Genetic analysis of rainfed lowland rice drought tolerance under naturally-occurring stress in eastern India: Heritability and QTL effects

Drought tolerance is an important rainfed rice breeding objective, but because the heritability (H) of yield under drought stress is thought to be low, secondary physiological traits are considered better targets for selection than yield under stress per se. This assumption has rarely been tested, and there are no reports on H for yield under drought stress from experiments repeated over seasons in rainfed lowland rice. To assess the potential for improving yield under drought stress via direct selection, and to identify associated quantitative trait loci (QTL), doubled haploid lines with a narrow range of flowering dates, derived from the population CT9993-5-10-1-M/IR62266-42-6-2, were screened under full irrigation and severe drought stress induced by draining the paddy before flowering in 2000–2002 at Raipur, India. Drought stress reduced mean yield by 80%. H was similar in stress and non-stress trials, as was the relative magnitude of the genotype and genotype × year variances. The genetic correlation between yield in stress and non-stress conditions was 0.8, indicating that about 64% of the genetic variation for yield under stress was accounted for by differences in yield potential also expressed in irrigated environments. These results indicate that direct selection for yield under drought stress can produce yield gains under stress without reducing yield potential. There was no secondary trait for which selection resulted in greater predicted response in yield under stress than direct selection for stress yield per se. A QTL was detected on chromosome 1 near sd1 that explained 32% of the genetic variation for yield under stress, but only 4% under non-stress. Its effect was consistent across years. This QTL accounted for much of the variation in drought yield not accounted for by variation in yield potential.     

Nutrient management for rainfed lowland rice in northeast Thailand

Average grain yields of rainfed lowland rice in northeast Thailand are the lowest in the region, and they barely changed in the past decade. Improved fertilizer management is one of the few options to enhance cropping system productivity but related results from previous studies were often disappointing and sometimes contradictory, possibly due to the large variability of soil and water resources. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to develop a site-specific nutrient management approach, and to propose a related decision tool for farmers. For this purpose, we conducted on-farm experiments in Kumpa-Oong Village, Roi Et Province, during the 2003–2005 cropping seasons. Tested fertilizer treatments were designed based on topographic field position. A comparison of soil characteristics between lower and upper fields revealed significantly higher soil fertility for lower fields (higher pH, TOC, TSN, CEC, clay, and silt content; lower sand content). Across seasons and treatments, grain yields were higher in the valley bottom (VB; 2.82 t ha⁻¹) than on upper and middle terraces (UMT; 1.68 t ha⁻¹). In all seasons, significant fertilizer treatment effects were detected only in UMT fields. But the comparison of treatment effects in individual fields and in both toposequence positions showed that the limited average fertilizer response was mainly caused by low or even negative responses in fields with a higher control yield, i.e., with higher indigenous nutrient supply. A missing or even negative fertilizer response occurred at lower control yields in UMT fields, most probably because attainable yields in these fields were lower as a result of limited water resources. Thus, site-specific fertilizer recommendations need to take toposequence and the field-specific indigenous nutrient supply into account. Based on these results, we proposed a decision tool that helps farmers to choose the most adequate fertilizer treatment for their fields, based on their knowledge of specific field characteristics. On-farm testing of the proposed decision tool is the next step to show whether this approach is acceptable to farmers and can contribute to higher resource-use efficiency and system productivity.     

Submergence tolerance and yield performance of lowland rice as affected by agronomic management practices in eastern India

