ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Crop and Product Physiology
Effect of nitrogen fertilizer regulation on rice panicle morphology, yield and economic benefits under Low-temperature stress
Provisionally accepted
Xiaojing Du*
Yanhong Zhang*
Tianyu HouZhiqiang ZhaoDong LiMintai KangXiaorong WenFusen TangBuhaliqem AblizYuhong Qi
Quan YuanJie YuanFengbin Wang- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China, Urumqi, China
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This study aimed to determine the optimal nitrogen (N) application rate for mitigating low-temperature (LT) stress damage at different growth stages and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in rice cultivation in Xinjiang. A split-plot field experiment was conducted in 2024 using the rice cultivar 'Xinjing 8'. The main plots included three temperature environments: control (CK), low-temperature stress at the tillering (TLS), and low-temperature stress at the jointing stage (JLS), perform a 3-day LT treatment at 16℃. Subplots were assigned five N application rates: 295.5, 267.9, 240.3, 212.7, and 0 kg·ka-1. The effects of N rate on rice panicle traits, yield, and economic benefits under these growing environments were evaluated. The results indicated that under low-temperature stress, rice exhibited significant reductions in panicle weight, plant height, number of secondary branches, effective panicles, and grain yield per panicle, particularly during the jointing stage. Nitrogen supplementation under low-temperature stress significantly improved rice tillering and panicle traits, simultaneously elevating grain yield and economic benefits. Specifically, at optimal nitrogen application rate of 267.9 kg ha-1, the crop yields under TLS and JLS treatments were 4424.40 and 2350.82 kg ha-1. At the same N application rate, a positive net income was achieved only in the CK treatment. This study identifies a nitrogen application rate of 267.9 kg ha-1 as an effective measure to mitigate low-temperature stress-induced limitations on rice panicle development, resulting in enhanced yield and economic gains. Consequently, it provides a practical solution for advancing sustainable rice cultivation in cold-prone regions such as Xinjiang.
Keywords: rice, Low-temperature stress, nitrogen fertilization, Panicle morphology, grain yield
Received: 07 Oct 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Du, Zhang, Hou, Zhao, Li, Kang, Wen, Tang, Abliz, Qi, Yuan, Yuan and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaojing Du
Yanhong Zhang
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