Introduction to the Characteristics and Traits of the Rice Variety Baliangyou 96

Baliangyou 96 is a medium-maturing two-line hybrid early rice combination developed by the Huaihua City Agricultural Science Research Institute of Hunan Province using Annong 810S and Huai 96-1.

Characteristics and traits: moderate plant height of 80-85 cm, compact plant type, tough stems, fertilizer-tolerant and lodging-resistant, good color change at the late stage, green stalks with yellow grain, average tillering ability, high panicle-setting rate, generally 1.2-1.5 million basic seedlings per hectare, with a maximum of about 4.5 million, 3.6-3.9 million effective panicles, 95-105 total grains per panicle, seed-setting rate above 80%, 1000-grain weight 24.8 g. The rice quality is good; according to measurements by the China National Rice Research Institute, the comprehensive quality reaches the Ministry-issued second-grade high-quality rice standard. Field performance shows light damage from rice blast, and moderate resistance to bacterial leaf blight.

Yield performance: In the 1999 Tongcheng City early rice regional trial, Baliangyou 96 had an average yield of 7.23 t/hm2, ranking first among the tested varieties, increasing yield by 21.5% compared with Jiayu 948 and by 5.2% compared with Xiangliangyou 68. In the 2000 early rice regional trial, Baliangyou 96 had an average yield of 7.52 t/hm2, ranking first among the tested varieties, increasing yield by 23.4% compared with Jiayu 948 and by 4.5% compared with Xiangliangyou 68. In 2000, our city's seed company conducted a demonstration planting of 1 hm2 in Bainian Village, Xindu Town; after acceptance, 5 fields totaling 0.68 hm2 had an average yield of 7.19 t/hm2, and the high-yield field reached a unit yield of 7.96 t/hm2.

Breeder: Huaihua City Agricultural Science Research Institute of Hunan Province

Region and techniques: 1. Use "less soaking, more sprouting, chemical treatment" seed soaking, and promote strong sprouts at suitable temperature. Before soaking, select seeds with clean water to remove empty and shriveled grains, adopt "less soaking, more sprouting" soaking, and use strong chlorine disinfectant during the second soaking. Because hybrid early rice is not tolerant of high temperature during the breaking stage, the temperature during breaking should be kept at 32°C-35°C and must not exceed 38°C; during sprouting, the temperature should be maintained at 25°C-30°C. This can avoid high-temperature sprout burning, and the sprouts produced are neat and strong.

2. Sow early and thinly at the right time, and cultivate young, multi-tillering strong seedlings. To seize the season, sowing is required from March 28 to 31, using arched-film-covered soft-disk seedling cultivation or conventional wet seedling cultivation. For soft-disk seedling cultivation, 850-900 seedling trays are needed per hectare, and sprouted grains are spread evenly according to the field rate. For conventional wet seedling cultivation, 225-300 kg of sprouted grains are sown evenly per hectare in the seedling field. To increase the seedling survival rate, soft-disk seedling cultivation should use a special strong-seedling agent for early rice, and conventional wet seedling cultivation should spray the seedling field surface with 1000-fold Dexon solution. The seedling field must receive sufficient basal fertilizer, and "weaning fertilizer" should be applied early. For conventional wet seedling cultivation, where conditions permit, the film-covering time should be extended to achieve more tillering in the seedling field.

3. Transplant or throw at the right time, with sufficient basic seedlings. The seedling age is 25-30 d, that is, conventional wet seedling cultivation at leaf age 5.5-6.0 leaves, and soft-disk seedling cultivation at about 4 leaves, can be transplanted or thrown. Plant 375,000 hills per hectare, with 2 seed seedlings per hill, and 1.2-1.5 million basic seedlings per hectare; the planting density is 20 cm x 13 cm. When pulling seedlings, wash little or not at all, and transplant with soil. For throw-transplanting fields, the field must be finely leveled, and 330,000-375,000 hills per hectare should be thrown.

4. Apply sufficient basal fertilizer and topdress early. Baliangyou 96 has moderate fertilizer demand; for a yield above 7.5 t per hectare, 150-180 kg of pure nitrogen is needed. Apply appropriately less on fertile fields and appropriately more on lean fields. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 1:0.7:0.7. Sufficient basal fertilizer is required; 5-7 d after transplanting, combine with weeding and topdress tillering fertilizer. At the late stage, according to growth conditions, supplement with panicle fertilizer. After full heading, spray 1500-2250 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per hectare as grain-filling fertilizer.

5. Strengthen water and slurry management, and dry the field at the right time. Transplanted fields require shallow-water transplanting, suitable water for protecting seedlings, and frequent shallow irrigation to promote tillering. After weeding and fertilizing, drain the field water for aeration, then irrigate with fresh water to promote deep rooting of old roots and vigorous growth of new roots. When the number of seedlings reaches 3.6 million/hm2, dry the field to control ineffective tillering. The drying should be lighter than for conventional rice; generally dry until the mud is blue-gray and the feet do not sink when walking in the field, then implement intermittent irrigation after rewatering. Throw-transplanting fields require throwing seedlings in muddy water for seedling establishment and shallow water for tillering. When the number of seedlings reaches 2.7 million/hm2, drainage and field drying can begin. Heavy drying for muddy fields and light drying for sandy fields; after drying, rewater shallowly, let it dry naturally for field exposure, then add shallow water again, repeating several times.

6. Integrated control of pests and diseases. Focus on the control of the striped stem borer, rice leaf roller, and sheath blight.

Approval status: In January 1999, it passed the approval of the Huaihua City Crop Variety Approval Group; in February 2000, it passed the approval and naming by the Hunan Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee.