is consumed by China. Rice crops in China consume about 37% of the total N fertilizer used for rice production in the world. Average rate of N application for rice production in China is high and fertilizer-N use efficiency is low compared with other major rice growing countries. Research progresses have been made internationally and domestically on the application method, fertilizer-N sources, computer-based decision support systems, and real-time N management in order

Effect of irrigation regime on grain yield,water productivity,and methane emissions in dry direct-seeded rice grown in raised beds with wheat straw incorporation

Dry direct-seeded rice grown in raised beds is becoming an important practice in the wheat–rice rotation system in China.However,little information has been available on the effect of various irrigation regimes on grain yield,water productivity(WP),nitrogen use efficiency(NUE),and greenhouse gas emission in this practice.This study investigated the question using two rice cultivars in 2015 and 2016 grown in soil with wheat straw incorporated into it.Rice seeds were directly seeded into raised beds,which were maintained under aerobic conditions during the early seedling period.Three irrigation regimes:continuous flooding(CF),alternate wetting and drying(AWD),and furrow irrigation(FI),were applied from 4.5-leaf-stage to maturity.Compared with CF,both AWD and FI significantly increased grain yield,WP,and internal NUE,with greater increases under the FI regime.The two cultivars showed the same tendency in both years.Both AWD and FI markedly increased soil redox potential,root and shoot biomass,root oxidation activity,leaf photosynthetic NUE,and harvest index and markedly decreased global warming potential,owing to substantial reduction in seasonalThe results demonstrate that adoption of either AWD or FI could increase grain yield and resource-use efficiency and reduce environmental risks in dry direct-seeded rice grown on raised beds with wheat straw incorporation in the wheat–rice rotation system.

Assessment of the Recent Hydromorphological Features of Nokoue Lake and Its Channels (South-East Benin)

Based on 2022 and 2023 hydrometric data and satellite images (Sentinel 2022, SPOT 2010), this study aims to present the Nokoué Lake and its channels’ re-cent hydromorphological characteristics. Integrating flow, tributary morphology, and topography data determined specific power values along the axes studied. The values obtained range from 2.69 to 12.92 W/m2 for Ouémé River and 2.46 to 10.99 W/m2 for Sô River. The resulting water erosion on banks and bottoms is of linear, areolar, or gully and claw types. Lake bathymetry varies from -0.5 to -2.6 m (low flow period) and -1 to -4 m;in the Ouémé, Sô, and Totchè rivers, it varies from -5 m to -7 m, reaching -10 m at the Cotonou channel entrance (flood period). Bathymetric profiles reveal varied “U”, “V” and “Intermediate” bottom morphologies, influenced by erosion/sedimentation processes and human activities. The flow facies identified are lentic in the northern tributaries and lotic in the Cotonou and Totchè canals. Spatial analysis identified nine (09) thematic classes. In 2022, the surface area of the water body has increased from 274 km2 at low water to 280 km2 at high water, whereas in 2010 (a recent year of exceptional flooding), the surface area was 270 km2 at low water and 277 km2 at high water. Significant changes in land use are observed between 2010 and 2022. The floodplain area decreased slightly, from 421 km2 in 2010 (year of exceptional flooding) to 419 km2 in 2022. The evolution of land use shows a progressive expansion of the urban environment to the detriment of the natural environment. In the medium to long term, this trend could threaten the hydromorphological balance and even the existence of this important lagoon ecosystem.