Rice is subjected to excessive waterlogging and flash-flooding on large areas in south and south-east Asia. Besides cultivars, submergence tolerance of plants is influenced by various agronomic practices. A field experiment was conducted at Cuttack, India during 1994–1995 to study the effect of method of stand establishment (direct seeding and transplanting), vigour of seed (low and high-density) or seedlings (N-fertilized and unfertilized), plant population (normal and 50% more) and N fertilizer (single basal and split application) on yield performance of lowland rice under conditions of natural submergence and simulated flash-flooding (impounding up to 90 ± 3 cm depth for 10 days at vegetative stage). Flooding reached a maximum depth of 80 cm in 1994 and 52 cm in 1995 under natural submergence. The crop performance was better in 1994 due to timely sowing in dry soil and delayed accumulation of water (43 days after sowing) than in 1995 when sowing was done late in saturated soil followed by early water accumulation (28 days after sowing). Grain yield of rice decreased by 30.0–33.6% due to simulated flash-flooding compared with natural submergence, and by 21.4–33.1% due to transplanting in July compared with direct seeding in May-end/early June. The yield of direct-sown crop increased by using high-density seed of 22.9–23.0 mg weight (5.2–9.0%), higher seed rate of 600 m⁻² (2.2–2.3%) and basal fertilization at 40 kg N ha⁻¹ (19.4–25.7%) compared with low-density seed (19.4–20.1 mg), 400 seed m⁻² and no N, respectively. The yield of transplanted crop increased by using N-fertilized seedlings of 0.49–1.65 g weight (29.5–38.5%), higher number of seedlings at 155 m⁻² (3.5–16.7%) and basal fertilization at 40 kg N ha⁻¹ (31.9–32.5%) compared with unfertilized seedlings (0.19–0.79 g), 115 seedlings m⁻² and no N. Split application of 40 kg N ha⁻¹ — 50% each at basal and top dressing (105–115 days of growth after flash-flooding) — improved yield significantly (10.1–13.1%) over single basal application under simulated flash-flooding, but not under natural submergence conditions. Regression analysis indicated that relative contribution of various factors in increasing grain yield was in order: N fertilizer > seed density > seed m⁻² in direct-sown rice, and N fertilizer > seedlings m⁻² > seedling dry weight in transplanted rice. It was concluded that grain yield of flood-prone lowland rice can be increased by establishing the crop early through direct seeding using high-density seed and basal N fertilization.     

Yield constraints of rainfed lowland rice in Central Java, Indonesia

The low and unstable yields of rainfed lowland rice in Central Java can be attributed to drought, nutrient stress, pest infestation or a combination of these factors. Field experiments were conducted in six crop seasons from 1997 to 2000 at Jakenan Experiment Station to quantify the yield loss due to these factors. Experimental treatments—two water supply levels (well-watered, rainfed) in the main plots and five fertilizer levels (0-22-90, 120-0-90, 120-22-0, 120-22-90, 144-27-108 kg NPK ha⁻¹) in the subplots—were laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Crop, soil, and water parameters were recorded and pest infestations were assessed.

In all seasons, rice yield was significantly influenced by fertilizer treatments. Average yield reduction due to N omission was 42%, to K omission 33–36%, and to P omission 3–4%. Water by nutrient interactions did not affect rice yield and biomass production. In two of the three dry seasons, an average of 20% of the panicles were damaged by pests and estimated yield loss from pests was 56–59% in well-watered and well-fertilized treatments. In one out of six seasons, yields under rainfed conditions were 20–23% lower than under well-watered conditions. Drought, N and K deficiencies, and pest infestation are the major determinants for high yields in rainfed environments in Jakenan. Supplying adequate nutrient and good pest control are at least as important as drought management for increasing crop productivity of rainfed rice-growing areas in Central Java. The relative importance of drought, nutrient and pest management may vary in other rainfed areas. Yield constraints analysis should be systematically carried out to identify appropriate management strategies.     

Rice establishment method affects nitrogen use and crop production of rice–legume systems in drought-prone eastern India

The inclusion of grain legumes in rainfed lowland rice farming systems provides an opportunity to increase food production, household income, and human nutrition of impoverished rice farmers in Asia. We examined the effect of rice establishment method on the performance of wet season rice (Oryza sativa L.) and post-rice crops of either chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) or moong [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] on an Udic Haplustalf in the drought-prone, rainfed lowlands of eastern India. Rice was either direct seeded in lines on moist soil immediately after the onset of wet season rain or transplanted after sufficient rainwater accumulated for soil submergence. Crop establishment method had no effect on rice performance in a season (2001) with normal rainfall. In a drought season (2002), direct seeding resulted in mean rice grain yield of 2.3 t ha⁻¹, whereas the transplanted rice crop failed. The agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer applied to direct-seeded rice was comparable for the 2 years (18 and 24 kg grain per kg N applied). Topsoil inorganic N was markedly higher following chickpea and moong than following a post-rice fallow. Direct-seeded rice had higher yield and accumulation of N following a post-rice legume than following fallow, but transplanted rice derived no such benefit from the legume. Direct-seeded rice was established 1–2 months before transplanted rice, and direct-seeded rice matured before transplanted rice by 8 days in the favorable season and by 26 days in the drought season. The soil nitrate present after legumes and fallow rapidly disappeared, presumably by denitrification, following the onset of rains and soil flooding prior to transplanting. A portion of this accumulated soil nitrate was taken up by the direct-seeded rice before it could be lost. But transplanted rice did not benefit from this inorganic N derived from legumes because virtually all soil nitrate was lost before transplanting. Direct seeding of rice ensured better use of residual and applied N, reduced risk due to drought, and favored intensification with post-rice legumes in drought-prone lowland systems.     

