Search

【Objective】 The effect of temperature on plant development is often characterized by degree days or accumulated temperature. In this paper, we investigate how planting date affects accumulated temperature and the consequence for the yield of two ratooning rice varieties. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in a rice field in Changsha, central Hunan province. It included two rice varieties: Y Liangyou 900 (YLY900), which has a long growth period, and Y Liangyou 911 (YLY911), which has a moderate growth period. The seeds of both varieties were sown on March 15 (B1), March 20 (B2), March 25 (B3), March 30 (B4), April 5 (B5), or April 10 (B6) to establish a planting date gradient. In each treatment, we measured physiological parameters including growth duration, yield component, and seed-setting rate to evaluate the physiological development of the crops. 【Result】 The average annual growth period of YLY911 was 215 days. Its first and regeneration seasons were eight and ten days shorter, respectively, than those of YLY900. Delaying the planting date shortened the vegetative growth period of the first season and reduced the total growth period of both seasons in both varieties. The variation in grain yield in the first and regeneration season, as well as annual yield of YLY911, followed a parabolic relationship, peaking in B2. Conversely, the yield of YLY900 decreased steadily as planting date was delayed. Yields in the first and regeneration season, as well as annual yield, were consistently higher in YLY911 than in YLY900. The primary factors affecting grain yields were the number of ears per unit area and the seed-setting rate. With delay in planting dates, the annual accumulated temperature for both varieties first increased and then declined, peaking in B2. The accumulated temperature in the first and annual seasons for YLY900 was significantly higher than for YLY911, while the accumulated temperature in the regeneration season was lower for YLY900 than for YLY911. Such differences in the regeneration season between the two varieties were statistically insignificant (p>0.05). 【Conclusion】 For ratooning rice in our studied area, the optimal planting date was March 15 for varieties with long growth period and March 20 varieties with moderate growth period.

【Objective】 Transplant is a cultivation commonly used in ratooning rice production in southern China and other eastern Asian countries. Its impact on rice growth and yield depends on a range of factors. This paper presents an experimental study of the effect of transplanting density on yield composition of different panicle-typed varieties. 【Method】 The field experiment compared three rice varieties: Tianyou Huazhan, Huiliangyou 898 and Yliangyou 900. The transplanting density treatments for all three varieties were the same: 1.5×104 points/hm2 (D1), 187 500 points/hm2 (D2), 225 000 points/hm2 (D3), 262 500 points/hm2 (D4), 300 000 points/hm2 (D5), and 337 500 points/hm2 (D6). In the experiment, we measured rice growth and its ultimate yield formation in each treatment. 【Result】 Transplanting density affected composition of both seasonal and annual rice yields significantly, but the effect varied with rice varieties. There was a lack of variety-planting density interaction on the yield. The variety Huiliangyou 898 had the highest seasonal and annual yields, strong coordination ability among yield factors, high seed setting rate; variety Tianyou Huazhan had strong tillering ability, high ear-setting rate and full panicle numbers per unit area. All these were significantly higher than those of the variety YLY900. The variety YLY900 had fast population growth rate and high grain numbers per panicle, but its tillering ability was poor, and ear-setting rate and low harvest index were low; it hence produced the lowest seasonal and annual yields. On average, the optimal transplanting density for the three varieties was D5, producing highest seasonal and annual yields, faster tillering rate and more tillers per unit area; it also significantly increased the panicle numbers and sink capacity, population growth rate, and dry matter accumulation. 【Conclusion】 Selecting rice varieties with panicle and grain for the initial season in ratooning rice production should consider its tillering ability to achieve high yield. For the three rice varieties we compared, the optimal transplanting density is 300 000 holes/hm2.