水稻锌稳态调控基因和分子机制的研究进展

锌(Zn)是动物植物所必需的微量营养素,缺锌或锌过量会严重影响水稻的生长发育。水稻锌含量维持在一定范围有助于提高其产量和品质,并且可以提高籽粒的锌含量,一定程度上可以解决目前人体缺锌的问题。因此研究水稻锌的吸收、转运和分配,和其他调控锌稳态分子机制至关重要。基于近年来国内外研究报道,简要概述了锌在植物体内的重要性,重点介绍了水稻中的离子转运体和目前已经报道的分子机制。总结了这些离子转运体参与了锌从土壤的吸收,从根部向地上部的转运,以及分配到水稻各部位,还总结了一些和离子转运体相关的分子机制。以期为水稻锌稳态调控基因的挖掘、分子机制的研究和富锌水稻种质的创制提供参考。

不同水稻材料籽粒灌浆特性的分析

新株型等８个不同水稻材料的籽粒灌浆过程以Ｒｉｃｈａｒｄｓ方程进行了拟合。对各材料的灌浆特 征参数及速率曲线的分析表明，新株型材料和ＩＲ７２是典型的强、弱势粒同步灌浆型，一些籼稻和籼杂 材料为典型的异步灌浆型，另有一些材料为中间型。灌浆过程的早、中、晚三期对总灌浆物质的贡献 分别约占１３％、６０％、２７％，但所需的时间在强、弱势粒和材料间有较大差异。

水稻抽穗期叶色诊断指标与叶面积指数及结实期光强的关系

叶色是氮素营养诊断最常用的指标,获得准确的叶色诊断指标是水稻精确定量施氮的基础。叶色诊断指标实际上就是稻谷产量最高时的最适叶色。已有报告指出,叶色诊断指标受到群体大小和结实期光照条件的影响。研究的目的是,找出叶色诊断指标随群体大小和光照条件而变化的规律,为精确定量施氮提供理论和技术依据。2004—2005年早季和晚季,在广州以两系杂交稻粤杂122为试材,设置8种不同氮肥处理,进行2年4季田间试验,抽穗期测定叶色(SPAD)和叶面积指数(LAI),成熟期测产。结果表明:(1)不同季节的最适叶色存在明显差异,4季变动于39～45之间。根据产量与叶色的定量关系,可以准确、快速地确定特定条件下的叶色诊断指标。(2)稻谷产量与抽穗期群体指数(SPAD与LAI的乘积)呈开口向下的抛物线关系。抽穗期SPAD、LAI和结实期日照时数,可以解释不同年度、季节和不同氮肥处理的稻谷产量变异的86%。最适群体指数随着结实期日照时数的增加而提高。(3)最适叶色随着日照时数的增加而提高,随着LAI的增加而降低,3者之间存在显著的定量关系。应用这一关系,可根据结实期光照条件,估计出异地异季的叶色诊断指标。

不同耕作方式对杂交水稻根系特性及产量的影响

目的探明不同耕作方式下杂交水稻根系特性及增产的机制。方法在田间试验条件下,研究不同耕作方式(翻耕和免耕)对直播稻和移栽稻根系特性和产量的影响。结果无论直播或移栽,免耕稻最高分蘖期的根冠比、单蔸根干重、根系总吸收表面积和活跃吸收表面积均高于翻耕稻,其成熟期0～5cm土层的根重、根重密度和5～10cm、10～20cm土层的比根长也比翻耕稻高。在移栽条件下,免耕稻成熟期0～5cm土层的根长、根长密度和根表面积高于翻耕稻,其最高分蘖期的根系32P吸收总量和根系氧化力分别比翻耕稻平均增加40.72%、13.81%;在直播条件下,免耕稻最高分蘖期、孕穗期、齐穗期的根系32P吸收总量和根系氧化力分别比翻耕稻平均增加54.56%、19.53%、2.80%和12.59%、24.06%、74.19%,其孕穗期的地上部32P的转运率比翻耕稻平均增加13.68%,而其根系残留率比翻耕稻平均降低10.22%。无论移栽或直播,免耕稻的有效穗数比翻耕稻低,但其每穗粒数高于翻耕稻。在直播和移栽条件下,免耕稻的产量平均分别为8979.0kg·ha-1和8588.0kg·ha-1,比翻耕稻分别增产2.30%和1.19%,但未达到5%的显著水平。结论免耕稻相对于翻耕稻有明显的增产优势,是其根系特性的一种响应。

