Effects of natenpac, a functional analogue of abscisic acid on the growth and yield of rice

The cross-talk of plant hormones plays a synergistic role in the growth and development of crops. In order to explore the application prospects of the functional analogue of abscisic acid—natenpac in rice, this paper studied the effects of seed soaking with 1000 times solution of 0.03% natenpac aqueous solution (AS), and spraying 2% natenpac + IBA wettable powder (WP) dilution seven days before transplanting rice seedlings on the growth, development and yield of rice, through four kinds of different treatment modes "seed soaking + direct seeding" "seed soaking + transplanting" "seed soaking + spraying + transplanting" and "spraying + transplanting". The 0.03% S-ABA AS and 2% S-ABA + IBA (0.2 : 1.8, m/m, a.i) WP dilutions were used as the drug control, and water used as blank control, respectively. The effect of natenpac on rice growth and development and yield was assessed by investigating seed germination potential, germination rate, tiller number, number of spikes, seed-setting rate, 1000-grain weight and yield for determining the best treatment pattern for yield increase. The results showed that seed soaking with 1000 times solution of 0.03% natenpac AS could increase the germination rate of rice seeds by 3.3%, which was 1% higher than 0.03% S-ABA AS. In terms of rice yield increase, each treatment mode has a significant impact on the yield increase. In terms of increasing yield alone, the "spraying + transplanting" treatment mode has the best yield increase effect. Spraying 1000 times solution of 2% natenpac + IBA WP seven days before transplanting can achieve a 21.7% increase in rice yield. From the perspective of both improving rice quality and increasing rice yield, the "soaking + transplanting" treatment mode has the best effect. It is appropriate to seed soaking with 1000 times solution of 0.03% natenpac AS and then raise seedlings for transplanting, which not only ensures the quality of rice but also increases yield by 9.7%. This study clarifies the best treatment mode for improving rice quality and yield, and provides a sufficient basis for the application of natenpac in rice production.