Effect of silicon fertilizer application on yield and grain quality of japonica rice from Northeast China.

The effect of silicon fertilizer rate on rice yield and quality was studied by using Shennong 265 and Fengyou 2000 as materials in a pot experiment.The rice grain yield increased with the application of silicon,especially at a silicon fertilizer rate of 240 kg/hm2 for Shennong 265 and at 180 kg/hm2 for Fengyou 2000,respectively.For the yield components,the number of panicles per plant,1000-grain weight of the grains on the primary rachis branches,1000-grain weight of the grains on the secondary rachis branches,number of grains per panicles were increased with the application of silicon.The rice quality was significantly improved especially for brown rice rate,milled rice rate,head rice rate,chalky grain rate and chalkiness.Correlation analysis showed that the milled rice rate and head rice rate were significantly and positively correlated with silicon rate for the two varieties.In Shennong 265,the content of fatty acid was significantly and positively correlated with the silicon rate and taste value was significantly and negatively correlated with the silicon rate.There was no significant correlation between the content of amylose or protein and the silicon rate within a range of 0 to 240 kg/hm2.Considering the grain yield and quality together,180 to 240 kg/hm2 silicon was suitable.