Fei Deng

Effects of Shading on Starch Pasting Characteristics of Indica Hybrid Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is an important staple crop throughout the world, but environmental stress like low-light conditions can negatively impact crop yield and quality. Using pot experiments and field experiments, we studied the effects of shading on starch pasting viscosity and starch content with six rice varieties for three years, using the Rapid Visco Analyser to measure starch pasting viscosity. Shading at different growth stages and in different rice varieties all affected the starch pasting characteristics of rice. The effects of shading on starch pasting viscosity at middle and later growth stages were greater than those at earlier stages. Shading enhanced breakdown but reduced hold viscosity and setback at tillering-elongation stage. Most pasting parameters changed significantly with shading after elongation stage. Furthermore, the responses of different varieties to shading differed markedly. The change scope of starch pasting viscosity in Dexiang 4103 was rather small after heading, while that in IIyou 498 and Gangyou 906 was small before heading. We observed clear tendencies in peak viscosity, breakdown, and pasting temperature of the five rice varieties with shading in 2010 and 2011. Correlation analysis indicated that the rice amylose content was negatively correlated with breakdown, but was positively correlated with setback. Based on our results, IIyou 498, Gangyou 906, and Dexiang 4103 had higher shade endurance, making these varieties most suitable for high-quality rice cultivation in low-light regions.

Response of Osmotic Regulation Substance Content and Protective Enzyme Activities to Shading in Leaves of Different Rice Genotypes

Effects of shading at the flowering and grain filling stages on osmotic regulation substance content and protective enzyme activities in the leaves of different rice genotypes (e.g., IIyou 498, Gangyou 188, Dexiang 4103, Gangyou 527 and Chuanxiang 9838) were investigated. The results showed that the malondialdehyde content of Gangyou 188 significantly increased under shading, whereas those of IIyou 498, Dexiang 4103, Gangyou 527 and Chuanxiang 9838 showed no significant differences compared to the control. The soluble sugar content significantly decreased in IIyou 498, Gangyou 188, Dexiang 4103 and Chuanxiang 9838, whereas it did not significantly increase in Gangyou 527 under the weak light conditions (shading). Moreover, the soluble protein content in the leaves of different genotypes tended to decrease under shading. Further, the protective enzyme activities in the leaves varied in different rice genotypes under the shading treatment. Based on the osmotic regulation substance content and the protective enzyme activities in the leaves of different rice genotypes, it was concluded that Gangyou 188 and Gangyou 527 had strong abilities to adapt to the low light conditions. In addition, the mechanism of damage to rice leaves in different genotypes under shading was discussed.

Morphological and physiological characteristics of rice leaves in response to PASP-urea and optimized nitrogen management

ABSTRACT Polyaspartic acid (PASP)-urea is known to increase crop yield. Field experiments were conducted to compare the morphological and physiological characteristics of the leaves between plots treated with urea (conventional urea or PASP-urea) and subject to different nitrogen (N) management methods [farmers’ standard fertilization practice (FFP, two splits) or optimized N management (ONM, four splits)] in Sichuan, China, in 2014 and 2015. A no-added-N plot served as the control. Grain yield was significantly associated with increased number of green leaves, total leaf area, chlorophyll concentration of rice leaves after the heading stage, photosynthetic rate per leaf lamina and accumulated temperature of senescence rate acceleration and deceleration. PASP-urea significantly enhanced the photosynthetic capacity of leaves to improve dry matter accumulation rate of the panicle after the heading stage over conventional urea, mainly by increasing the number of green lamina, leaf lamina area, chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate per leaf lamina, as well as delaying senescence of the flag leaf. Compared with FFP, the ONM substantially improved the photosynthetic capacity of leaves to enhance dry matter accumulation rate of the panicle. Therefore, the ONM is a rational approach to applying PASP-urea that can improve grain yield by improving photosynthetic capacity.

Relationship between nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen use efficiency of rice under different urea types and management methods

ABSTRACT We aimed to clarify the effectiveness of polyaspartic acid (PASP)-urea on nitrogen (N) accumulation and N use efficiency in rice. We compared PASP-urea with conventional urea with two N management methods (farmer’s fertilizer practice and optimized N management) in Wenjiang, Sichuan Province, China, in 2014 and 2015. N recovery efficiency (NRE), N agronomic efficiency (NAE), and N partial factor productivity (PFP) decreased with increasing N uptake by the shoot and the stem plus sheath at 14 days after transplanting (DAT), while they were positively related to N uptake of the shoot, leaf lamina, and stem plus sheath at the middle and later stages. N use efficiency and N uptake differed according to urea type and N management. PASP-urea increased N accumulation of the shoot by improving N uptake of the leaf lamina and stem plus sheath from DAT 27, contributing to the significant improvement in NRE, NAE, and PFP. PASP-urea with optimized N management markedly improved the N uptake of each organ at the middle and latter stages, leading to increased final N uptake of the shoot, NRE, NAE, and PFP. Using PASP-urea with ONM method is a suitable way for improving both N accumulation and N use efficiency.