Trends of climatic potential and on-farm yields of rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

Rice and wheat are the two most important cereals in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) and are responsible for the food security of the region. To understand the productivity trends in the transects of the IGP: (1) the climatic potential yields of rice and wheat were simulated using a crop simulation modeling approach and (2) the long-term trends of potential and on-farm yields were compared. The potential yields of rice and wheat in the IGP ranged from 7.7 to 10.7 and 5.2 to 7.9 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. The upper transects of the IGP are more productive and yield decreases by 27% for rice and by 32% for wheat from transect 2 to transect 5. The rate of change in the potential yield trend of rice from 1985 to 2000 ranged from −0.12 to 0.05 Mg ha⁻¹ per year. Negative yield trends were observed at six of the nine sites, four of which were statistically significant (P<0.05). The decrease in radiation and increase in minimum temperature were the reasons for the yield decline. The potential yield trend of wheat, however, appeared to be stable. On-farm yields of rice also showed a negative trend but for wheat the trend was mostly positive. The adverse changes in the weather parameters and declining trends of potential and on-farm yields of rice should be taken as an indication of a future problem. Regular on-farm monitoring of crops and climatic factors is urgently needed for predicting problems and allowing measures to be taken to improve productivity.     

Simulation model of rainfed rice production on sloping land in northeast Thailand

In northeast Thailand, the rapid expansion of rainfed paddy fields has decreased the stability of rice production. This paper describes a model that computes rice production on the basis of the hydrologic conditions of rainfed paddy fields on hill slopes. The model well expressed the hydrologic processes, rice yield, and production at the study site. We simulated rice production as uphill paddy plots are abandoned, increasing catchment area, under various rainfall conditions. The simulation showed that rice yield and stability increase as uphill plots are abandoned, although the total rice production decreases. Thus, the effect of catchment size on rice production in each plot was quantified. The model proved to be useful for analyzing rainfed rice production under various land and water conditions.     

Genotype-by-environment interactions for grain yield associated with water availability at flowering in rainfed lowland rice

While a large genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction component of variance for grain yield (GY) has been widely reported for rainfed lowland rice, the reasons for such large interactions are not well known. A random reference population of 34 genotypes taken from the Cambodian rice improvement program was used to examine the magnitude and nature of G × E interactions for GY in Cambodia. These genotypes were evaluated in a multi-environment trial (MET) conducted across 3 years (2000–2002) and eight locations in the rainfed lowlands. The G × E interaction was partitioned into components attributed to genotype-by-location (G × L), genotype-by-year (G × Y) and genotype-by-location-by-year (G × L × Y) interactions. The G × L × Y interaction was the largest component of variance for GY. The G × L interaction was also significant and comparable in size to the genotypic component (G). The significant G component was partly explained by a group of four genotypes that were broadly adapted to different environmental conditions represented by three environmental groups. The three environmental groups were identified from a pattern analysis, and the grouping was partly related to the time of sowing, and hence water availability at flowering. A major factor contributing to the large G × L × Y interactions for GY was late maturing genotypes being affected greatly when soil water availability at flowering was reduced greatly, compared to earlier maturing genotype groups. While the differential genotypic responses to the water availability environment explained part of a large G × E interaction for GY, other non-water related environmental conditions also appeared to have contributed to the interaction. Three target environments were identified for focusing efforts of the breeding programs in Cambodia, and four putative genotypes were selected for their high yield and wide adaptation in the rainfed lowlands.     

