[Relationships of rice canopy PAR interception and light use efficiency to grain yield]

Taking two rice cultivars (Liangyoupeijiu and Wuxiangjing 14) with different plant types as test materials, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to study the relationships of rice canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception and light use efficiency to grain yield under three planting densities and five nitrogen (N) application rates. From tillering to maturing stage, the average PAR reflectance in all treatments was 3.45%. The ratio of reflected PAR to the total loss of PAR from tillering to heading stage was 10.90%, which was significantly lower than that (22.06%) from heading to maturiting stage. The PAR conversion efficiency from tillering to maturing stage decreased with increasing planting density but increased with increasing nitrogen rate, and the conversion efficiency was significantly higher from tillering to heading than from heading to maturing stage. The PAR use efficiency from tillering to maturing stage increased with the increase of planting density and nitrogen application rate, and the average PAR use efficiency of Liangyoupeijiu (1.83 g x MJ(-1)) was significantly higher than that of Wuxiangjing 14 (1.42 g x MJ(-1)). Due to the longer growth period of Wuxiangjing 14, its incident PAR and intercepted PAR under midium and high planting densities were higher, as compared with Liangyoupeijiu. The grain yield was significantly positively correlated with the canopy PAR interceptance and use efficiency at different growth stages, but less correlated with the PAR conversion efficiency. To increase the canopy PAR use efficiency and conversion efficiency on the basis of maintaining higher PAR interception rate could be an effective way to increase rice yield.