Introduction to the Characteristics of the Huaidao 6 Rice Variety

Huaidao 6, formerly coded "Huai 6329", was bred by the Huaiyin City Agricultural Science Institute of Jiangsu Province through a double cross of Wuyujing 3 // Zhongguo 91 / Yanjing 2, and is an excellent medium-maturing medium japonica variety combining high yield, stable yield and good quality.

Characteristics: Huaidao 6 has a plant height of about 95cm, with thick and sturdy stems and strong lodging resistance. The plant type is moderately compact, with relatively upright leaves arranged evenly. It has strong tillering ability, with a maximum stem and tiller number per mu of 300,000-320,000. Stems and tillers grow uniformly, with a high earbearing rate, generally reaching 75%-80%. Panicles and grains are well coordinated, with an average effective panicle number per mu of about 240,000, filled grains per panicle of 100-120, and a 1000-grain weight of around 28g. Identified through multi-year, multi-site intermediate trials, it shows good field resistance to bacterial leaf blight and rice blast, with only very few trial sites showing slight susceptibility to rice blast. It has moderate shattering, good color conversion in the late stage, no premature senescence, green stems and yellow grains, and excellent ripening color and appearance. When grown as a wheat-stubble rice in Huaibei, the whole growth period is about 150d, 1d earlier than Zhendao 88. According to the rice quality test results for the 1998 rice crop conducted by the Rice Quality Inspection Center of the Ministry of Agriculture in the spring of 1999, among 12 indicators, 9 indicators including brown rice rate, head rice rate, transparency, gel consistency, alkali spreading value and protein content reached the Ministry-issued first-grade high-quality rice standard, and two indicators, chalkiness degree and amylose content, reached the second-grade high-quality rice standard. Another indicator, chalky grain rate, was 12%, also close to the second-grade high-quality rice standard. In the autumn of 1999, the Jiangsu Provincial Seed Station uniformly sampled and sent samples to the Rice Quality Inspection Center of the Ministry of Agriculture for analysis, and its overall score ranked as one of two medium-maturing medium japonica varieties scoring above 60 points, 5 points higher than both Zhendao 88 and Sidao 9, and 3 points higher than Zaofeng 9. The cooked rice is white, moderately soft and firm, does not harden after cooling, and has good palatability.

Yield performance: In 1995, it participated in the Huaiyin City medium japonica regional trial, with an average yield of 615.0kg per mu, 13.9% higher than the control Sidao 9, ranking first among the tested varieties (lines). In 1997-1998, it participated in the Jiangsu Province Huaibei medium japonica regional trial for two consecutive years, with an average yield of 649.2kg per mu, 10.2% higher than the control Sidao 9, reaching an extremely significant level, and ranking second among the tested varieties (lines). In 1999, it entered the Jiangsu Province Huaibei medium japonica production trial, with an average yield of 601.5kg per mu, 3.2% higher than the control Zhendao 88.

Breeder: Huaiyin City Agricultural Science Institute of Jiangsu Province

Regions and techniques: 1. Cultivate strong seedlings. Generally sow in early to mid-May and transplant in mid-June. For wet seedling beds, the seedling age is about 30d, with a sowing rate of 25-30kg per mu of net seedling bed; for dry-raised seedlings, the seedling age is about 45d, with a sowing rate of 40-45kg per mu of net seedling bed. For wet seedling beds, apply sufficient basal fertilizer, apply weaning fertilizer early at the one-leaf-one-heart stage, apply heavy fertilizer at the three-leaf stage to promote thickening and tillering, and apply a bridging fertilizer 3-4d before transplanting, aiming for an average of 1-2 tillers per seedling. For dry-raised seedlings, follow the operating procedures for dry seedling raising, and carry out practices such as fertilizing the seedbed, seed soaking with chemicals, moisture retention for full emergence, water control to promote rooting and tillering, and control of pests, diseases, weeds and other pests, so as to ensure that the seedlings grow compact, sturdy and green, with an average of 2-3 tillers per seedling before transplanting. 2. Reasonable dense planting. Huaidao 6 has a moderately compact plant type, and the transplanting row and plant spacing in general fields is preferably 23cm x 13cm, ensuring 20,000 hills per mu, with 3-4 seedlings per hill, and a basic population of 70,000-80,000 per mu (including large tillers of two leaves and one heart or more). For high-yield fields, use 27cm x 13cm, with 3-4 seedlings per hill, and a basic population of about 60,000 per mu. If the basic population exceeds 100,000, the mid-season population will be too large and panicle size will become smaller; if the basic population is less than 50,000, the number of panicles will be insufficient, and yield will be affected in both cases. 3. Scientific fertilizer application. Apply basal fertilizer before land preparation, with 12.5-15.0kg urea per mu or 40-50kg ammonium bicarbonate, and 30-40kg calcium superphosphate. Apply green-turning fertilizer about 7d after transplanting, with 12.5kg urea per mu. For panicle fertilizer, both promotion and preservation should be considered, applying about 8kg urea each when 3.5 and 1.5 leaves remain. Potassium fertilizer can be applied at the end of tillering, or before jointing at the same time as the flower-promoting fertilizer, with 10kg potassium chloride per mu. 4. Good water management. Achieve deep water for seedling establishment and shallow water for promoting tillering, striving for early and rapid development. About 18d after transplanting, when the total stem and tiller number reaches around 220,000 per mu, drain the field moderately in stages, and regulate the peak seedling number to about 280,000-320,000 per mu around 28d after transplanting. During the booting and flowering stages, irrigation with a water layer should be the main practice, and at other times alternate wetting and drying; cut off water 5-7d before maturity to help nourish roots and preserve leaves, and increase grain number and grain weight. 5. Carry out good pest and disease control. In seedling fields, use omethoate and other agents to control rice thrips; in main fields, use validamycin, bisultap, methamidophos and other pesticides to control sheath blight, stem borers and other pests and diseases, and especially before heading and at the peak tillering stage, do a good job of coordinated control.