灌溉水稻生长发育和潜力产量的模拟模型

本文提出的HDRICE模型是灌溉水稻生长的生理生态模型，它由相互衍接的水稻形态发育、干物质积累和叶面积发育三模块组成。形态发育模块用以模拟逐日温度和日长对水稻发育的影响，其参数可反映水稻品种的基本营养性、感温性和感光性；干物质积累模块用以模拟冠层CO_2同化、作物的维持呼吸和生长呼吸及干物质分配等过程；叶面积发育模块用以模拟叶面积指数的动态。本文还讨论了模型的输入参数和模型检验。模型可应用于模拟水稻的生长发育，预测水稻品种潜在产量及为取得潜在产量所必需的群体数量指标。

水稻APC/C辅激活子CDH1同源基因OsCCS52B的表达研究(英文)

利用同源克隆的方法得到水稻的泛素连接酶APC/C辅助激活子CDH1的同源基因OsCCS52B.通过蛋白质序列分析发现OsCCS52B和苜蓿及拟南芥中的AtCCS52B(细胞周期转换开关基因)基因同源性最高;RNA原位杂交实验研究发现,OsCCS52B基因在减数分裂期间的表达存在一个高-低-高的波动变化.由于OsCCS52B表达变动的这个模式和减数分裂M-M(细胞分裂-细胞分裂)的转化过程中对受CDH1调控的细胞周期激酶CDKA活性的要求相一致,所以推测水稻的OsCCS52B基因参与了水稻减数分裂M-M转换期间对染色体复制的调控.同时,RNA原位杂交实验显示,OsCCS52B在核内复制旺盛的组织如根尖分生组织和穗下节的分生区和伸长区表达强烈,证明OsCCS52B可能参与了水稻的核内复制.

野生型和Msp1突变体水稻减数分裂期转录水平上的基因表达分析(英文)

【目的】深入探索水稻减数分裂期间配子体发育的分子机理,大规模发掘与水稻配子体发育相关的基因,以便更有把握地利用基因工程手段改造水稻配子体发育的进程。【方法】利用22KAilentcDNA芯片,在全基因组水平上对野生型水稻和Msp1突变体在减数分裂期间表达基因的表达情况进行研究和分析。【结果】有208个基因在野生型和Msp1突变体中的表达差异极显著(P≤0.01,lgRatio≥0.2);对这些基因的核酸序列进行分析、GO(GeneOntology)注释以及功能预测后,将其划归为18个大类,分别涉及到GTP、DNABinding、细胞壁、激酶活性、叶绿体、减数分裂、胚珠、染色体、花粉囊、内膜、细胞分裂、泛素、转运、代谢、蛋白解、Ca2+结合、RNA结合、以及未知功能等;统计分析表明,有99个基因与染色体有关,占总数的47.60%;39个基因与内膜系统有关,占总数的18.75%;有1个基因与减数分裂紧密相关,3个基因与Ca2+结合过程有关;另外有3个基因在Msp1突变体中的表达极显著高于野生型,表明这3个基因很可能参与了绒粘层的发育调控。基因芯片和RT-PCR检测结果表明,水稻基因AK070642特异于绒粘层,说明其参与了绒粘层的发育调控。【结论】研究通过基因芯片技术,将野生型水稻与其Msp1突变体在减数分裂期间表达基因的表达情况进行大规模对比后发现,有208个基因分别从细胞代谢、绒毡层的发育、离子转运、核酸代谢、激酶活性等方面调控水稻的减数分裂过程,为深入理解水稻减数分裂和配子体发育的分子机理提供了实验支撑。

