A Decreased Nitrogen Rate with Increased Planting Density Facilitated Better Palatability of Conventional <i>japonica</i> Rice at High Yield Levels

Abstract

A decreased nitrogen (N) rate with increased planting density (DNID) is recommended as a feasible method to maintain rice grain yield and N-utilization efficiency. However, it is still unclear whether DNID could improve grain quality, particularly the edible quality of rice. Three high-yield rice with superior palatability (HYSP) and three high-yield rice with inferior palatability (HYIP) were grown under DNID and local cultivation practices (LCP) in the same paddy fields during the 2018 and 2019 rice planting seasons. HYSP exhibited similar grain yields to HYIP under both cultivation treatments. HYSP had more spikelets per m2 through panicles per m2, while having lower spikelets per panicle and 1000-kernel weight than HYIP. DNID increased panicles per m2 and 1000-kernel weight and decreased spikelets per panicle of HYSP and HYIP compared with LCP. HYSP exhibited more biomass accumulation during heading to maturity under NDID and LCP (p p p p p p p < 0.05), while it decreased the setback compared with LCP. Generally, the results indicated that coordinated yield components, more post-heading biomass accumulation, lower amylose content, higher peak viscosity and breakdown with lower setback, and higher gelatinization temperatures facilitated high-level grain yield and excellent cooked rice palatability of HYSP. DNID is a feasible method to maintain rice grain yield and enhance the quality of cooked rice for edible properties.

Keywords

• decreased nitrogen rate with increased planting density
• conventional <i>japonica</i> rice
• grain yield
• edible quality
• agronomic and physicochemical characteristics