Climate change (CC) in central China will change seasonal patterns of agricultural production through increasingly frequent extreme climatic events (ECEs). Breeding climate-resilient wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes may mitigate adverse effects of ECEs on crop productivity. To reveal crop traits conducive to long-term yield improvement in the target population of environments, we created 8,192 virtual genotypes with contrasting but realistic ranges of phenology, productivity and waterlogging tolerance. Using these virtual genotypes, we conducted a genotype (G) by environment (E) by management (M) factorial analysis (G×E×M) using locations distributed across the entire cereal cropping zone in mid-China. The G×E×M invoked locally-specific sowing dates under future climates that were premised on shared socioeconomic pathways SSP5-8.5, with a time horizon centred on 2080. Across the simulated adaptation landscape, productivity was primarily driven by yield components and phenology (average grain yield increase of 6-69% across sites with optimal combinations of these traits). When incident solar radiation was not limiting carbon assimilation, ideotypes with higher grain yields were characterised by earlier flowering, higher radiation-use efficiency and larger maximum kernel size. At sites with limited solar radiation, crops required longer growing periods to realise genetic yield potential, although higher radiation-use efficiency and larger maximum kernel size were again prospective traits enabling higher rates of yield gains. By 2080, extreme waterlogging stress in some regions of mid-China will impact substantially on productivity, with yield penalties of up to 1,010 kg ha^-1. Ideotypes with optimal G×M could mitigate yield penalty caused by waterlogging by up to 15% under future climates. These results help distil promising crop trait by best management practice combinations that enable higher yields and robust adaptation to future climates and more frequent extreme climatic events, including flash flooding and soil waterlogging.

Global warming and altered precipitation patterns pose a serious threat to crop production in the North China Plain (NCP). Quantifying the frequency of adverse climate events (e.g., frost, heat and drought) under future climates and assessing how those climatic extreme events would affect yield are important to effectively inform and make science-based adaptation options for agriculture in a changing climate. In this study, we evaluated the effects of heat and frost stress during sensitive phenological stages at four representative sites in the NCP using the APSIM-wheat model. climate data included historical and future climates, the latter being informed by projections from 22 Global Climate Models (GCMs) in the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) for the period 2031–2060 (2050s). Our results show that current projections of future wheat yield potential in the North China Plain may be overestimated; after more accurately accounting for the effects of frost and heat stress in the model, yield projections for 2031-60 decreased from 31% to 9%. Clustering of common drought-stress seasonal patterns into key groups revealed that moderate drought stress environments are likely to be alleviated in the future, although the frequency of severe drought-stress environments would remain similar (25%) to that occurring under the current climate. We highlight the importance of mechanistically accounting for temperature stress on crop physiology, enabling more robust projections of crop yields under future the burgeoning climate crisis.

Super hybrid rice with predominantly large panicle types has achieved remarkable success in enhancing crop yield. However, when compared with multi-panicle-type varieties, the yield stability of large panicle-type varieties remains a challenge, and limited information is available on the comparative advantages of multi-panicle types. Consequently, a two-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the grain yield, biomass production, leaf area index (LAI), and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of large panicle-type hybrid rice (Y-liangyou 900, YLY900) and multi-panicle-type hybrid rice (C-liangyouhuazhan, CLYHZ) under three nitrogen (N) treatments (0, 180, 270 kg N ha⁻¹). The effects of increased N fertilization were more pronounced in the large panicle-type varieties. YLY900 outperformed CLYHZ in terms of average yield (6% higher), and its yield advantage was attributed to higher spikelets per panicle (28%). Due to YLY900’s RUE being 9% higher than CLYHZ, it results in a 12% greater accumulation of dry matter than CLYHZ. Furthermore, YLY900 exhibited significant improvements of 16%, 4%, and 14% in specific leaf weight, effective leaf area ratio, and LAI at 20 days after the heading stage (20DAH), respectively, compared with CLYHZ. YLY900 also demonstrated a stronger correlation between rice yield and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) compared with CLYHZ, with R² values of 0.80 and 0.66, respectively. These findings highlight the superior performance of YLY900, resulting from higher light interception percentage (IP) and IPAR values, which consequently led to enhanced RUE and grain yield. Our research reveals that delayed leaf senescence by increasing LAI at the post-heading stage for large panicle-type hybrid rice, thereby contributing to greater RUE, led to higher biomass production and grain yield.

