Reduced Nitrogen Rate with Increased Planting Density Facilitated Grain Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Modern Conventional Japonica Rice

Tianyao Meng, Xi Chen, Jialin Ge, Xubin Zhang, Guisheng Zhou, Qigen Dai and Huanhe Wei
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Tianyao Meng: Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Xi Chen: Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Jialin Ge: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Xubin Zhang: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Guisheng Zhou: Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Qigen Dai: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Huanhe Wei: Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: The past three decades have seen a pronounced development of conventional japonica rice from the 1990s, although little information is available on changes regarding grain yield and nutrient use efficiency during this process. Nine conventional japonica rice released during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s were grown under a reduced nitrogen rate, with increased planting density (RNID) and local cultivation practice (LCP) in 2017 and 2018. The rice from the 2010s had 3.6–5.5% and 7.0–10.1% higher ( p < 0.05) grain yield than the 2000s and the 1990s, respectively, under RNID and LCP. The harvest index contributed more to genetic yield gain from the 1990s to the 2000s; whereas from the 2000s to 2010s, yield increase contributed through shoot biomass. Genetic improvement increased total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) accumulation, and their use efficiencies. The rice from the 2010s showed a similar grain yield, whereas the 1990s and 2000s’ rice exhibited a lower ( p < 0.05) grain yield under RNID relative to LCP. RNID increased N, P, and K use efficiencies, particularly the N use efficiency for the grain yield (NUEg) of the 2010s’ rice, compared with LCP. For three varietal types, RNID increased the panicles per m 2 , the filled-grain percentage, and the grain weight ( p < 0.05) while decreasing spikelets per panicle of the 2010s’ rice. Compared with LCP, RNID reduced non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content and shoot biomass, at heading and maturity, while increasing the remobilization of NSC and the harvest index, especially for the 2010s’ rice. Our results suggested the impressive progressive increase in grain yield and nutrient use efficiency of conventional japonica rice since the 1990s in east China. RNID could facilitate grain yield and NUEg for modern conventional japonica rice.

Keywords: conventional japonica rice; genetic improvement; grain yield; nitrogen use efficiency; reduced nitrogen rate; increased planting density (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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