Respiration hastens maturation and lowers yield in rice

S-shaped growth curves in fermentations and golden ratio

A model of the growth curve of microorganisms was proposed, which reveals a relationship with the number of a ‘golden section’, 1.618[Formula: see text]…, for main parameters of the growth curves. The treatment mainly concerns the ratio of the maximum asymptotic value of biomass in the phase of slow growth to the real value of biomass accumulation at the end of exponential growth, which is equal to the square of the ‘golden section’, i.e., 2.618. There are a few relevant theorems to explain these facts. New, yet simpler, methods were considered for determining the model parameters based on hyperbolic functions. A comparison was made with one of the alternative models to demonstrate the advantage of the proposed model. The proposed model should be useful to apply at various stages of fermentation in scientific and industrial units. Further, the model could give a new impetus to the development of new mathematical knowledge regarding the algebra of the ‘golden section’ as a whole, as well as in connection with the introduction of a new equation at decomposing of any roots with any degrees for differences between constants and/or variables.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Phenotype and Associated Genes: Roles of Germination, Flowering, Root/Shoot Length and Biomass

Crop improvement for Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) requires a well-defined phenotype and genotype, especially for different N-forms. As N-supply enhances growth, we comprehensively evaluated 25 commonly measured phenotypic parameters for N response using 4 N treatments in six indica rice genotypes. For this, 32 replicate potted plants were grown in the green-house on nutrient-depleted sand. They were fertilized to saturation with media containing either nitrate or urea as the sole N source at normal (15 mM N) or low level (1.5 mM N). The variation in N-response among genotypes differed by N form/dose and increased developmentally from vegetative to reproductive parameters. This indicates survival adaptation by reinforcing variation in every generation. Principal component analysis segregated vegetative parameters from reproduction and germination. Analysis of variance revealed that relative to low level, normal N facilitated germination, flowering and vegetative growth but limited yield and NUE. Network analysis for the most connected parameters, their correlation with yield and NUE, ranking by Feature selection and validation by Partial least square discriminant analysis enabled shortlisting of eight parameters for NUE phenotype. It constitutes germination and flowering, shoot/root length and biomass parameters, six of which were common to nitrate and urea. Field-validation confirmed the NUE differences between two genotypes chosen phenotypically. The correspondence between multiple approaches in shortlisting parameters for NUE makes it a novel and robust phenotyping methodology of relevance to other plants, nutrients or other complex traits. Thirty-Four N-responsive genes associated with the phenotype have also been identified for genotypic characterization of NUE.

Phenotyping for Nitrogen Use Efficiency: Rice Genotypes Differ in N-Responsive Germination, Oxygen Consumption, Seed Urease Activities, Root Growth, Crop Duration, and Yield at Low N

The biological improvement of fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is hampered by the poor characterization of the phenotype and genotype for crop N response and NUE. In an attempt to identify phenotypic traits for N-response and NUE in the earliest stages of plant growth, we analyzed the N-responsive germination, respiration, urease activities, and root/shoot growth of 21 Indica genotypes of rice (Oryza sativa var. indica). We found that N delays germination from 0 to 12 h in a genotype-dependent and source-dependent manner, especially with urea and nitrate. We identified contrasting groups of fast germinating genotypes such as Aditya, Nidhi, and Swarnadhan, which were also least delayed by N and slow germinating genotypes such as Panvel 1, Triguna, and Vikramarya, which were also most delayed by N. Oxygen uptake measurements in the seeds of contrasting genotypes revealed that they were affected by N source in accordance with germination rates, especially with urea. Germinating seeds were found to have endogenous urease activity, indicating the need to explore genotypic differences in the effective urea uptake and metabolism, which remain unexplored so far. Urea was found to significantly inhibit early root growth in all genotypes but not shoot growth. Field evaluation of 15 of the above genotypes clearly showed that germination rates, crop duration, and yield are linked to NUE. Slow germinating genotypes had longer crop duration and higher yield even at lower N, indicating their higher NUE, relative to fast germinating or short duration genotypes. Moreover, longer duration genotypes suffered lesser yield losses at reduced N levels as compared to short duration genotypes, which is also a measure of their NUE. Together, these results indicate the potential of germination rates, crop duration, urea utilization and its effect on root growth in the development of novel phenotypic traits for screening genotypes and crop improvement for NUE, at least in rice.