A Decreased Nitrogen Rate with Increased Planting Density Facilitated Better Palatability of Conventional japonica Rice at High Yield Levels

A decreased nitrogen (N) rate with increased planting density (DNID) is recommended as a feasible method to maintain rice grain yield and N-utilization efficiency. However, it is still unclear whether DNID could improve grain quality, particularly the edible quality of rice. Three high-yield rice with superior palatability (HYSP) and three high-yield rice with inferior palatability (HYIP) were grown under DNID and local cultivation practices (LCP) in the same paddy fields during the 2018 and 2019 rice planting seasons. HYSP exhibited similar grain yields to HYIP under both cultivation treatments. HYSP had more spikelets per m 2 through panicles per m 2 , while having lower spikelets per panicle and 1000-kernel weight than HYIP. DNID increased panicles per m 2 and 1000-kernel weight and decreased spikelets per panicle of HYSP and HYIP compared with LCP. HYSP exhibited more biomass accumulation during heading to maturity under NDID and LCP ( p < 0.05), which is supported by a higher leaf area index (LAI) and SPAD values after heading. DNID reduced shoot biomass weight and non-structural carbohydrate, while increasing harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve, especially for HYSP ( p < 0.05). HYSP had a higher amylopectin content, total starch content, gel consistency, stickiness, and overall palatability ( p < 0.05), while it had a lower hardness ( p < 0.05) than HYIP. Compared with LCP, DNID increased the amylose content, amylopectin content, total starch content, gel consistency, stickiness, and overall palatability, while it decreased grain protein content and hardness of HYSP and HYIP. HYSP showed consistently higher peak viscosity, breakdown, and gelatinization temperatures ( p < 0.05), while it showed lower setback ( p < 0.05) than HYIP. For HYSP and HYIP, DNID increased the peak viscosity, breakdown, and gelatinization temperatures ( p < 0.05), while it decreased the setback compared with LCP. Generally, the results indicated that coordinated yield components, more post-heading biomass accumulation, lower amylose content, higher peak viscosity and breakdown with lower setback, and higher gelatinization temperatures facilitated high-level grain yield and excellent cooked rice palatability of HYSP. DNID is a feasible method to maintain rice grain yield and enhance the quality of cooked rice for edible properties.