Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice

Water scarcity is the major challenge to sustainable rice production. This study examines how alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD), a widely adopted water-saving practice, influences grain-filling dynamics and starch physicochemical properties in both superior grains (located on apical...

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Main Authors: Tianyang Zhou, Chengcheng Ge, Yuguang Zang, Kuanyu Zhu, Weiyang Zhang, Hao Zhang, Lijun Liu, Zhiqin Wang, Junfei Gu, Jianchang Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Food Chemistry: X
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590157525007795
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author Tianyang Zhou
Chengcheng Ge
Yuguang Zang
Kuanyu Zhu
Weiyang Zhang
Hao Zhang
Lijun Liu
Zhiqin Wang
Junfei Gu
Jianchang Yang
author_facet Tianyang Zhou
Chengcheng Ge
Yuguang Zang
Kuanyu Zhu
Weiyang Zhang
Hao Zhang
Lijun Liu
Zhiqin Wang
Junfei Gu
Jianchang Yang
author_sort Tianyang Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Water scarcity is the major challenge to sustainable rice production. This study examines how alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD), a widely adopted water-saving practice, influences grain-filling dynamics and starch physicochemical properties in both superior grains (located on apical primary branches, flower earlier) and inferior ones (located on proximal secondary branches, flower later). Results showed that AWMD enhanced grain-filling in inferior grains: it increased the mean (Gmean) and peak (Gmax) filling rates by 26.9 % and 26.3 % respectively, while shortening the filling duration (D) by 14.1 %. These changes ultimately enhanced carbohydrate supply and starch accumulation. Biochemically, AWMD promoted a short-chain amylopectin structure, increasing amorphous polymer content, short-range disordered molecular arrangements, and reducing relative crystallinity. These structural modifications enhanced starch pyrolysis rates, viscosity, breakdown, and adhesiveness, while decreasing phase transition temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, and hardness. The study demonstrates that AWMD not only reduces irrigation demand but also improves starch quality, especially in low-quality inferior grains, through optimized grain-filling kinetics. These findings suggests that AWMD is an effective strategy for the sustainable production of high-quality rice starch for food use.
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spelling doaj-art-72b5826bd97f49ec9af9db1ec529f92f2025-08-23T04:49:05ZengElsevierFood Chemistry: X2590-15752025-08-013010293210.1016/j.fochx.2025.102932Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of riceTianyang Zhou0Chengcheng Ge1Yuguang Zang2Kuanyu Zhu3Weiyang Zhang4Hao Zhang5Lijun Liu6Zhiqin Wang7Junfei Gu8Jianchang Yang9Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Corresponding authors at: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Corresponding authors at: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.Water scarcity is the major challenge to sustainable rice production. This study examines how alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD), a widely adopted water-saving practice, influences grain-filling dynamics and starch physicochemical properties in both superior grains (located on apical primary branches, flower earlier) and inferior ones (located on proximal secondary branches, flower later). Results showed that AWMD enhanced grain-filling in inferior grains: it increased the mean (Gmean) and peak (Gmax) filling rates by 26.9 % and 26.3 % respectively, while shortening the filling duration (D) by 14.1 %. These changes ultimately enhanced carbohydrate supply and starch accumulation. Biochemically, AWMD promoted a short-chain amylopectin structure, increasing amorphous polymer content, short-range disordered molecular arrangements, and reducing relative crystallinity. These structural modifications enhanced starch pyrolysis rates, viscosity, breakdown, and adhesiveness, while decreasing phase transition temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, and hardness. The study demonstrates that AWMD not only reduces irrigation demand but also improves starch quality, especially in low-quality inferior grains, through optimized grain-filling kinetics. These findings suggests that AWMD is an effective strategy for the sustainable production of high-quality rice starch for food use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590157525007795Alternate wetting and moderate soil dryingStarch structure, starch physicochemical propertiesInferior grainsSuperior grains
spellingShingle Tianyang Zhou
Chengcheng Ge
Yuguang Zang
Kuanyu Zhu
Weiyang Zhang
Hao Zhang
Lijun Liu
Zhiqin Wang
Junfei Gu
Jianchang Yang
Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
Food Chemistry: X
Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying
Starch structure, starch physicochemical properties
Inferior grains
Superior grains
title Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
title_full Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
title_fullStr Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
title_full_unstemmed Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
title_short Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying (AWMD) enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain-filling in inferior grains of rice
title_sort alternate wetting and moderate soil drying awmd enhances the physicochemical properties of rice starch by promoting grain filling in inferior grains of rice
topic Alternate wetting and moderate soil drying
Starch structure, starch physicochemical properties
Inferior grains
Superior grains
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590157525007795
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