Influence of Nitrogen Application on Anther Length, Anther Width and Number of Engorged Pollen Grains as Characters Related to Cooling Injury in Rice Plants

Abstract

Anther length, anther width, and number of engorged pollens were reported to have a relationship to cooling injury of rice. The effects of nitrogen application on anther size and number of pollens were studied in a field for two years. Higher basal nitrogen application (tested from 0 to 13 g/m²) resulted in shorter anther length, shorter anther width, and fewer engorged pollens. The top dressing of nitrogen (4 g/m²) applied at the panicle formation stage resulted in shorter anther length, shorter anther width, and fewer engorged pollens compared with top dressings at other stages or with no top dressing. The effects of a top dressing on anther size and on the number of pollens were small when the nitrogen applied was 10 g/m².