Improving both grain yield and resource use efficiencies simultaneously is a major challenge in rice production. However, few studies have focused on integrating dense planting with delayed and reduced nitrogen application to enhance grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the double rice cropping system in South China. A high-yielding indica hybrid rice cultivar (Yliangyou 143) was grown in field experiments in Guangxi, South China, with three cultivation managements: farmers’ practice (FP), dense planting with equal N input and delayed N application (DPEN) and dense planting with reduced N input and delayed N application (DPRN). The grain yields of DPRN reached 10.6 and 9.78 t ha^–1 in the early and late cropping seasons, respectively, which were significantly higher than the corresponding yields of FP by 23.9–29.9%. The grain yields in DPEN and DPRN were comparable. NUE in DPRN reached 65.2–72.9 kg kg^–1, which was 61.2–74.1% higher than that in FP and 24.6–30.2% higher than that in DPEN. RUE in DPRN achieved 1.60–1.80 g MJ^–1, which was 28.6–37.9% higher than that in FP. The productive tiller percentage in DPRN was 7.9–36.2% higher than that in DPEN. Increases in crop growth rate, leaf area duration, N uptake from panicle initiation to heading and enhancement of the apparent transformation ratio of dry weight from stems and leaf sheaths to panicles all contributed to higher grain yield and higher resource use efficiencies in DPRN. Correlation analysis revealed that the agronomic and physiological traits mentioned above were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield. Comparison trials carried out in Guangdong in 2018 and 2019 also showed that DPRN performed better than DPEN. We conclude that DPRN is a feasible approach for simultaneously increasing grain yield, NUE and RUE in the double rice cropping system in South China.

In order to understand the response of nitrate metabolism in seedlings of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) to low oxygen stress (LOS), two cultivars were studied at different light, LOS time and exogenous nitrate concentrations under hydroponic stress. Results show that N-uptake and dry matter of rape seedlings were decreased after LOS stress while nitrate accumulation (NA) under LOS was induced by darkness. Nitrate accumulation peaked at 3 d while root activity (RA, defined as dehydrogenase activity) decreased with prolonged waterlogging exposure. Exogenous nitrate significantly elevated NA and RA. Tungstate (TS) and LOS inhibited nitrate reductase (NR) activity while NR transcription and activity were enhanced by exogenous nitrate. Low oxygen stress stimulated the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) slightly, but inhibited that of catalase (CAT). B. napus L. Zhongshuang 10 (ZS10), a LOS tolerant cultivar, displayed smaller decrease upon dry matter under LOS, higher NA in darkness and lower NA in light than B. napus L. Ganlan CC (GAC), a LOS sensitive variety. ZS10 had lower NA and higher RA after waterlogging and exogenous nitrate treatment, and higher NR activity under TS inhibition than GAC, but the activity of antioxidant enzymes did not change under LOS. The results indicate that nitrate metabolism involved tolerance of rape seedlings to LOS, with lower accumulation and higher reduction of nitrate being related to higher LOS tolerance of rape seedlings exposed to waterlogging.