Crop and Environmental Sciences Division Seminar
By Fumitaka Shiotsu
Lecturer
Ibaraki University, Japan
1315-1415 H, Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Room A, D.L. Umali Building, IRRI
Abstract:
Steady increase of rice production warrants world food security in the future. However, improvements in rice yield potential have become stagnant recently not only in the tropics but also in Japan. In the seminar, we discuss the physiological characteristics of recent high-yielding varieties in Japan. In particular, we focus on the mechanisms responsible for varietal difference of the ripening (grain filling) ability. Our experiments showed that the "sink-source balance" was tightly linked to the ripening ability, and higher post-anthesis assimilation and stem reserves contributed to higher yield. We also found positive relationships between panicle morphology and ripening ability, suggesting that genetic control of panicle traits, at least in part, improves translocation efficiency and the ripening ability.