Mycotoxins often contaminate rice, which are the secondary metabolites of fungi. Ustiloxins, a type of mycotoxin that has often been overlooked, pose a significant risk to human health. Therefore, identifying and controlling the pollution of ustiloxins in rice is required. In this study, we examined the natural contamination of rice with ustiloxins and their link to climate conditions. A total of 300 paddy samples were collected from six regions in southern China, and concentrations of ustiloxins A, B, C, D, and F were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results showed that the occurrence of ustiloxins A, B, C, D, and F in paddies was found to be 55.7%, 41.3%, 29.0%, 93.7%, and 96.7%, respectively. Ustiloxin A had the highest mean (177.8 µg/kg) and maximum (3620.9 µg/kg) concentration, followed, in order, by ustiloxins C, B, D, and F. Furthermore, ustiloxin levels were significantly different depending on their origin, with the highest concentration in rice from Changde and Yueyang. And the regional difference in ustiloxins was related to the diversity of climate. A positive correlation between ustiloxin occurrence and mean humidity and precipitation was found in July and August of different regions, while mean temperature indicated a negative dependence. This is an essential survey of the contamination of rice with ustiloxins throughout southern China. The influence of climatic conditions on ustiloxins contamination was evaluated for the first time in our study. Overall, the rice samples examined in this study exhibited a high distribution of ustiloxins, suggesting that regulatory limits and the establishment of maximum allowable levels of ustiloxins in rice are necessary. This study provides a basis and guidance for the pollution situation and control strategy of ustiloxins in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effects of different integrated cultivation treatments on the yield, nitrogen agronomic efficiency (AEN), and growth performance of a ratoon rice system. A two-year field experiment was carried out during 2021–2022 using a randomized block design. Cultivation treatments included the farmers' practice model (control, CK), high-yield and high-efficiency model (T1), enhanced-high-yield and high-efficiency model (T2), and the no-N model (N0). The grain yield, yield components, root traits, and stubble characteristics were determined. The results showed that T2 treatment significantly increased the grain yield and AEN by 53% and 236%, respectively, compared with CK. Similarly, the stubble weight, non-structure carbohydrate contents, and the root attributes were significantly improved under T2 treatment. The correlation analysis suggested that ratoon rice yield and AEN was significantly and positively correlated with root weight (p < 0.01) and the stubble parameters including stubble weight (p < 0.01), starch content (p < 0.01), and soluble sugar content (p < 0.01). Additionally, a significant and positive correlation between root weight and stubble weight (p < 0.05) was determined in our study. Consequently, our work highlights the benefits of integrating planting density, nitrogen/water management, and other practices to achieve high AEN and grain yield of the ratoon rice by improving root trait and stubble characteristics of the main rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture faces great challenges to ensure global food security by increasing yields while reducing environmental costs (1,2). Here we address this challenge by conducting a total of 153 site-year field experiments covering the main agro-ecological areas for rice, wheat and maize production in China. A set of integrated soil-crop system management practices based on a modern understanding of crop ecophysiology and soil biogeochemistry increases average yields for rice, wheat and maize from 7.2 million grams per hectare (Mg [ha.sup.-1]), 7.2 Mg [ha.sup.-1] and 10.5 Mg [ha.sup.-1] to 8.5 Mg [ha.sup.-1], 8.9 Mg [ha.sup.-1] and 14.2 Mg [ha.sup.-1], respectively, without any increase in nitrogen fertilizer. Model simulation and life-cycle assessment (3) show that reactive nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced substantially by integrated soil-crop system management. If farmers in China could achieve average grain yields equivalent to 80% of this treatment by 2030, over the same planting area as in 2012, total production of rice, wheat and maize in China would be more than enough to meet the demand for direct human consumption and a substantially increased demand for animal feed, while decreasing the environmental costs of intensive agriculture., Global agriculture is facing unprecedented challenges and risks. Rates of yield growth have slowed since the 1980s (ref. 4), and even stagnated in many areas (5-7). Meanwhile, agriculture incurs substantial [...]

Author(s): Zhenling Cui [1]; Hongyan Zhang [1]; Xinping Chen [1]; Chaochun Zhang [1]; Wenqi Ma [2]; Chengdong Huang [1]; Weifeng Zhang [1]; Guohua Mi [1]; Yuxin Miao [1]; Xiaolin Li [...]

Summary: To clarify the combined effects of the cutting time and cutting height on ratooning ability and rice grain yield of the ratoon crop in the novel ratoon rice cropping, a field experiment was carried out to investigate the combined effects of harvesting time and the stubble-cutting height of the main crop on the growth duration, ratooning ability and grain yield of the ratoon crop. The growth period was shortened by 3.5 days on average when the harvesting time was 10 days ahead of time. On average, the growth duration was prolonged by 7 days per each decrease of 10 cm stubble height. Early harvesting and increasing stubble-cutting height greatly increased the grain yield of the ratoon crop. The highest grain yield was achieved at 10 days after flowering stage and a stubble height of 30 cm, which were 6916 kg·hm−2 for XLY900 and 7262 kg·hm−2 for YY4149, averaged across years. High rice yield of the ratoon crop was mainly depended on panicle numbers and grain-filling percentage, rather than spikelets per panicle. Increasing cutting height and the cutting time of the main crop ahead maintain more stubble biomass and nitrogen content. A significant positive correlation was observed between stubble nitrogen content and tillers-to-stubble ratio (TSR), as well as a significant positive relation was found between panicle-to-stubble ratio and TSR. Therefore, cutting 10 days after flowering stage of the main crop with 30 cm stubble-cutting height enhances ratooning ability due to higher stubble biomass and nitrogen content, and then increases rice yield of the ratoon crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]