提高中国稻田氮肥利用率的研究策略

介绍了中国水稻生产氮肥使用及利用率概况。中国氮肥消费量占世界氮肥总量的 30 %,水稻生产所消耗的氮肥占世界水稻氮肥总消耗量的 37%。与主要产稻国相比 ,中国水稻生产氮肥施用量较高而利用率较低 ;介绍了国际上公认的氮肥利用率的概念和相应的定量方法 ;总结了国内外水稻氮肥的施用方法 ,肥料种类 ,计算机推荐施肥以及实时施氮管理模式等对降低氮素损失 ,提高氮肥利用率的研究概况和研究进展 ;从水稻品种耐肥性、土壤供肥能力、施肥技术及水分管理等多方面分析了中国水稻氮肥利用率低的可能原因 ;提出了通过改善水稻品种对氮肥的敏感反应 ,以作物氮素状况为指导适时和适量施用氮肥 ,以及合理调节土壤背景氮来降低氮素损失 ,提高水稻的氮肥利用率的研究策略。

Molecular Improvement of Grain Weight and Yield in Rice by Using GW6 Gene

Molecular design breeding is one of straightforward approaches to break yield barriers in rice. In this study, GW6 gene for grain length and width from Baodali was transferred into an indica recurrent parent 9311 and a japonica variety Zhonghua 11 （ZH11） using marker-assisted backcross （MAB）. One and three introgression lines were selected for phenotypic analysis from 9311 and ZH11 genetic backgrounds, respectively. SSL-1, an improved 9311 near isogenic line with GW6 performed 11%, 19% and 6.7%higher of grain length, 1000-grain weight and single plant yield, respectively, as compared with 9311. All the three improved ZH11-GW6 lines, R1, R2 and R3, had more than 30% increase in grain weight and about 7%higher in grain yield. Seed plumpness of R1, R2 and R3 was improved synchronously because the three ZH11-GW6 lines contained GIF1 （Grain Incomplete Filling 1）, a dominant grain filling gene. Thus, GW6 has high potential in increasing the yield of inbred lines through MAB, making it an important genetic resource in super hybrid rice breeding. This study provides insights in the utilization of GW6 for large grain and high yield rice breeding via molecular design breeding.

Genetic mapping of QTL for agronomic traits and grain mineral elements in rice

Malnutrition is one of the prevailing health problems worldwide, affecting a large proportion of the populations in rice-consuming countries. Breeding rice varieties with increased concentrations of elements in the grain is considered the most cost-effective approach to alleviate malnutrition. Development of molecular markers for high grain concentrations of essential elements, particularly Zn, for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS) can hasten breeding efforts to develop rice varieties with nutrient-dense grain. We performed QTL mapping for four agronomic traits: days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of tillers, grain yield, and 13 grain elements: As, B, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, and Zn, in two doubled-haploid populations derived from the crosses IR64 × IR69428 and BR29 × IR75862. These populations were phenotyped during 2015DS and 2015WS at IRRI, Los Ba os, The Philippines, and genotyped them with a 6 K SNP chip. Inclusive composite interval mapping revealed 15 QTL for agronomic traits and 50 QTL for grain element concentration. Of these, eight QTL showed phenotypic variance of >25% and 11 QTL were consistent across seasons. There were seven QTL co-localization regions containing QTL for more than two traits. Twenty five epistatic interactions were detected for two agronomic traits and seven mineral elements. Several DH lines with high Fe and Zn in polished rice were identified. These lines can be used as donors for breeding high-Zn rice varieties. Some of the major QTL can be further validated and used in MAS to improve the concentrations of nutritive elements in rice grain.

ALM1, encoding a Fe-superoxide dismutase, is critical for rice chloroplast biogenesis and drought stress response

Chloroplasts are the center of plant life activities including photosynthesis,growth and development,and abiotic stress response.Chloroplast development and biogenesis in rice have been studied in detail,but how does abiotic stress affect chloroplasts is less studied.We obtained an albino mutant,alm1,whose chlorophyll content was greatly decreased.Transmission electron microscopy showed that chloroplast development in alm1 was blocked,especially in thylakoid-like structures,which could not form normally.The ALM1 gene encodes a chloroplast-localized superoxide dismutase.Full-length ALM1 successfully restored the non-albino phenotype,and in knockout lines,the albino phenotype reappeared.The ALM1gene is expressed mainly in young leaves.alm1 plants died as a consequence of excessive reactive oxygen accumulation after the third-leaf stage.A series of biochemical assays verified that ALM1 interacted with the OsTrxz protein,which is one of the components of plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) complexes.A western blot experiment indicated that ALM1 played an important role in stabilizing OsTrxz in rice.An overexpression test of ALM1 revealed that ALM1 can increase drought resistance by removing excess reactive oxygen in rice seedlings.This study suggests that ALM1 not only participates in rice chloroplast biogenesis,but also increases rice stress resistance by scavenging excess reactive oxygen.

