Poor emergence resulting in inadequate stand establishment is a major problem associated with direct-seeded rice production, especially for semidwarf cultivars. In order to gain information on the problem, plant type related to gibberellic acid (GA3) and seeding depth was studied. A total of 21 cultivars including 9 semidwarfs and 12 talls had seed treated with GA3 at 25 parts per million (ppm)...

Six selected cultivars of rice namely BPT-5204, MTU-7029, CSR-30, Narendra Usar Dhan-3, Rajendra Bhagwati and Pusa Basmati-1 were screened for salinity tolerance on the basis of in vitro seed germination and seedling growth under different salt stress (02.5%) created by a salt mixture of NaCl, CaCl2, and Na2SO4 in 7:2:1 ratio. At 2% salt stress, germination was only observed in cultivars CSR-30...

Enhancement of salinity tolerance during seed germination is very important for direct seeding in rice. In this study, the salt-tolerant japonica landrace Jiucaiqing was used to determine the regulators that are involved in seed imbibition under salt stress. Briefly, the comparative proteomic analysis was conducted between dry (0 h) and imbibed (24 h) seeds with 150 mM NaCl. Under salt stress, ...

Seed aging is a process that results in a delayed germination, a decreased germination percentage, and finally a total loss of seed viability. However, the mechanism of seed aging is poorly understood. In the present study, Yliangyou 2 hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) seeds were artificially aged at 100% relative humidity and 40°C, and the effect of artificial aging on germination, germination tim...

The genetic mechanism involved in a transition from the black-colored seed hull of the ancestral wild rice (Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara) to the straw-white seed hull of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) during grain ripening remains unknown. We report that the black hull of O. rufipogon was controlled by the Black hull4 (Bh4) gene, which was fine-mapped to an 8.8-kb region on rice chromosome ...

Non-cultivated plants carry microbial endophytes that may be used to enhance development and disease resistance of crop species where growth-promoting and protective microbes may have been lost. During seedling establishment, seedlings may be infected by several fungal pathogens that are seed or soil borne. Several species of Fusarium, Pythium and other water moulds cause seed rots during germi...

Seed priming is a physiological seed enhancement method. Hydroor osmotic priming can advance germination under adequate moisture conditions. During direct seeding on well-drained paddy and upland fields, rice seeds occasionally encounter low soil moisture conditions. Under these conditions, rice seeds need to undergo rapid germination and secure emergence through improved water absorption capac...

Breeding of excellent rice varieties is essential for modern rice production. Typical breeding procedures to introduce and maintain valuable agricultural traits require at least 8 generations from crossing to stabilization, always taking more than 4-5 years of work. This long and tedious process is the rate-limiting step in the development of new varieties, and therefore fast culturing methods ...

(eds M.C.S. Wopereis et al.) 173 Since the early 1990s, several other countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, India and Vietnam) have developed and introduced hybrid rice technology to their farmers. The availability of adequately trained human resources is an essential prerequisite for developing and using hybrid rice technology. Hybrid rice breeding uses several concepts, skills and procedures that are...