Effects of the seedling tray overlapping for seed emergence mode on emergence characteristics and growth of rice seedlings

Yizhuo Gao; Meihong Shao; Yuping Zhang; Yikai Zhang; Yaliang Wang; Zhigang Wang; Defeng Zhu; Yunbo Zhang; Jing Xiang; Huizhe Chen

doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1341318

Effects of the seedling tray overlapping for seed emergence mode on emergence characteristics and growth of rice seedlings

Front Plant Sci. 2024 Mar 15:15:1341318. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1341318. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Yizhuo Gao^#^{1

2}, Meihong Shao^#³, Yuping Zhang¹, Yikai Zhang¹, Yaliang Wang¹, Zhigang Wang¹, Defeng Zhu¹, Yunbo Zhang², Jing Xiang¹, Huizhe Chen¹

Affiliations

¹ China National Rice Research Institute/State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Hangzhou, China.
² MARA Key Laboratory of Sustainable Crop Production in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River/College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.
³ Jiande Agricultural Technique Extension Center, Hangzhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Seedling mode plays a crucial role in the rice production process, as it significantly affects the growth and development of seedlings. Among the various seedling modes, the seedling tray overlapping for seed emergence mode (STOSE mode) has been demonstrated to be effective in enhancing seedling quality. However, the impact of this mode on the germination and growth of seeds with varying plumpness remains uncertain. To investigate the effect of the STOSE mode on seedling emergence characteristics, growth uniformity, and nutrient uptake of seeds with varying plumpness levels, we conducted a study using super early rice Zhongzao 39 (ZZ39) as the test material. The seeds were categorized into three groups: plumped, mixed, and unplumped. The results indicated that the STOSE mode significantly improved the seedling rate for all types of seeds in comparison to the seedling tray nonoverlapping for seed emergence mode (TSR mode). Notably, the unplumped seeds exhibited the most pronounced enhancement effect. The soluble sugar content of the seeds increased significantly after 2 days of sowing under the STOSE mode, whereas the starch content exhibited a significant decrease. Furthermore, the STOSE mode outperformed the TSR mode in several aspects including seedling growth uniformity, aboveground dry matter mass, root traits, and nutrient uptake. Overall, the STOSE mode not only promoted the germination and growth of plumped and mixed seeds but also had a more pronounced impact on unplumped seeds.

Keywords: nutrient uptake; rice; seed plumpness; seedling emergence characteristics; seedling quality; seedling raising mode.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan of China: Research and demonstration of integrative approaches to synergistically improve yield, quality and efficiency in rice production in Southern China (2022YFD2300700), Research and Development Project of Zhejiang Province (2022C02048), Agricultural Sciences and Technologies Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) to Rice Intelligence and High Efficiency cultivation technology Group and Special Funds for the Construction of Modern Agricultural Technology System (CARS-01-23).