Relationship between panicle differentiation and main stem leaf number in rice genotypes and red rice biotypes

Abstract

Panicle differentiation (DP) is a key developmental stage in rice (Oryza sativa L.) because at this stage plant switches from vegetative to reproductive development and source-sink relation changes to allocate part of the photoassimilates for growing spikelets and kernels. The objective of this study was to determine the main stem Haun Stage (HS) and the number of leaves that still have to emerge until flag leaf at PD in several cultivated rice genotypes and red rice biotypes in different sowing dates. A two-year field experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 growing seasons, and three sowing dates each year. Nine cultivated rice genotypes and two red rice biotypes were used. PD was identified as the R1 stage of the COUNCE scale, by sampling four plants from each genotype on a daily basis. When 50% of the sampled plants were at R1, the main stem HS was measured in 20 plants per genotype. The main stem final leaf number (FLN) was measured in these 20 plants when the collar of the flag leaf was visible. HS at PD is related to FLN in many cultivated rice genotypes and red rice biotypes, and that at PD, the number of leaves still to emerge until flag leaf is not constant for all the rice genotypes. These findings are not in agreement with reports in the literature.