Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 18767

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China
Interests: rice; nitrogen; phosphorus; uptake; remobilization; physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops grown worldwide, and is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Sustaining high rice productivity requires intensive application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. However, large nitrogen fertilizer inputs impose detrimental effects on the environment, such as soil acidification and water eutrophication. Thus, improvements in the nitrogen utilization of rice are essential. Interestingly, photosynthesis is recognized as an efficient way to increase nitrogen utilization and productivity. Yet, the understanding of regulatory mechanisms that increase photosynthetic efficiency and nitrogen utilization in rice is still limited, and how photosynthesis coordinates with nitrogen metabolism for improving rice growth and productivity remains largely unclear. Fortunately, technological advances in ‘omics’ approaches provide the possibility to reveal the underlying mechanisms for improving nitrogen-use and photosynthetic efficiency at the gene, protein, and metabolism level.

This Special Issue of Life aims to publish the latest research progress on the regulatory mechanisms of rice growth, photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization. In addition, advanced methods and research papers on rice from the gene level to the population level which help to improve photosynthetic efficiency and nitrogen utilization in rice, are also encouraged. For this Special Issue, we welcome investigators to contribute original research articles and review papers.

Prof. Dr. Junhua Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  •  rice growth
  •  productivity
  •  nitrogen utilization
  •  photosynthesis
  •  soil fertility
  •  transcriptome