Raised and sunken bed land configuration for crop diversification and crop and water productivity enhancement in rice paddies of the north eastern region of India

Paddy and Water Environment - The crop and water productivity (WP) of monocropped rice in lowland of north-eastern region of India is low mainly due to cultivation of long duration variety, meagre...     

Assessing the acceptance of the system of rice intensification among farmers in rainfed lowland rice region of Cambodia

We conducted interview survey with rainfed rice farmers at a commune in southern Cambodia to identify the determinants of their adoption or rejection of the system of rice intensification (SRI) for the wet season of 2014. SRI was first introduced to the commune in 2003 and spread among the farmers, but the number of farmers discontinuing the practice has increased since 2011. We classified the farmers into four categories: those who practice SRI in all their fields (OA), farmers who practice SRI in some of their fields (PA), farmers who had practiced SRI but discontinued it (DA), and farmers who have never practiced SRI (CR). Farmers in different categories of SRI adoption differed in their access to water sources. The majority of OA and PA farmers had supplementary water sources, which was, however, available to less than 50% of DA farmers and only 15% of CR farmers. Both PA and DA farmers mentioned water shortage as the reason for not practicing SRI in some (PA) or any (DA) of their fields, but they differed in the number of rice fields. All the PA farmers had more than one field, whereas a majority of DA farmers had only one field. Labor shortage and difficulty of planting in a regular grid pattern were also mentioned as the reason for not practicing SRI by the farmers, particularly by DA farmers. Water constraint and difficulties in transplanting were thus identified as two major determinants of SRI adoption/rejection at the study site.     

Conservation and efficient utilization of rainwater in the rainfed shallow lowland paddy fields of Eastern India

Paddy and Water Environment - A two-stage rainwater conservation technique was intervened in the farmers field of rainfed shallow low land, in which, part of the rainwater is conserved in rice...     

A water balance model for characterization of length of growing period and water stress development for rainfed lowland rice

There is large year-to-year variation in rice production across the Mekong region (Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) due to uncertainty in the timing of the onset of the wet season and drought stress that may develop at any time during the growth of rainfed lowland rice. Unique to the nature of lowland water balance is a large component of deep percolation water loss, which depends on soil texture. The objectives of this study were to develop a soil water balance model for calculating the amount of water held in field storage (i.e. in soil and, if there is standing water, above the soil surface) and to apply it to determine the length of growing period (LGP) and water stress development in relation to soil type and rainfall pattern for the rice ecosystem. The water balance is computed separately for above-ground plus topsoil layer and subsoil layer. Components of the water balance are the existing amount of stored water, rainfall, evapotranspiration, deep percolation, and runoff. The deep percolation rate was determined from clay content in each soil layer. The model runs with daily or weekly weather data to estimate the soil water level for the growing period in the wet season. The model was validated with data collected from top, middle and bottom of rainfed lowland fields in Savannakhet province, Laos. The best correlation between the observed and simulated water level was obtained (r² = 0.41) for middle fields. The simulation results showed that LGP varied greatly from year to year, particularly in locations with sandy soils, due mostly to variation in monthly rainfall occurring at the early part of the growing season (April), but also to some extent by variation at the end of growing season (October). Soil texture on the other hand is shown to have a large influence on the end of the rice growing period and hence LGP, and also water stress development during growth. Sandy soils with clay content less than 7% that are prevalent in the province are shown to cause frequent water stress and early finish in rainfed lowland rice. The model accordingly provides reasonable outputs that can provide a geographical dimension of soil hydrological patterns for various rice growing environments, and also identify the spatial pattern of drought stress that is likely to occur. Model outputs can be used to provide guidelines for practical advice to the rice farmers and researchers for determination of appropriate crop management strategies (e.g. time of planting, varieties), and policy makers for investment decisions on inputs (e.g. fertilizer price) aimed at increasing rice productivity in this Mekong region.     

Variation in lowland rice yield and its determinants in a rainfed area in Savannakhet Province,Laos

Paddy and Water Environment - Irrigated areas in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) constitute only 12% of the total agricultural land. Most of the lowland rice is cultivated under...     

