Grain density and its impact on grain filling characteristic of rice: mechanistic testing of the concept in genetically related cultivars

Physiological factors controlling assimilate partitioning was compared in relation to panicle architecture of lax- (Upahar) and compact-panicle (Mahalaxmi) rice cultivars. Grain number and ethylene production at anthesis are low, but filling rate is high in the former compared to high grain number and ethylene production and poor filling trait of the latter. Similar to Mahalaxmi, its progenitors Pankaj and Mahshuri, had attributes of high grain number and grain density, but grain filling was higher and ethylene evolution was lower. Disturbed genetic coherence owing to imbalance of gene groups brought in the cross combinations of Mahshuri and Pankaj could be responsible for high ethylene production leading to semi sterility of Mahalaxmi as the hormone slackened endosperm starch bio-synthesis enzyme activities. Mahalaxmi inherited grain compactness trait of its progenitors, but not the physiological attribute for reduced ethylene production, which impacted grain filling. Upahar, the progeny genotype of Mahalaxmi and IR62 cross, inherited the dominant allele for low ethylene production and good grain filling traits from the high yielding IR62. In conclusion grain filling in compact-panicle rice becomes poor subject to expression of recessive allele for high ethylene production, but the allele is amenable for suppression by corresponding dominant allele in a genetic breeding.