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2194 KiB  
Article
Optimum Nitrogen Application Acclimatizes Root Morpho-Physiological Traits and Yield Potential in Rice under Subtropical Conditions
by Md. Salahuddin Kaysar, Uttam Kumer Sarker, Sirajam Monira, Md. Alamgir Hossain, Uzzal Somaddar, Gopal Saha, S. S. Farhana Hossain, Nadira Mokarroma, Apurbo Kumar Chaki, Md. Sultan Uddin Bhuiya and Md. Romij Uddin
Life 2022, 12(12), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12122051 - 7 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a highly essential macronutrient for plant root growth and grain yield (GY). To assess the relationship among N, root traits, and the yield of boro (dry season irrigated) rice, a pot experiment was performed in the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) is a highly essential macronutrient for plant root growth and grain yield (GY). To assess the relationship among N, root traits, and the yield of boro (dry season irrigated) rice, a pot experiment was performed in the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, during the boro rice season of 2020–2021. Three boro rice varieties, namely BRRI dhan29, Hira-2, and Binadhan-10, were planted at four N doses: 0 kg ha−1 (N0), 70 kg ha−1 (N70), 140 kg ha−1 (N140), and 210 kg ha−1 (N210). The experiment was conducted following a completely randomized design with three replicates. The varieties were evaluated for root number (RN), root length (RL), root volume (RV), root porosity (RP), leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM), and yield. The results indicated that the Binadhan-10, Hira-2, and BRRI dhan29 varieties produced better root characteristics under at the N140 and N210 levels. A substantial positive association was noticed between the grain yield and the root traits, except for root porosity. Based on the root traits and growth dynamics, Binadhan-10 performed the best at the N140 level and produced the highest grain yield (26.96 g pot−1), followed by Hira-2 (26.35 g pot−1) and BRRI dhan29 (25.90 g pot−1). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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13 pages, 1330 KiB  
Article
Migration and Transformation of Arsenic in Rice and Soil under Different Nitrogen Sources in Polymetallic Sulfide Mining Areas
by Shuhua Yao, Dan Yang, Xuexia Zhang, Lei Shi and Xiaoxia Zhang
Life 2022, 12(10), 1541; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101541 - 4 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1677
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer affects the migration and transformation of arsenic (As) in soil and rice. We conducted pot experiments and studied the effects of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 g∙kg−1 N levels of NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer affects the migration and transformation of arsenic (As) in soil and rice. We conducted pot experiments and studied the effects of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 g∙kg−1 N levels of NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4NO3 fertilizers on the As bioavailability in the As-contaminated inter-rhizosphere soil and As accumulation in the rice organs. The results showed that the concentration of bioavailable As in the rice rhizosphere soil was significantly negatively correlated with pH under the 0.4 g∙kg−1 N level of each fertilizer. At the same N level, while the As concentration was maturity stage > tillering stage in rice stems and leaves treated with NH4Cl and (NH4)2SO4, it was the opposite in roots. This suggests that the transfer of As from roots to stems and leaves mainly occurs in the late stage of rice growth under the condition of only NH4+-N fertilizer applying. The As concentration in rice aboveground organ (grains and stems–leaves) decreased with the increasing N application under the same N fertilizer treatment condition during the mature stage. In addition, the As concentration in rice grains treated with (NH4)2SO4 was the lowest. This result indicated that SO42− and NH4+-N had a significant synergistic inhibition on the As accumulation in rice grains. It was concluded that appropriate (NH4)2SO4 levels for As-contaminated paddy soils with high sulfur (S) contents would obtain rice grains with inorganic As concentrations below 0.2 mg·kg−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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16 pages, 2807 KiB  
Article
Dissecting the Relationship between Root Morphological Traits and Yield Attributes in Diverse Rice Cultivars under Subtropical Condition
by Md. Salahuddin Kaysar, Uttam Kumer Sarker, Sirajam Monira, Md. Alamgir Hossain, Md. Sabibul Haque, Uzzal Somaddar, Gopal Saha, Apurbo Kumar Chaki and Md. Romij Uddin
Life 2022, 12(10), 1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101519 - 29 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2521
Abstract
Understanding the link between root morphological traits and yields is crucial for improving crop management. To evaluate this link, a pot experiment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during the boro(dry season [...] Read more.
Understanding the link between root morphological traits and yields is crucial for improving crop management. To evaluate this link, a pot experiment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during the boro(dry season irrigated) rice growing season of 2019–20. Thirteen cultivars, named BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan58, BRRI dhan67, BRRI dhan74, BRRI dhan81, Binadhan-8, Binadhan-10, Hira-2, Tej gold, SL8H, Jagliboro, Rata boro, and Lakhai, were used following a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The cultivars were screened for root number (RN), root length (RL), root volume (RV), root porosity (RP), leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM), and grain yield (GY). A considerable variation in root traits, LAI, and TDM were found among the studied cultivars, and the highest GY (26.26 g pot−1)was found for Binahan-10. Thirteen cultivars were grouped into three clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis, where clusters 1, 2, and 3 assembled with 3, 5, and 5 cultivars, respectively. Considering all of the studied traits, Cluster 3 (Binadhan-10, Hira-2, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan58, and Tejgold) showed promise, followed by Cluster 2 (BRRI dhan81, BRRI dhan67, SL8H, BRRI dhan74, and Binadhan-8). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the RV, RDW, RFW, TDM, and GY are effective traits for rice cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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13 pages, 3658 KiB  
Article
Unearthing the Alleviatory Mechanisms of Brassinolide in Cold Stress in Rice
by Qingshan Xu, Qianqian Wei, Yali Kong, Lianfeng Zhu, Wenhao Tian, Jing Huang, Lin Pan, Qianyu Jin, Junhua Zhang and Chunquan Zhu
Life 2022, 12(6), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12060833 - 2 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2402
Abstract
Cold stress inhibits rice germination and seedling growth. Brassinolide (BR) plays key roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, we explored the underlying mechanisms whereby BR helps alleviate cold stress in rice seedlings. BR application to the growth medium [...] Read more.
Cold stress inhibits rice germination and seedling growth. Brassinolide (BR) plays key roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, we explored the underlying mechanisms whereby BR helps alleviate cold stress in rice seedlings. BR application to the growth medium significantly increased seed germination and seedling growth of the early rice cultivar “Zhongzao 39” after three days of cold treatment. Specifically, BR significantly increased soluble protein and soluble sugar contents after three days of cold treatment. Moreover, BR stimulated the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase; thereby alleviating cold-induced damage and increasing glutathione content and the GSH/GSSG ratio while concomitantly reducing H2O2 content. BR upregulated the expression levels of cold-response-related genes, including OsICE1, OsFer1, OsCOLD1, OsLti6a, OsSODB, OsMyb, and OsTERF2, and downregulated that of OsWRKY45, overall alleviating cold stress symptoms. Thus, BR not only upregulated cellular osmotic content and the antioxidant enzyme system to maintain the physiological balance of reactive oxygen species under cold but, additionally, it regulated the expression of cold-response-related genes to alleviate cold stress symptoms. These results provide a theoretical basis for rice breeding for cold resistance using young seedlings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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Review

