Xiong Liangyou Aomeixiang

Variety Name: Xiong Liangyou Aoxiangmei

Approval Number: National Rice Variety Approval No. 20216112

Breeding Institution: Hunan Aopulon Technology Co., Ltd., Hunan Agricultural University

Variety Origin: Xiongfeng 68S × Aomeixiang

Characteristics: A indica-type two-line hybrid rice variety. When grown as a single-season mid-season rice in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, its total growth period is 133.9 days, 0.3 days earlier than the control variety Fengliangyou No. 4. Plant height is 122.0 cm, panicle length is 25.2 cm, with 164,000 effective panicles per mu; each panicle bears 226.5 grains, with a seed-setting rate of 82.1% and a 1,000-grain weight of 23.7 g. Disease resistance: the comprehensive blast disease index over two years was 4.3 and 5.0, respectively; the panicle-neck blast damage rating reached the highest level of 7; bacterial leaf blight rating was 7; brown planthopper rating was 9, indicating strong susceptibility to brown planthopper, moderate susceptibility to blast, and moderate susceptibility to bacterial leaf blight; moreover, it exhibits relatively strong heat tolerance during heading. Key grain quality parameters: milled rice recovery rate of 55.2%, chalkiness of 1.3%, amylose content of 15.4%, gel consistency of 61 mm, alkali digestion value of 6.3, and length-to-width ratio of 4.3, meeting the Grade II standard stipulated in the agricultural industry’s “Quality Standards for Edible Rice Varieties.”

Yield Performance: In 2019, the variety was included in the regional trial for the late-maturing medium-grain indica rice group in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, achieving an average yield of 698.39 kg per mu, a 6.13% increase over the control variety Fengliangyou No. 4. In the follow-up trial in 2020, the average yield was 658.64 kg per mu, representing a 3.18% increase over Fengliangyou No. 4. Over the two-year regional trial period, the average yield was 678.51 kg per mu, a 4.66% increase compared with the control. In the 2020 production trial, the average yield was 634.2 kg per mu, a 2.92% increase over Fengliangyou No. 4.

Key cultivation techniques: 1. Precision seeding and robust seedling cultivation: For mid-season rice, sow in mid-to-late April; for transplanted seedlings, use 1.0–1.2 kg of seed per mu; for direct seeding or broadcast transplanting, use 1.5–2.0 kg per mu. Strengthen fertilizer and water management during the seedling stage and effectively control brown planthoppers. 2. Timely early transplanting to promote tillering: Transplant transplanted seedlings when they have 5–6 leaves, at an age of 25–30 days; transplant dry-seeded seedlings when they have 3.5–4 leaves, at an age of 15–18 days. Adopt moderate planting density with a high number of basic seedlings: plant at a spacing of 20 cm × 30 cm, with three seedlings per hill, resulting in 80,000–100,000 basic seedlings per mu. 3. Moderate-to-high fertilizer and water management with increased phosphorus and potassium application: Apply a heavy base fertilizer—25–30 kg of high-concentration compound fertilizer or 35–40 kg of ordinary compound fertilizer per mu; apply tillering fertilizer early—6–8 kg of urea per mu 5–7 days after transplanting, and 8–10 kg of potassium chloride per mu 20–25 days after transplanting. Apply panicle- and grain-filling fertilizer judiciously: at the end of the drying period before panicle initiation, apply 12–15 kg of potassium chloride per mu to promote large panicles with more grains and stronger grain filling, while limiting nitrogen fertilizer application in the mid-to-late stages. 4. Scientific water management and pest–disease control: Maintain a shallow water layer for green-up; alternate between shallow and moist conditions during tillering; conduct field drying once sufficient seedlings have emerged; keep shallow water during panicle initiation and heading; alternate between wet and dry conditions during grain filling; drain the field 6–8 days before harvest. Implement timely control measures against sheath blight, blast, false smut, brown planthoppers, and stem borers, with particular emphasis on blast.

Review and Approval Opinion: This variety meets the national standards for rice variety approval and has been officially approved. It is suitable for single-season mid-season rice cultivation in the Yangtze River basin rice-growing areas of Hubei Province (excluding the Wuling Mountain region), Hunan Province (excluding the Wuling Mountain region), Jiangxi Province, Anhui Province, and Jiangsu Province, as well as in the mid-season rice-growing areas of Zhejiang Province, the northern rice-growing areas of Fujian Province, and the southern rice-growing areas of Henan Province—provided these regions are low-incidence areas for blast disease. Planting is not recommended in areas with recurrent outbreaks of blast disease.