Trends in rice–wheat area in China

This paper provides new estimates of area planted to the rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation in China by combining the results obtained from two methodologies. One methodology uses official statistics at the province-level for sown area of rice and wheat, which allows construction of annual estimates from 1979 to 2001. The other methodology uses remote sensing data and county level Agricultural Census data on sown area of 17 major crops, which allows for construction of one estimate appropriate for the middle of the 1990s. The first methodology suggests that the area planted to the rice–wheat rotation has declined sharply in recent years. A combination of the two methodologies results in an estimate of rice–wheat area in China in 2001 of 3.4 Mha. This is substantially below other figures in the literature that reach as high as 13 Mha. This estimate, and the reasons for its declining trend over time, is important for setting priorities in crop research and for understanding how farmers might react to possible new productivity-enhancing technologies.     

Difference in Grain Yield and Quality among Tillers in Rice Genotypes Differing in Tillering Capacity

A japonica variety and its iso-allelic mutant with high tillering ability were used to investigate the differences in grain yield and quality among different tillers. There was a distinct difference in panicle weight among tillers during grain filling for both genotypes, with Xiushui 11 having a greater increase rate in panicle weight, and being earlier in reaching the maximum panicle weight than the mutant. There was a great significant difference between the two genotypes in grain yield and its components, with Xiushui 11 having higher grain yield, more grains per panicle, higher filled grain percentage and grain weight than the mutant for each type of tiller. Moreover, a significant difference was found in grain yield and yield components among different tillers for both genotypes, with grain number per panicle showing the greatest variation over tillers among all yield components. Compared with Xiushui 11, the mutant had higher brown rice rate and greater ratio of length to width of brown rice, and lower chalky rice rate, amylose content, and protein content of rice. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in grain quality among tillers within a plant for both genotypes, with later initiated tillers being lower in chalky rice rate, amylose and protein contents than early initiated ones. The variation of most quality parameters among tillers within a plant was markedly larger for the mutant than for Xiushui 11.     

Rice quality in relation to market prices in Yunnan Province

Factors affecting rice quality and their impacts on market price were investigated in this study. On-farm survey and market survey was undertaken in three selected sites namely Kunruing, Dali, and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province, China. Market sampling was conducted to determine important rice quality characteristics.     

Gene expression in response to bacterial blight infection in rice

Ａｆｔｅｒａｃｏｍｐｒｅｈｅｎｓｉｖｅｓｃｒｅｅｎｉｎｇｏｆ４７ｒｉｃｅｌｉｎｅｓｉｎｏｃｕｌａｔ＿ｅｄａｔｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｓｔａｇｅｓｗｉｔｈ７ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔｓｔｒａｉｎｓｏｆＸａｎｔｈｏｍｏｎａｓｏｒｙｚａｅｐｖ．ｏｒｙｚａｅ，ｗｅｓｅｌｅｃｔｅｄ２ｓｔｒａｉｎｓＣＲ１ａｎｄＣＲ７ｆｒｏｍＣＮＲＲＩ，Ｃｈｉｎａ．Ｔｈｅｙｇａｖｅａｒｅｓｉｓｔａｎｔａｎｄｓｕｓｃｅｐｔｉｂｌｅｉｎｔｅｒａｃｔｉｏｎｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ，ｗｈｅｎｔｈｅｙｗｅｒｅｕｓｅｄｔｏｉｎｆ…     

Rice diseases in China

According to incomplete records, there are about 50 fungus diseases of rice in China.Rice blast and sheath blight are the most destructive and cause severe damage. Other fungus diseases, such as rot, narrow brown leaf spot, leaf scald and brown spot are not serious. Four bacterial diseases of rice occur in China. Bacterial blight is the most common and destructive one, followed by bacterial leaf streak, rice brown spot and brown stripe.The latter two appear sporadically and are less important. The virus and virus-like diseases of rice that have been recorded in China are rice yellow dwarf, rice dwarf, rice yellow stunt, rice black-streaked dwarf, rice stripe, dwarf-like diseases, rice orange leaf disease, rice transitory yellowing, and grassy stunt etc. They are distributed mainly in the southern part of China beyond the Yangtze River. Rice yellow stunt virus has recently become important and widespread in China. It causes 20-30% of yield losses in areas where it prevails.     