The Rice Processing Industry in Nepal: Constraints and Opportunities

A rice mill survey covering diverse rice processing companies in terms of their milling output, type of technology and year of establishment was conducted to understand the current situation of the rice milling industry and to identify enablers and barriers to its growth in Nepal. Coarse rice varieties dominate Nepal’s rice processing industry, with a 42% share by total weight, followed by medium rice (34%) and fine varieties (less than 7%). Polished white rice (Arwa) was the dominant rice type in Nepal in the survey, followed by parboiled and steamed rice. The price and profit margins increased from coarse to fine rice varieties and from Arwa to parboiled and steamed rice. The cost of milling also followed a similar trend. The rice milling industry in Nepal largely influences the adoption or non-adoption of any specific type of rice variety by dictating specific brands in the market and this has important implications for rice research and development. The rice processing industry of Nepal was unable to compete with the Indian rice milling industry because of: 1) low profit margins due to the high cost of rice production and procurement, 2) a lack of economies of scale, 3) a lack of milling technologies for long and extra-long and steamed rice in the country and a lack of investment to modernize rice milling technology, and 4) unavailability of paddy throughout the year locally. Millers were willing to upgrade their rice milling technology to include high throughput parboiling, steamed rice as well as long and extra-long grain rice. This will be a strategic decision in counteracting the ever-increasing rice imports in Nepal. We believe that the findings of the study will be vital for formulating an appropriate rice research, development and rice processing strategy for Nepal to achieve food and nutritional security and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Breeding by selective introgression: Theory, practices, and lessons learned from rice

Future demands for increased productivity and resilience to abiotic/biotic stresses of major crops require new technologies of breeding by design(BBD)built on massive information from functional and population genomics research.A novel strategy of breeding by selective introgression(BBSI)has been proposed and practiced for simultaneous improvement,genetic dissection and allele mining of complex traits to realize BBD.BBSI has three phases:a)developing large numbers of trait-specific introgression lines(ILs)using backcross breeding in elite genetic backgrounds as the material platform of BBD;b)efficiently identifying genes or quantitative trait loci(QTL)and mining desirable alleles affecting different target traits from diverse donors as the information platform of BBD;and c)developing superior cultivars by BBD using designed QTL pyramiding or marker-assisted recurrent selection.Phase(a)has been implemented massively in rice by many Chinese research institutions and IRRI,resulting in the development of many new green super rice cultivars plus large numbers of ILs in 30+elite genetic backgrounds.Phase(b)has been demonstrated in a series of proof-of-concept studies of high-efficiency genetic dissection of rice yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses using ILs and DNA markers.Phase(c)has also been implemented by designed QTL pyramiding,resulting in a prototype of BBD in several successful cases.The BBSI strategy can be easily extended for simultaneous trait improvement,efficient gene and QTL discovery and allele mining of complex traits using advanced breeding lines from crosses between a common"backbone"parent and a set of elite parents in conventional pedigree breeding programs.BBSI can be relatively easily adopted by breeding programs with small budgets,but the BBSI-based BBD strategy can be fully and more efficiently implemented by large seed companies with sufficient capacity.

