Work

Reasonable dry cultivation methods can balance the yield and grain quality of rice

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Reducing water consumption in rice production in China without affecting grain yield and quality is a significant challenge. This study explored how various dry cultivation methods could improve rice quality while balancing yield to maintain sustainable rice production. A japonica upland rice cultivar and a japonica paddy rice cultivar were cultivated in the field with three cultivation methods: plastic film mulching dry cultivation (PFMC), bare dry cultivation (BC), and continuous flooding cultivation (CF) as control. There was no significant difference in upland rice yield between PFMC and BC, nor in paddy rice yield between PFMC and CF. Compared with CF, the two varieties’ yields decreased significantly with BC. Dry cultivation, especially PFMC, could decrease the active filling period, chalky rice rate, chalkiness, amylose content, gel consistency, breakdown viscosity, the ratio of glutelin to prolamin, and leaf senescence while increasing water use efficiency, protein components content, setback viscosity, grain starch branching enzyme (Q-enzyme) activity, and average filling rate. Compared with paddy rice, upland rice had a lower yield, shorter active filling period, lower chalkiness grain rate and gel consistency, higher amylose content, breakdown viscosity, protein components content, and average filling rate. Grain Q-enzyme activity and grain-filling parameters were closely related to rice quality. Reasonable dry cultivation methods could balance yield and quality, especially by improving rice’s nutritional and appearance quality.

Source: Journal of Integrative Agriculture

DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.016