Effects of nitrogen application rate on the photosynthetic pigment, leaf fluorescence characteristics, and yield of indica hybrid rice and their interrelations.

A field experiment employing the rice cultivars Qyou6 and Yixiangyou2115 as materials and different nitrogen application rates was conducted in Huangping County, Guizhou Province in 2019 to determine the effects of nitrogen application rate on photosynthetic pigments, leaf fluorescence characteristics, yield, and their interrelations in indica hybrid rice. The results showed that photosynthetic pigment contents generally increased with increasing nitrogen application rate. As the nitrogen rate increased, the maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), actual quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), and relative electron transfer rate at PSII (ETR) first decreased and then increased at the booting stage; Fv/Fm and ΦPSII decreased while ETR first increased and then decreased at the heading stage; nevertheless, Fv/Fm and ΦPSII first decreased and then increased but ETR was just the opposite at the maturity stage. Non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qN) and quantum yield of regulatory energy dissipation at PSII (Y(NPQ)) first increased and then decreased whereas quantum yield of non-regulatory energy dissipation at PSII (Y(NO)) first decreased and then increased at the booting, heading, and maturity stages with increasing nitrogen application rate. Photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) showed an increasing trend as the nitrogen rate increased in the range of 150-300 kg/ha at the heading and maturity stages. Photosynthetic pigments, leaf fluorescence characteristics, and yield and its components were significantly correlated. First, chlorophylls a and b were significantly negatively correlated with Fv/Fm while significantly positively correlated with qP at the heading stage. Secondly, Carotenoids were significantly positively correlated with the effective panicle number (EPN) at the booting stage while significantly negatively correlated with the spikelets per panicle (SPP) at the heading stage. Chlorophyll a and carotenoids were significantly positively correlated with EPN but significantly negatively correlated with spikelet filling (SF) at the maturity stage. In addition, qP was significantly negatively correlated with EPN at the booting stage. At the heading stage, Fv/Fm and Y(NO) were significantly negatively correlated with EPN and SPP, respectively, and Fv/Fm and ΦPSII were significantly positively related to SF. Moreover, qP was extremely significantly positively related to EPN whereas Fv/Fm was extremely significantly negatively correlated with grain yield at the maturity stage. Appropriate nitrogen application rates can enhance photosynthetic pigment contents, improve the photochemical efficiency and proportion of the open part of the reaction center of PSII, and promote the quantum efficiency and self-protection ability of PSII, thereby increasing photosynthetic efficiency and yield. Under the conditions adopted in this experiment, a parabolic relationship was observed between the nitrogen application rate and grain yield. The regression analysis results showed that the best nitrogen application rate of indica hybrid rice is 168.16 kg ha-1 and the highest yield is 11,804.87 kg ha-1.

Stability and applicability of the leaf value model for variable nitrogen application based on SPAD value in rice.

Many fertilization models have been created to scientifically determine the amount of fertilization. With the same purpose, we constructed a nitrogen (N) application model, the leaf value model, which can make N fertilizer decisions in a timely, fast and nondestructive manner during rice planting. However, only one area (A1, Jiuzhou Town, Xixiu District, Guizhou Province) and one cultivar (Qyou6) were involved in the construction of the leaf value model. Its stability and applicability could not be well evaluated. Thus, we chose another area (A2, Jiuzhou Town, Huangping County, Guizhou Province) in Guizhou Province and carried out the experiment by using four cultivars (Nie5you5399, Qyou6, Yixiangyou2115 and Zhongzheyou8) for the leaf value model construction. Compared with the average value of apparent total N uptake (Nz) obtained in 2 years in the A1 area, that in the Qyou6 leaf value model in the A2 area increased by 12%, reaching 635.72 kg ha-1, whereas the corresponding target yield changed slightly, reaching 10,999.90 kg ha-1. Simultaneously, the linear relationship between several good SPAD value-derived indexes (Ys) and apparent N supply of the field (Nx) was still significant or extremely significant in the Qyou6 leaf value model. Compared with the A1 area, it slightly differed, and the R2 of SPADL1 was higher than that of SPADL3×L4/mean. In the leaf value model of the other three cultivars, the relationship between yield and Nx and that between Ys and Nx were significant or extremely significant. The Nz of Yixiangyou2115 and Zhongzheyou8 (618.33 and 617.76 kg ha-1) were close to that of Qyou6 and the corresponding target yields were 10313.36 and 10301.99 kg ha-1, respectively. The Nz and target yield of Nie5you5399 were lowest at 546.63 and 10680.24 kg ha-1, respectively. In general, this study showed that relationships used in the construction of leaf value model had certain stability and applicability to difference areas and cultivars. The leaf value model can be considered in N fertilizer decision-making of rice planting management.