Suppressing weeds in direct-seeded lowland rainfed rice: Effect of cutting dates and timing of fertilizer application

Weeds cause substantive yield losses in rainfed rice, particularly direct-seeded rice (DSR). Two field experiments were conducted in 2005 in north-east Thailand to examine the effects of cutting date and timing of fertilizer application on suppressed weed, growth and yield of DSR. Treatments consisted of two fertilizer applications to the main plots (top-dressing at the date of cutting and 15 days after cutting; DAC) and four cutting dates of the sub-plots. Rice and weed cutting was performed at 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after seeding (DAS), compared with an untreated control. Cutting resulted in a higher growth rate and improved grain yield of rice compared to the untreated control. Weed cutting at 60 DAS resulted in the greatest leaf area index, which contributed to the maximum number of tiller as well as maximum plant dry mass when observed at 30 DAC. Lower densities and dry weights of weeds at 30 DAC were observed when cutting was done 60 DAS, resulting in a higher grain yield than the other cutting dates. Timing of fertilizer application had no significant effect on the density and dry weight of grasses and broad-leaved weeds, but did have a significant affected on, resulting in the lowest density of sedges at 45 DAC was observed with fertilizer applied at cutting date. Rice grain yield was higher with top-dressing of fertilizer at 15 DAC than with fertilizer applied at cutting date. The cutting treatments resulted in higher net incomes than the untreated control. These results indicate that rice and weed cutting at an appropriate growth stage is an alternative method to chemical weed control for DSR in rainfed riceland.     

Adaptation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes in the rainfed lowlands of Lao PDR

Genotype by environment (G×E) interactions for grain yield were investigated in 14 rice genotypes across eight rainfed lowland field environments in Lao PDR, in order to identify stable adapted cultivars for improved farmer livelihood and food security. G×E accounted for 20.3% of the total variance, with three vectors from ordination analysis accounting for 75.1% of the G×E-SS, in 6 genotype?×?6 environment groups. PCA1 indicated water-limited yield potential, PCA2 pre-flowering stress and PCA3 post-flowering stress. Genotype groups (G1–G6) differed in adaptation to these environments. G5 (VT450-2 and TSN9) were widely adapted and high-yielding. G6 (TDK11 and TDK37) were also high-yielding, topping the rankings in three environment groups, but yielded less in Phalanxay 2012 and Phalanxay 2011, where their phenology was unstable under stress. Other genotype groups showed specific adaptations, but failed to exceed yields of G5 and G6. Hence, VT450-2 and TSN9 (G5) were the preferred genotypes for rainfed lowland in southern Lao PDR, due to their high and stable grain yields. Stability in flowering time and high yield in rainfall deficit were desirable traits for improved farmer livelihood and food security.     

Delay of heading date as an index of water stress in rainfed rice in mini-watersheds in Northeast Thailand

Drought is recognized as a primary constraint for rainfed rice production. In this study, the spatial distribution of heading date of rainfed rice and its relation to field water conditions were investigated for 2 years in mini-watersheds called Nong in Northeast Thailand, in order to clarify the toposequential variation in the degree of water stress of rice. Although the difference in the relative field elevation in the mini-watersheds was only a few meters, the water availability in terms of standing water and soil moisture markedly decreased with ascending elevation. Rice cultivars, KDML 105 and RD 6, the two dominant genotypes in Northeast Thailand, reached the heading stage at nearly the same day in the absence of water stress, independent of transplanting or seeding date under customary management. As the water availability decreased with ascending field elevation, the heading date of rice was markedly delayed. The delay seemed to be related to the cumulative water stress before heading of rice. The rice harvest index and yield at farmers’ fields decreased linearly with the delay of heading. The observed toposequential distribution of heading date indicated that quite severe water stress was imposed in the uppermost fields of the mini-watersheds, while practically no water stress occurred in the lower fields, at least in the lower half of the mini-watersheds. These results suggest that the delay of heading is a good index for rice water stress in rice in Northeast Thailand and can be applicable to field classification with respect to drought risk.     

