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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #301606
Title: Rice grain element concentration predictions based on leaf concentrations: accelerating improvement of nutritional quality

Author
item TARPLEY, LEE - Texas A&M Agrilife
item CHITTOORI, RATNAPRABHA - Texas A&M University
item Pinson, Shannon
item SALT, DAVID - University Of Aberdeen
item GUERINOT, MARY LOU - Dartmouth College
item COTHREN, J. TOM - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Rice Technical Working Group Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/18/2014
Publication Date: 12/10/2014
Citation: 3. Tarpley, L., R. Chittoori, S.R.M. Pinson, D.E. Salt, M.L. Guerinot, B. Lahner, M. Zhang, and J.T. Cothren. 2014. Rice grain element concentration predictions based on leaf concentrations: accelerating improvement of nutritional quality. Proc. 35th Rice Tech. Work. Group Meet., New Orleans, LA, p. 51. Feb. 18-21, 2014. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The genetic improvement of rice grain element composition traditionally requires taking numerous plants to maturity before analyzing their grain element concentrations for making selections. This study evaluated if vegetative-leaf concentrations of elements could be used to predict grain concentrations of the elements. The study material included 39 rice genotypes selected based on their extreme differences in grain element concentrations based on previous studies examining the USDA core collection under flooded and unflooded field management. In addition, ‘Lemont’ was included as a U.S. check variety. In this study, weekly plantings of the 40 genotypes provided a wide range of vegetative development at the single harvest, which occurred when the earliest genotypes of the earliest planting dates were near boot stage. The developmental stage of each plant was recorded based on the number of leaves exerted per main culm, and the tip (3 cm) of the uppermost fully exerted leaf was harvested for analysis of elemental concentrations (ionomic analysis). As a group, genotypes selected for high grain-cadmium, -cobalt, -molybdenum, and -strontium harvested from flooded field plots showed higher leaf-element concentrations as well. Also, as a group, genotypes selected for high grain-cadmium, -molybdenum, -rubidium, and -sulfur from unflooded field plots showed higher-than-average leaf-element concentrations. No leaf-grain associations were obtained for copper or nickel concentrations. For a particular element, when the selected genotypes as a group showed excellent agreement between leaf and grain element concentrations, then the use of vegetative-stage leaf element concentrations to accelerate the screening of diverse germplasm collections for grain concentration of the element appears plausible.