Physio-Morphological Characters of F_1 Hybrids of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Japonica-Indica Crosses : 2. Heterosis for leaf area and dry matter accumulation

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the heterosis for morphological characters and to examine the relationship among some characters at active tillering, flowering and dough ripe stages of 12 F_1 hybrids from crosses between japonica and indica rice. Heterosis for plant height, number of tillers, green leaf area and dry matter accumulation per plant was positive at all stages. The intensity of heterosis was higher at the active tillering stage for number of tillers, leaf area and dry matter accumulation per plant. A significant positive relationship was found between tiller number and leaf area per plant at active tillering and flowering stages. Significant positive relationships between leaf area and dry matter accumulation, and between tiller number and dry matter accumulation per plant were observed at all stages. A significant positive relationship was found between leaf area per plant at an early stage and dry matter accumulation per plant at a later stage, suggesting that early development of leaf area is an important factor for higher dry matter accumulation in F_1 hybrids. Although heterosis for percent dead leaf blade was positive at the flowering stage due to early leaf senescence in some F_1 hybrids, a larger leaf area was also found in F_1 hybrids at this stage and leaves of F_1 hybrids remained green longer compared to parent cultivars up to the dough ripe stage