15. Application of spermidine to manage water stress for improved fine rice yield and quality

Abstract

Climate change has created challenges for the rice producers and farmers are shifting rice cultivation in aerobic system to save irrigation water. Although in aerobic rice, crop can be matured with less irrigation water but farmers have to compromise yield reduction linear to water saving. Spermidin is plant hormone which has significant role to stand plant in water stress condition. So, in this field experiment, we foliarly applied spermidine at seedling (F₁), tillering (F₂), panicle intiation (F₃), seedling and panicle initiation (F₄), tillering and panicle initiation (F₅), Seedling, Tillering and Panicle initiation (F₆) under aerobic and flooded condition. We observed different growth, yield and quality parameters during course of study. Spermidin application resulted in improved crop performance both in aerobic as well as in flooded rice. Treatments comparison revealed that spermidin application at panicle initiation stage resulted in better crop performance in sense of economics involved. Furthermore, spermidine application also improved rice quality which is one of most important factor in fine rice. In a nutshell, it can be suggested that aerobic rice productivity can be improved with spermidin application at panicle initiation stage to couple water stress.

Keywords: Growth; Grain quality; Rice; Spermidin: Yield

http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90193