Special rice in China

Jinbaoyin: It was from Shishang, Luokou, and Huitong towns, Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province. The hull was red-gold, the grain was white in color, slim in shape, and good in quality. It tasted fragrant and delicious.     

Genetic gains for grain yield in high latitude spring wheat grown in Western Siberia in 1900–2008

Short season high latitude (50°N–56°N) spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is grown on approximately 7 million ha in Western Siberia with average yield of 1.5–2.0 t/ha. A historical set of 47 varieties developed and grown in the region between 1900 and 2000 was evaluated at a trial in Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture (Omsk) in 2002–2008. The genetic gains for grain yield and associated changes in agronomic traits were analyzed for three maturity groups (early, medium and late) and four breeding periods (before 1930, 1950–1975, 1976–1985 and after 1985). The overall yield was 3.71 t/ha for modern varieties versus 2.18 t/ha for old varieties representing 0.7% increase per year in the course of 100 years. The genetic gains between the breeding periods indicated that the rate of progress for the early and medium maturity groups was more or less comparable from one breeding period to the other. For the late maturity group there was an obvious and sharp decline in genetic gain with time. Modern varieties were also characterized by average response to environmental mean and good grain yield stability evaluated according to Eberhart and Russell (1966). Thousand kernel weight and number of grains per unit area were linearly correlated with grain yield and genetic gain over time suggested their importance for breeding progress. Resistance to leaf rust in some modern varieties sustained and contributed to stability of genetic gains. The yield increase over time was not associated with plant height reduction and incorporation of Rht genes. The maturity range of the newer varieties is narrower compared to old germplasm as they tend to belong to medium maturity group. Translocation 1B.1R had limited contribution to Western Siberian germplasm being observed in only three varieties. The increase in adaptation, yield potential and its stability has been reached due to gradual accumulation of favorable genes through diverse crosses, robust selection and testing system. Resistance to leaf rust and other prevalent pathogens is of paramount importance for future progress.     

Special rice in China

ＳｈａｎｘｉｂｌａｃｋｒｉｃｅＩｔｗａｓｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌｌｙｆｒｏｍＹａｎｇＣｏｕｎｔｙ，Ｈａｎｚｈｏｎｇ Ｒｅｇｉｏｎ．Ｔｈｉｓｒｉｃｅｗａｓａｗｏｒｌｄ＿ｆａｍｏｕｓｒｉｃｅｖａｒｉｅｔｙｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｅｄｉｎ１４０ＢＣ．Ｉｔｈａｄｐｉｔｃｈ＿ｂｌａｃｋｓｕｒｆａｃｅｗｉｔｈｔｈｅｐｒｏｔｅｉｎａｎｄｏｉｌｃｏｎｔｅｎｔｓｂｅｉｎｇ６．８ %ａｎｄ２０ %ｈｉｇｈｅｒｔｈａｎｔｈａｔｏｆｃｏｍｍｏｎｒｉｃｅ，ｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ．Ｉｔｈａｄ１５ｋｉｎｄｓｏｆａｍｉｎｏａｃｉｄｓａｎｄｍａｎｙ…     

Special rice in China

ＦｒａｇｒａｎｔＲｉｃｅ２：ＴｈｅｒｉｃｅｏｒｉｇｉｎａｔｅｄｆｒｏｍＣｈｅｎｇｇｕａｎｄＹａｎｇｘｉａｎｃｏｕｎ ｔｉｅｓ，ＳｈａａｎｘｉＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ．Ｗｈｅｎｃｏｏｋｅｄ，ｉｔｗａｓｆｒａｇｒａｎｔａｎｄｗａｓｅａｓｙｔｏｂｅｄｉｇｅｓｔｅｄ．Ｉｔｗａｓｓｕｉｔａｂｌｅｆｏｒｏｌｄａｎｄｗｅａｋｐｅｒｓｏｎｓ．ＺａｏｃａｉｇｕＲｉｃｅ：ＩｔｗａｓｆｒｏｍＸｉｎｃｈｅｎｇａｎｄＴｉａｎｈｕａｔｏｗｎｓ，Ｄｉｎｇ ｎａｎＣｏｕｎｔｙ，ＪｉａｎｇｘｉＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ．Ｔｈｅｒｉｃｅｈａｄｓｈｏｒ…     

