Association of Duration and Rate of Grain Filling with Grain Yield in Temperate Japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Grain filling is a crucial factor that determines grain yield in crops since it is the final process directly associated with crops’ yield performance. Grain filling process can be characterized by the interaction of rate and duration of grain filling. This study was conducted, using 16 temperate japonica rice genotypes, with aims to (1) seek variations in grain filling duration and rate on area basis, (2) compare the contribution of grain filling duration and rate to grain yield, and (3) examine the influence of temperature and solar radiation for effective grain filling on grain yield in relation to grain filling duration and rate. Grain filling rate and duration exhibited highly significant variations in the ranges of 20.7~46.3 g m-2 d-1 and 11.2~35.5 days, respectively, depending on rice genotypes. Grain yield on unit area basis was associated positively with grain filling duration but negatively with grain filling rate. Grain filling rate and duration were negatively correlated with each other. Final grain weight increased linearly with the rise in both cumulative mean temperature and cumulative solar radiation for effective grain filling. Higher cumulative mean temperature and cumulative solar radiation for effective grain filling were the results of longer grain filling duration, but not necessarily higher daily mean temperature and daily solar radiation for effective grain filling. Grain filling rate demonstrated an increasing tendency with the rise in daily mean temperature for effective grain filling but their relationship was not obviously clear. It was concluded that grain filling duration, which influenced cumulative mean temperature and cumulative solar radiation for effective grain filling, was the main factor that determined grain yield on unit area basis in temperate japonica rice.