Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Rice Seedlings Raised with Long Mat by Hydroponics: —Comparison with young seedlings raised in soil—

Abstract

SummaryGrowth and physiological characteristics of rice seedlings raised with long mat by hydroponics (SLH) were compared with those of young seedlings raised in soil (YSS). When SLH and YSS were raised under the similar environmental conditions, the dry weight of shoot in SLH was significantly lighter than that in YSS at the time of seedling harvest, whereas the shoot in SLH was as long as that in YSS. The increase of dry weight of shoot and the decrease of dry weight of grain were smaller in SLH than in YSS during the raising of seedlings. In addition, the content of soluble sugars in the grain of SLH was apparently lower than that of YSS, indicating that the supply of carbohydrates from endosperm to shoot was less in SLH than in YSS. Crop growth rate and mean leaf area index of SLH were lower than those of YSS, while net assimilation rate of SLH was similar to that of YSS. The size of leaf blades in SLH was markedly smaller than that in YSS, whereas no significant difference was observed in the rates of photosynthesis and dark respiration in leaf blades between SLH and YSS. The results suggest that the leaf growth of SLH is reduced by the insufficient supply of carbohydrates from endosperm, and this is the major cause of lower levels of dry matter production in SLH as compared with that in YSS.