Response of Phytotoxicity on Rice Varieties to HPPD-inhibiting Herbicides in Paddy Rice Fields

The objectives of this study were to investigate the levels of phytotoxicity of rice varieties to HPPD (4-hydroxy phenylpyruvate dioxygenase)-inhibiting herbicides known for their efficiency to control the sulfonylureas-resistant weed species:mestrione, benzobicyclone, and tefuryltrione. The twenty-six rice varieties (8-Japonica × Indica-type varieties and 18-Japonica-type varieties) were grown for 25 days on seedling trays and then transplanted to paddy rice fields followed by herbicide treatment i.e. standard and double doses of there respective herbicides at 5, 10, and 15 days after transplanting. Although mestrione, benzobicyclone and tefuryltrione are all HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, the phytotoxicity symptoms of the different rice varieties based on the timing of application and doses of the herbicides were significantly different. The Japonica × Indica-type varieties showed much more phytotoxicity symptoms than Japonica- type varieties in all applied herbicides. Increasing herbicidal doses of mesotrione, and an earlier application of and increasing herbicidal doses of benzobicyclon caused severe phytotoxicity symptoms. On the other hand, phytotoxicity due to tefuryltrione did not exhibit significant differences between rice varieties in either the timing of application or dose of the herbicide. Regardless of timing of application and dose of the herbicides, Hangangchalbyeo-1, Hyangmibyeo-1 and high-yield rice varieties such as Namcheonbyeo, Dasanbyeo, Areumbyeo, and Hanareumbyeo, which belong to the Japonica × Indica-type varieties, showed 5 to 8 levels of phytotoxicity symptoms including albinism, browning, detached leaf, and necrosis to mesotrione and benzobicyclon whereas only 1 to 3 levels of phytotoxicity symptoms (chlorosis, albinism, and browning) were seen with to tefuryltrione application. The Japonica-type varieties exhibited only slight