Changes in Cooking and Nutrition Qualities of Grains at Different Positions in a Rice Panicle under Different Nitrogen Levels

Cooking and nutrition qualities of grain are two of the most important aspects of rice quality. To understand the difference in cooking and nutrition qualities among the grains at different positions within a rice panicle, the distributions of gel consistency (GC), amylose content (AC) and crude protein content (CPC) of grains in a panicle in association with different nitrogen levels (0, 120 and 240 kg/ha) were investigated by using two rice varieties, Yangdao 6 (indica) and Wuyujing 3 (japonica). In general, the grains at the basal part of a panicle had lower GC and higher AC than those at the upper or middle part of a panicle. The 1st grain on the secondary branch with earlier flowering exhibited the highest GC, whereas the 2nd grain on the primary branch with later flowering showed the highest AC. For Yangdao 6, CPC in the grains on the primary branches was lower at the middle part of a panicle than at the upper or basal part of a panicle. For Wuyujing 3, there were no significant differences in CPCs in the grains among the upper, middle and basal parts of a panicle. GC in the grains was increased, whereas AC was reduced from zero nitrogen application (0N) to low amount of nitrogen application (LN), and the result was reversed from LN to medium amount of nitrogen application (MN). CPC was increased with the increase in the amount of nitrogen application.