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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121416
Title: RICE PARAMETERS DESCRIBING CROP PERFORMANCE OF FOUR U.S. CULTIVARS

Author
item Kiniry, James
item MCCAULEY, GARRY - TEXAS AGRIC EXP STATION
item XIE, YUN - BEIJING NORMAL UNIV
item Arnold, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/16/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: To simulate rice growth and yield production in the southern U.S., crop models need accurate parameters. Accurate description of processes for rice yield production will aid breeders by providing a system of comparing cultivars for important plant traits. In this study we measured the leaf area index (LAI), the light extinction coefficient (k) for Beer's law, nitrogen concentrations, and the harvest index (HI) for four common rice cultivars for both the main crop and the ratoon crop in 1999 and 2000 at Eagle Lake, TX. The amount of plant weight produced per unit intercepted light, or radiation use efficiency (RUE), was determined with sequential measurements of the fraction of light intercepted and biomass harvests. The mean RUE was 2.39 g of aboveground biomass per MJ of intercepted PAR, similar to values in the literature. The mean k value for the main crop of 0.37 was similar to values of 0.35 and 0.36 reported in the literature. Cultivar Cypress had the greatest nitrogen concentrations but did not have the greatest RUE. Ratoon crop yields averaged 37 percent of main crop yields. The mean HI was 0.32 for all four cultivars over the two harvests in each of the two years. These rice values will aid modelers simulating rice development and yield in the southern U.S.

Technical Abstract: Parameter values accurately describing processes of rice growth and yield production in the southern U.S. provide modelers with the means to simulate this crop and provide breeders with a system of comparing cultivars for traits vital for grain yield production. In this study we measured the leaf area index (LAI), the light extinction coefficient (k) for Beer's law, nitrogen concentrations, and the harvest index (HI) for four common rice cultivars for both the main crop and the ratoon crop in 1999 and 2000 at Eagle Lake, TX. The radiation use efficiency (RUE) was determined with sequential measurements of the fraction of light intercepted and biomass harvests. The mean RUE was 2.39 g of aboveground biomass per MJ of intercepted PAR, similar to values in the literature. The mean k value for the main crop of 0.37 was similar to to values of 0.35 and 0.36 reported in the literature. Cultivar Cypress had the greatest nitrogen concentrations but did not have the greatest RUE. Ratoon crop yields averaged 37 percent of main crop yields. The mean HI was 0.32 for all four cultivars over the two harvests in each of the two years. These rice values will aid modelers simulating rice development and yield in the southern U.S.