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13 pages, 754 KiB  
Review
Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice for Sustainable Agriculture: Strategies and Future Perspectives
by Bo Wang, Genyou Zhou, Shiyang Guo, Xiaohui Li, Jiaqi Yuan and Anyong Hu
Life 2022, 12(10), 1653; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101653 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5491
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient for the growth and development of rice. The application of N fertilizer has become one of the inevitable ways to increase rice yield due to insufficient soil N content. However, in order to achieve stable and high [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient for the growth and development of rice. The application of N fertilizer has become one of the inevitable ways to increase rice yield due to insufficient soil N content. However, in order to achieve stable and high yield, farmers usually increase N fertilizer input without hesitation, resulting in a series of problems such as environmental pollution, energy waste and low production efficiency. For sustainable agriculture, improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) to decrease N fertilizer input is imperative. In the present review, we firstly demonstrate the role of N in mediating root architecture, photosynthesis, metabolic balance, and yield components in rice. Furthermore, we further summarize the current agronomic practices for enhancing rice NUE, including balanced fertilization, the use of nitrification inhibitors and slow-release N fertilizers, the split application of N fertilizer, root zone fertilization, and so on. Finally, we discuss the recent advances of N efficiency-related genes with potential breeding value. These genes will contribute to improving the N uptake, maintain the N metabolism balance, and enhance the NUE, thereby breeding new varieties against low N tolerance to improve the rice yield and quality. Moreover, N-efficient varieties also need combine with precise N fertilizer management and advanced cultivation techniques to realize the maximum exploitation of their biological potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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23 pages, 1486 KiB  
Review
Multiple Facets of Nitrogen: From Atmospheric Gas to Indispensable Agricultural Input
by Nkulu Rolly Kabange, So-Myeong Lee, Dongjin Shin, Ji-Yoon Lee, Youngho Kwon, Ju-Won Kang, Jin-Kyung Cha, Hyeonjin Park, Simon Alibu and Jong-Hee Lee
Life 2022, 12(8), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081272 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3215
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a gas and the fifth most abundant element naturally found in the atmosphere. N’s role in agriculture and plant metabolism has been widely investigated for decades, and extensive information regarding this subject is available. However, the advent of sequencing technology [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) is a gas and the fifth most abundant element naturally found in the atmosphere. N’s role in agriculture and plant metabolism has been widely investigated for decades, and extensive information regarding this subject is available. However, the advent of sequencing technology and the advances in plant biotechnology, coupled with the growing interest in functional genomics-related studies and the various environmental challenges, have paved novel paths to rediscovering the fundamentals of N and its dynamics in physiological and biological processes, as well as biochemical reactions under both normal and stress conditions. This work provides a comprehensive review on multiple facets of N and N-containing compounds in plants disseminated in the literature to better appreciate N in its multiple dimensions. Here, some of the ancient but fundamental aspects of N are revived and the advances in our understanding of N in the metabolism of plants is portrayed. It is established that N is indispensable for achieving high plant productivity and fitness. However, the use of N-rich fertilizers in relatively higher amounts negatively affects the environment. Therefore, a paradigm shift is important to shape to the future use of N-rich fertilizers in crop production and their contribution to the current global greenhouse gases (GHGs) budget would help tackle current global environmental challenges toward a sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rice Growth, Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Utilization)
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