Pb accumulation in rice varies significantly at different growth stages. In this study, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of exogenous Pb stress on Pb accumulation and transportation in rice plants and determine the key rice growth stages of Pb accumulation and their contribution to the Pb content in brown rice. For the hydroponic experiment, 0.5 mg ·L-1 of exogenous Pb was added to rice at different growth stages, including the tillering stage, jointing stage, booting stage, filling stage, dough stage, maturing stage, and whole growth stage (103 d) of the rice plant. Another treatment of the whole growth stage without Pb stress was established as the control. The results showed that: ① There were no significant effects of Pb stress in any single stage on the plant height, tiller number, and biomass, but the rice plant height and biomass significantly decreased under the Pb stress for the whole growth period. ② Pb contents in different tissues at the maturing stage of the rice plant were in the order of root > stem node 1 > other stem nodes > root rhizome > sti > leaf > ear > husk > brown rice. Pb contents in brown rice ranged from 0.1 to 1.2 mg ·kg-1 for all exogenous Pb treatments, and ranked in the growth stages as booting stage > jointing stage > tillering stage > filling stage > maturing stage > dough stage. ③ The relative contribution rates of Pb accumulation in the whole rice plants were relatively high during the reproductive growth period (filling stage, dough stage, and maturing stage), while those in the above-ground parts of the rice plants were relatively high during the vegetative growth stage (tillering stage, jointing stage, booting stage). ④ The booting stage was the key growth period for Pb accumulation in brown rice. Pb stress at this stage contributed 43.3% of Pb content in brown rice, followed by Pb stress at the jointing stage and the tillering stage, with contribution rates of 24.4% and 21.3%, respectively. ⑤ Water management regimes, application of amendments, or leaf resistance control techniques should be applied appropriately at the booting stage of the rice plants to reduce Pb accumulation in brown rice and to realize the safe use of rice paddies polluted with Pb.
Keywords: Pb stress; accumulation; brown rice; growth stage; relative contribution rate; stem node.