Short-term complete submergence of rice at the tillering stage increases yield

• Published in: PloS one 2015-05, Vol.10 (5), p.e0127982-e0127982
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yajie, Wang, Zhensheng, Li, Lei, Zhou, Qun, Xiao, Yao, Wei, Xing, Zhou, Mingyao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Agricultural production; Biomass; Biosynthesis; Carboxylic acids; Correlation analysis; Crop fields; Crop Production - methods; Crop yield; Crop yields; Crops; Cultivation (Land); Dry matter; Drying; Emergency preparedness; Enzymes; Flooding; Floods; Gene expression; Irrigation; Laboratories; Leaf area; Measurement; Methods; Molecular biology; Nitrogen; Nitrogen content; Oryza; Oryza - growth & development; Oryza sativa japonica; Phosphorus; Physiology; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant sciences; Rain; Rainfall; Resource management; Resource utilization; Rice; Rice farming; Rice fields; Rice yield; Ripening; Storage; Studies; Submergence; Water; Water management; Water storage; Waterlogging
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127982

Flooding is a major threat to agricultural production. Most studies have focused on the lower water storage limit in rice fields, whereas few studies have examined the upper water storage limit. This study aimed to explore the effect of waterlogging at the rice tillering stage on rice growth and yield. The early-ripening late japonica variety Yangjing 4227 was selected for this study. The treatments included different submergence depths (submergence depth/plant height: 1/2 (waist submergence), 2/3 (neck submergence), and 1/1 (complete submergence)) and durations (1, 3, and 5 d). The control group was treated with the conventional alternation of drying and wetting. The effects of waterlogging at the tillering stage on root characteristics, dry matter production, nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation, yield, yield components, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) gene expression were explored. Compared with the control group, the 1/1 group showed significant increases in yield, seed-setting rate, photosynthetically efficient leaf area, and OS-ACS3 gene expression after 1 d of submergence. The grain number per panicle, dry weight of the aboveground and belowground parts, and number of adventitious roots also increased. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the panicle number and nitrogen content; however, no significant correlation was found for phosphorus content. If a decrease in rice yield of less than 10% is acceptable, half, 2/3, and complete submergence of the plants can be performed at the tillering stage for 1-3 d; this treatment will increase the space available for rice field water management/control and will improve rainfall resource utilization.