Improvements in Plant Morphology Facilitating Progressive Yield Increases of <i>japonica</i> Inbred Rice since the 1980s in East China
Tianyao Meng,
Jialin Ge,
Xubin Zhang,
Xi Chen,
Guisheng Zhou,
Huanhe Wei
Affiliations
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
Jialin Ge
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Xubin Zhang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, 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
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
Huanhe Wei
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Grain yield was greatly increased during the genetic improvement of japonica inbred rice since the 1980s in Jiangsu, east China; thus, an improved plant morphology should be expected, considering that plant morphology is a decisive factor determining grain yield. Twelve representative japonica inbred rice released from 1983 to 2013 were grown in the same fields in 2019 and 2020. Grain yield increased (p −1 year−1 across 2 years among rice cultivars released in different periods. The genetic improvement in grain yield was associated with increased spikelets per panicle. Single panicle weight, number of primary and secondary branches, and number of grains on primary and secondary branches were all increased with a year of release. Generally, the width of top three leaves positively correlated (while angle of top three leaves and light extinction coefficient negatively) correlated (p p p japonica inbred rice exhibited expanded sink size by spikelets per panicle, higher leaf area through leaf width, optimized leaf photosynthetic capacity, lower leaf angle and light extinction coefficient, and enhanced stem strength. These improved plant morphologies facilitated yield increases of japonica inbred rice since the 1980s in east China.
