Screening Reproductive-Stage Cold Tolerance For The NSW Rice Improvement Program

Abstract

A summary of this work is provided. The rest of the report will subsequently be the basis for information contained in a thesis to be produced by John Smith, Masters student. This project aimed at developing a clearly-defined and repeatable low-temperature screening protocol to enable selection for cold tolerance in the NSW DPI Rice Improvement Program. The series of trials identified a number of important issues that must be addressed when measuring tolerance to low temperatures during the reproductive stage of rice. The capacity of the controlled-environment glasshouse to maintain the temperatures necessary to induce floret sterility is extremely important, as small deviations from both maximum and minimum temperatures can influence floret sterility. The controlled-temperature facility used at Deniliquin had limited capacity to maintain low temperatures during periods of high ambient minimum temperatures. The glasshouse in which plants are raised before and after cold treatment must also have good temperature control so that cold damage is not induced during these periods. Factors other than temperature also influence floret sterility, and this project demonstrated an effect of the position of the pot within the glasshouse, as well as an effect associated with plants were completely surrounded by others or at the edge of the plant canopy ...