Heading Response of Rice Varieties under Temperature and Day-Length Conditions of Low-Temperature Regions in North Korea

The heading response of rice varieties, originated from South Korea, North Korea, and northern China, was examined under the temperature and day-length conditions of 10 low-temperature regions in North Korea. When 30-day-old broadcast tray-raised seedlings (BS) were used, only one or a few varieties reached the heading stage within the safe marginal heading date (SMHD) under the Hamhung, Pyonggang, Huichon, and Kanggye conditions. In the Yangdok and Sinpo environments, no varieties reached heading until SMHD. The South Korean varieties that reached the heading stage between SMHD and late marginal heading date (LMHD) were Jinbuol, Baegilmi, Joun, Jopum, Jinok, Jopyeong, Sanhomi, and Odae for the Hamhung, Pyonggang, Huichon, and Kanggye; Joun for Sinpo; and none for Yangdok, Kimchaek, Sonbong, and Chunggang environments. The number of days to heading (DTH) was positively correlated among all 10 regions. Reduced DTH in the 30-day-old pot tray-raised seedlings (PS), compared to BS, was not consistent with varieties and regions. Reduced DTH in PS, compared to BS, was the largest in Jinok and Sonbong9 among the South and North Korean varieties, respectively, whereas it was small in the northern Chinese varieties. The South Korean varieties that headed until SMHD in PS were Jinok for the Hamhung, Pyonggang, Yangdok, Sinpo, and Kanggye environments; and Jinbuol, Jopum, and Jinok for the Huichon condition. In the Kimchaek and Chunggang conditions, Jinok reached the heading stage within LMHD. With the use of PS for some responsive varieties such as Jinok, varietal adaptability could be improved to the conditions of low-temperature regions in North Korea. None of the PS or BS among the tested varieties reached the heading stage until LMHD for the Chongjin and Sonbong conditions.