The remarkable yield performance of super hybrid rice has played a crucial role in ensuring global food security. However, there is a scarcity of studies investigating the contribution of radiation use efficiency (RUE) to hybrid rice yields under different nitrogen and potassium treatments. In this three-year field experiment, we aimed to evaluate the impact of two hybrid rice varieties (Y-liangyou 900: YLY900 and Quanyouhuazhan: QYHZ) under varying nitrogen regimes (N₉₀: 90 kg N ha⁻¹, N₁₂₀: 120 kg N ha⁻¹, N₁₈₀: 180 kg N ha⁻¹) and potassium regimes (K₁₂₀: 120 kg K₂O ha⁻¹, K₁₆₀: 160 kg K₂O ha⁻¹, K₂₁₀: 210 kg K₂O ha⁻¹) on grain yield and its physiological determinants, including RUE, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), aboveground biomass production, and harvest index (HI). Our results revealed that both rice varieties exhibited significantly higher yields when coupled with nitrogen and potassium fertilization. Compared to the N₉₀ × K₁₂₀ treatment, the N₁₂₀ × K₁₆₀ and N₁₈₀ × K₂₁₀ combinations resulted in substantial increases in grain yield (12.0% and 21.1%, respectively) and RUE (11.9% and 21.4%, respectively). The YLY900 variety showed notable yield improvement due to enhanced aboveground biomass production resulting from increased IPAR and RUE. In contrast, the QYHZ variety’s aboveground biomass accumulation was primarily influenced by RUE rather than IPAR, resulting in higher RUE and grain yields of 9.2% and 5.3%, respectively, compared to YLY900. Importantly, fertilization led to significant increases in yield, biomass, and RUE, while HI remained relatively constant. Both varieties demonstrated a positive relationship between grain yield and IPAR and RUE. Multiple regression analysis indicated that increasing RUE was the primary driver of yield improvement in hybrid rice varieties. By promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing fertilizer management, elevating nitrogen and potassium levels from a low base would synergistically enhance rice yield and RUE, emphasizing the critical importance of RUE in hybrid rice productivity compared to HI.

The rapid development of new roots in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) is crucial for shortening the returning green time of seedlings and accelerating tillering. Root regeneration plays an important role in enabling seedlings to resume normal growth and produce effective spikes after root injury. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in new root production and the growth of seedlings of different varieties after root cutting in addition to the key physiological factors. We utilized hydroponics to set up four different time treatments to observe the occurrence of root systems in various rice seedling varieties after root cutting; we also measured related physiological indexes to further analyze the results. This study found that changes in aboveground nutrient, energy, and hormone levels in seedlings are critical for the growth of new roots after cutting. A morphological analysis showed that the root germination force of Zhongzao 39 (ZZ39) was stronger than Jiazao 311 (JZ311) before shearing and weaker after shearing. Physiological and biochemical analyses revealed that both ZZ39 and JZ311 experienced a decrease in their aboveground nitrogen and phosphorus content after root cutting. Soluble sugar content and starch content were found to decrease to their lowest levels after two days of root shearing. Furthermore, both varieties showed a significant increase in aboveground indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content after two days of root shearing, and the IAA content in new roots was also higher. The results indicate that higher levels of hormones in seedlings with cut roots can enhance the transportation of nutrients and carbohydrates from the stems and leaves to the roots, leading to improved growth and the production of new roots. Additionally, the accumulation of IAA in damaged roots can also positively impact this process. This study found significant differences in the regeneration of rice seedling roots after cutting depending on the variety. We identified key physiological characteristics that affect new root generation, which provides a scientific basis for identifying strong root regeneration varieties and developing cultivation measures to promote new root growth in rice.

Super hybrid rice has significantly enhanced agricultural productivity in China, yet its environmental sustainability implications remain poorly understood. Using the food-carbon-nitrogen-energy-profit (FCNEP) framework, we evaluated five elite varieties (LYPJ, YLY1, YLY2, YLY900, XYL900) cultivated between 1999 and 2017. Field experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2017 across four provinces (Hubei, Hunan, Henan, and Jiangxi Province) in central China under four nitrogen treatments (0, 210, 300, 390 kg N/ha). Our findings reveal that while variety evolution boosted yields and reduced energy footprints (EFs), it also resulted in an increase in the nitrogen and carbon footprint (CF). Compared with LYPJ, newer varieties increased yields by 15.0–21.7% and net profits by 25.9–40.3%, while reducing energy footprints by 16.3–22.7%. However, nitrogen and carbon footprints rose by 8.0–34.5% and 31.0–76.6%, respectively. The composite sustainability score, derived from the FCNEP framework, indicated an initial improvement in sustainability during the early breeding stages of super hybrid rice. However, as breeding advanced, the sustainability score showed a subsequent decline. This study underscores the trade-off between enhancing productivity and maintaining environmental sustainability in superhybrid rice breeding. Future super hybrid rice breeding initiatives should prioritize balancing yield improvements with environmental considerations to promote sustainable agricultural development.