Effects of Light Shading, Fertilization, and Cultivar Type on the Stable Isotope Distribution of Hybrid Rice

The effect of fertilizer supply and light intensity on the distribution of elemental contents (%C and %N) and light stable isotopes (C, N, H, and O) in different rice fractions (rice husk, brown rice, and polished rice) of two hybrid rice cultivars (maintainer lines You-1B and Zhong-9B) were investigated. Significant variations were observed for δ(13)C (−31.3 to −28.3‰), δ(15)N (2.4 to 2.7‰), δ(2)H (−125.7 to −84.7‰), and δ(18)O (15.1‰ to 23.7‰) values in different rice fractions among different cultivars. Fertilizer treatments showed a strong association with %N, δ(15)N, δ(2)H, and δ(18)O values while it did not impart any significant variation for the %C and δ(13)C values. Light intensity levels also showed a significant influence on the isotopic values of different rice fractions. The δ(13)C values showed a positive correlation with irradiance. The δ(2)H and δ(15)N values decreased with an increase in the irradiance. The light intensity levels did not show any significant change for δ(18)O values in rice fractions. Multivariate ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect of different factors (light intensity, fertilizer concentration, and rice variety) on the isotopic composition of rice fractions. It is concluded that all environmental and cultivation factors mentioned above significantly influenced the isotopic values and should be considered when addressing the authenticity and origin of rice. Furthermore, care should be taken when selecting rice fractions for traceability and authenticity studies since isotopic signatures vary considerably among different rice fractions.