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Does reducing seed-P concentrations affect seedling vigor and grain yield of rice?

Plant and Soil volume 392, pages 253–266 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims

Phosphorus (P) removed in grains causes losses of P from fields each year. Reducing grain P may therefore improve the P efficiency of cropping systems. This study quantified impacts of reduced seed-P concentrations on rice seedling vigor and final yields and investigated whether this was influenced by soil P supply or genotype.

Methods

Seed batches with P concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 3.5 mg g−1 were produced by growing rice in field plots ranging from severely P-deficient to fully fertilized and used in glasshouse and field experiments to investigate effects on seedling vigor and final grain/straw yield.

Results

‘Genotype by seed-P concentration’ interactions were significant for seedling vigor but grain yield was generally not affected. This suggested some genotypes were sensitive to reduced seed-P concentration during the seedling stage while others with seed-P concentrations as low as 0.9 mg g−1 maintained rapid early vigor and high grain yield.

Conclusions

Results indicate it may be possible to reduce seed-P concentrations without having negative effects on seedling vigor or yield. The development of cultivars with reduced seed-P concentration, particularly if combined with rapid seedling root growth, could be a valid option to improve the sustainability of phosphate fertilizer use.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crop, Livestock and Environment Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science, 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8686, Japan

    Juan Pariasca-Tanaka, Asako Mori & Matthias Wissuwa

  2. Africa Rice Center, P.O. Box 33581, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Elke Vandamme

  3. Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso

    Zacharie Segda

  4. Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), 01 BP 2031, Cotonou, Benin

    Kazuki Saito

  5. Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, PO Box 57, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia

    Terry J Rose

  6. Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, PO Box 57, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia

    Terry J Rose

Authors
  1. Juan Pariasca-Tanaka
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  2. Elke Vandamme
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  3. Asako Mori
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  4. Zacharie Segda
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  5. Kazuki Saito
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  6. Terry J Rose
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  7. Matthias Wissuwa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthias Wissuwa.

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Responsible Editor: Tim S. George.

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Pariasca-Tanaka, J., Vandamme, E., Mori, A. et al. Does reducing seed-P concentrations affect seedling vigor and grain yield of rice?. Plant Soil 392, 253–266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2460-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2460-2

Keywords

  • Rice genotypes
  • Seed-P concentration
  • Seedling vigor
  • Yield
  • Sustainable P utilization