Dissection of heterotic loci for grain yield using interconnected chromosome segment substitution lines in rice

Heterosis contributes greatly to crop production, but the genetic basis of heterosis is not fully understood.To identify heterotic loci(HLs) for grain yield, 12 yield traits were evaluated in four rice(Oryza sativa L.)mapping populations: one parental population of chromosome segment substitution lines derived from a cross between the japonica cultivar Nipponbare and indica cultivar 9311 and three connected test populations in either a homozygous 9311 genetic background or a heterozygous background. A total of 390 HLs were detected for the measured traits in two environments. The genetic bases of heterosis differed between the backcross and testcross populations. At least 10 HLs were confirmed in F1 hybrids between9311 and near-isogenic lines, each of which carried a heterotic locus of interest in the same 9311 background. All 10 showed overdominant or dominant effects on grain yield and yield components. Among them, three were verified as being associated with yield heterosis and colocalized in the same regions as those containing previously reported heterosis-associated genes. Five HLs were identified to be promising candidate loci that could be used to achieve more than 15% yield heterosis in several commercial rice hybrids. These findings suggest the potential of indica or japonica introgression for increasing yield in hybrid rice breeding programs.     

Genotypic differences in grain yield of transplanted and direct-seeded rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in northeastern Thailand

We evaluated the genotypic differences in grain yield of 14 rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes with different phenology under four growing conditions: transplanting (TP) or direct-seeding (DS) in a toposequentially lower (with favorable water conditions) or upper (drought at around flowering stage) field at Ubon Ratchathani, northeastern Thailand. Thirteen of the genotypes – five early-maturing, four intermediate, and four late – had been bred for rainfed lowlands in northern and northeastern Thailand. IR24, a semi-dwarf, high-yielding, and early-maturing genotype bred for irrigated lowlands, was included for comparison. Genotypic differences in grain yield were significant in a combined analysis of all 4 growing conditions, and both high sink size (spikelet number per area) and high ripened grain percentage were associated with high yield. IR24 did not out-yield the rainfed-lowland genotypes, and its yield was particularly low in DS, owing to poor shoot dry matter production and low spikelet number per panicle. In the lower field, the interaction between cultivation method and genotype was also significant. In the lower field, late maturity was more strongly related to high shoot dry weight at maturity in TP than in DS; some of the early- to intermediate-maturing genotypes in DS produced shoot dry weights at maturity that were comparable to those of the late-maturing genotypes. High shoot dry matter production and large spikelet number per panicle were associated with high grain yield in DS genotypes in the lower field, whereas in TP genotypes with large numbers of panicles were required for high grain yield. Although the field location–genotype interaction and the field location–cultivation method–genotype interaction were not significant, regression analysis showed that late-maturing genotypes yielded less than earlier maturing genotypes, owing to the smaller ripened grain percentage resulting from late-season drought, in the upper field but not in the lower field. The presence of a trade-off between number of ripened grains and grain size in the lower field indicated the possibility of increasing the yield in rainfed-lowland genotypes by increasing assimilation capacity during grain filling. Phenology is important in the development of higher-yielding genotypes for different cultivation methods and different toposequential positions.     

Comparative study on sizing properties of amphoteric starch and phosphorylated starch for warp sizing

By varying the ratios of N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropl) trimethylammonium chloride and orthophosphate to starch, a series of amphoteric starch with different degree of substitution (DS) were prepared for evaluating sizing effect of amphoteric starch for cotton warps. The amphoteric starch contained quaternary ammonium and phosphate groups simultaneously, and was set to electric neutrality by varying relative quantity of anionic and cationic groups in order to prevent adverse effects of negative and positive charges. The influence of amphoteric modification of starch on the adhesion to cotton fibers was assessed by measuring tensile strength and work-to-break of slightly sized cotton roving and comparing the adhesion of amphoteric starch with those of phosphorylated one. Comparison on mechanical performances of amphoteric starch film over phosphorylated one was evaluated in terms of tensile strength, breaking extension and wear loss of starch film. The properties such as increase in tensile strength, loss in elasticity, abrasion resistance, and hairiness of cotton yarns sized with amphoteric starch were evaluated through control tests by the comparison with those of phosphorylated one. When zeta potential of amphoteric starch was set close to zero, the adhesion increased and the properties of sized yarns enhanced as the modification level increased. The amphoteric starch was evidently superior to phosphorylated one in improving the quality of sized cotton yarns. The amphoteric starch with neutral zeta potential and DS levels of 0.02–0.03 for quaternary ammonium groups and phosphate ones, respectively, could be applied to size cotton warp yarns for the improvement of yarn quality.