The technology of raising rice seedlings in dry nursery in China

A new technology of raising rice seedlings in dry nursery began to be adopted in early 1980's inChina. It expanded in Northeast of the Country and spreaded from North to South in the followingyears. In 1995, it was listed as one of the national popularization project during the 'Ninth Five-Year-Plan' by the Country Government. The total area was up to 9.3 million hm~2 in 1996 (cover-ing 80% paddy field in the northern parts of China). The expected popularized area will be up to15.3 million hm~2 in 2000 according to the Ministry of Agriculture, half of the total rice-growingarea in China.     

High-yielding rice in desert

A new technology,slip film in sand which could prevent water and nutrition losing from field wasdeveloped by Chinese scientists.By using this technology,water could be saved about 60％-80％,and the rice yield could reach 2000kg/ha more than that in traditional cultivation.On the thirdbig desert in China,Badan-Jilin,0.4 million ha desert has been transformed into good filed,yield-ing rice grain 15t/ha.     

Special rice in China

ＭｉｎｇｓｈｕｉＲｉｃｅ：ＩｔｏｒｉｇｉｎａｔｅｄｆｒｏｍＺｈａｎｇｑｉｕＣｏｕｎｔｙ，ＳｈａｎｄｏｎｇＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ．ＴｈｅｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｉｓｔｉｃｓｏｆＭｉｎｇｓｈｕｉＲｉｃｅｗｅｒｅ：ａｂｓｏｒｂｉｎｇｍｏｒｅｗａｔｅｒ，ｓｗｅｌｌｉｎｇｕｐｇｒｅａｔｌｙａｆｔｅｒｂｅｉｎｇｓｏａｋｅｄ，ａｎｄｂｅｉｎｇ ｓｔｉｃｋｙ ａｎｄｓｍｅｌｌｉｎｇ ｆｒａｇｒａｎｔａｆｔｅｒｃｏｏｋｅｄ．Ｌｅｎｇｓｈｕｉｂａｉ：Ｉｔｗａｓａｌｓｏｃａｌｌｅｄ＂ＭａｇｕＲｉｃｅ＂ｆｒｏｍＧｕｓｈａｎＴｏｗｎ，…     

Special rice in China

ＷｕｓｈａｎＲｉｃｅ：ＩｔｇｒｅｗｉｎｈｉｌｌｙｌａｎｄａｒｏｕｎｄＷｕＭｏｕｎｔａｉｎｉｎＷａｎｇＣｉｔｙ，ＨｕｎａｎＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ．Ｉｔｓｇｒａｉｎｉｓｂｒｉｇｈｔａｎｄｔｒａｎｓｐａｒｅｎｔ，ａｎｄｔｈｅｃｏｏｋｅｄｒｉｃｅｉｓｓｏｆｔ，ｓｔｉｃｋｙ，ｆｒａｇｒａｎｔ，ａｎｄｓｗｅｅｔｉｎｔａｓｔｅ．Ｉｔｗａｓａ＂ＴｒｉｂｕｔｅＲｉｃｅ＂ｉｎｏｌｄｔｉｍｅ．ＩｎｄｉａｎＩｎｄｉｃａ：Ｇｒｏｗｉｎｇ ｉｎＷｕｃｈａｎｇ Ｃｉｔｙ，ＨｕｂｅｉＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ，ｉｔｗａｓａｌｓｏｃａｌｌｅｄ＂Ｒ…     

Selection of Suitable Parents in the Development of Potato Hybrids in Bangladesh

Potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L)are the thirdlargest food crop in Bangladesh following rice andwheat and make a major contribution to the total foodsupply of the country.Although in many westerncountries potato is the number one staple food,it is al-most entirely used as a vegetable in Bangladesh.Thepotato is a short duration crop that produces a largeamount of calories in a short period of time[1].Thepotato produces more protein and calories per unitarea per unit time than any other major food…