Developing green super rice varieties with high nutrient use efficiency by phenotypic selection under varied nutrient conditions

The development of green super rice varieties with improved nutrient use efficiency(NuUE)is a vital target area to increase yield and make it more stable under rainfed conditions.In the present study, we followed an early backcross(BC) breeding approach by using a highyielding and widely adapted Xian variety, Weed Tolerant Rice 1(WTR-1), as a recipient and a Geng variety, Hao-An-Nong(HAN), as a donor.Starting from the BC1F2 generation, the BC population went through one generation of selection under irrigated, low-input, and rainfed conditions, followed by four consecutive generations of screening and selection for high grain yield(GY) under six different nutrient conditions(NPK, 75 N,-N,-P,-NP, and-NPK), leading to the development of 230 BC1F6 introgression lines(ILs).These 230 ILs were evaluated under the same six nutrient conditions for 13 agro-morphological and grain yield component traits in comparison to four checks and parents.Significant trait variations were observed between the treatments and ILs.Positive correlations were identified for GY with biomass, panicle length, flag-leaf area, flag-leaf width, filled grain number per panicle,1000-grain weight, and tiller number under-N,-P,-NP, and-NPK conditions.Out of 230 ILs,12 were identified as promising under two or more nutrient deficiency conditions.The results demonstrated an efficient inter-subspecific BC breeding procedure with a first round of selection under rainfed-drought conditions, followed by four generations of progeny testing for yield performance under six nutrient conditions.The promising ILs can be useful resources for molecular genetic dissection and understanding the physiological mechanisms of NuUE.

Intellectual Property Rights and the Development of Transgenic Products:Practical Experience

As has happened in the history of many technological advances that have led to important products, many of the initial advances in what we now know as agricultural biotechnology were made in academic research labs.

Weedy Rice(Oryza sativa L.)Problem in Rice(Oryza sativa L.)Based Cropping Systems in the Philippines

A study was undertaken in February 2012 to understand the knowledge and practices of rice farmers about weedy rice in two municipalities of Iloilo, Philippines. The specific objectives of the study were to establish what rice farmers know about weedy rice, examine rice farmers’ practices in managing weedy rice, and recommend policies on weedy rice management based on the results of the study. Farmers’ knowledge of weedy rice did not differ much between two villages. Results showed that 41% from the second most affected village and 33% from the most affected village thought that weedy rice cannot reduce the market value of the harvested rice. Majority of the farmers (68%) responded that awns can be absent in some weedy rice and about 40% of the farmers did not know that seeds of weedy rice have dormancy. Cutting the weedy rice panicles at harvest, as the best way of reducing weedy rice, was practiced by majority of the respondents (82%) from the most affected village. Our study suggests that there is a need to increase awareness about weedy rice among Asian farmers.

Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis

Zinc(Zn)malnutrition is a major public health issue.Genetic biofortification of Zn in rice grain can alleviate global Zn malnutrition.Therefore,elucidating the genetic mechanisms regulating Zn deprivation response in rice is essential to identify elite genes useful for breeding high grain Zn rice varieties.Here,a meta-analysis of previous RNA-Seq studies involving Zn deficient conditions was conducted using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)and other in silico prediction tools to identify modules(denoting cluster of genes with related expression pattern)of co-expressed genes,modular genes which are conserved differentially expressed genes(DEGs)across independent RNA-Seq studies,and the molecular pathways of the conserved modular DEGs.WGCNA identified 16 modules of co-expressed genes.Twenty-eight and five modular DEGs were conserved in leaf and crown,and root tissues across two independent RNA-Seq studies.Functional enrichment analysis showed that 24 of the 28 conserved modular DEGs from leaf and crown tissues significantly up-regulated 2 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathways and 15 Gene Ontology(GO)terms,including the substrate-specific transmembrane transporter and the small molecule metabolic process.Further,the well-studied transcription factors(OsWOX11 and OsbHLH120),protein kinase(OsCDPK20 and OsMPK17),and miRNAs(OSA-MIR397A and OSA-MIR397B)were predicted to target some of the identified conserved modular DEGs.Out of the 24 conserved and up-regulated modular DEGs,19 were yet to be experimentally validated as Zn deficiency responsive genes.Findings from this study provide a comprehensive insight on the molecular mechanisms of Zn deficiency response and may facilitate gene and pathway prioritization for improving Zn use efficiency and Zn biofortification in rice.