Effects of high temperature on grain filling and some physiological characteristic in flag leaves of hybrid rice

The effects of high temperature on grain filling rate and some physiological indexes in flag leaves in hybrid rice Teyou 559 were studied. The results showed that chlorophyll content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in flag leaves were lower significantly by high temperature stress (Figs.2A and 3A). The electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were higher significantly under high temperature stress (Figs.2B and 3B). The proline (Pro), ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), soluble protein and soluble sugar contents were lower significantly by high temperature stress than those of the control (Figs.4,5 and 6). Both the rate of grain filling and grain dry matter accumulation become lower significantly under high temperature stress (Figs.7 and 8). Therefore, it was suggested that high temperature accelerated the senescence of rice leaf and decreased the photosynthesis rate during grain filling period, and then which was the main reason in physiology which resulted the decrease of grain filling rate, seed setting rate, grain weight and yield.