Shade tolerance is associated with foliar adaptations, improved radiation use efficiency, and photosynthetic rate in rice.

ABSTRACT: Low-light (LL) stress imposes a major constraint on rice yield in densely planted and monsoonal environments, yet the mechanistic basis of shade tolerance remains insufficiently resolved. We investigated four rice genotypes under simulated LL conditions, including two LL-tolerant varieties (Purnendu and Swarnaprabha) and two LL-susceptible varieties (IR64 and IR8). Responses were systematically analysed from the flag leaf to the fourth leaf. Comprehensive evaluation included measurements of light interception, chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange, carbohydrate content, chloroplast ultrastructure, and the expression of fourteen photosynthesis-related genes. Our findings demonstrate that LL tolerance in rice cannot be explained by adaptation of a single leaf; rather, it results from a coor

SUBMITTER: Panda D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12630764 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature