The in vitro culture of rice panicles is a culturing technique only panicle without other organs in culture solution containing organic substance, so that would be useful to study how assimilate supply affects grain development and maturation. To find the optimum stage for in vitro culture, rice panicles grown in greenhouse were sampled periodically after anthesis and cultured in nutrient medium. The panicles older than 1 weeks after anthesis had produced normal grains. Grain-filling was apparently dependent upon sucrose concentration (8-12 %) in medium, but not affected by nitrogen concentration supplied with glutamine. As far as rice panicle was supplied with sucrose and N in nutrient medium, grains continued accumulation of dry matter and maturation regardless to light condition. Considerably, grain-filling was improved when panicles were positioned horizontally inside flask, so that each grain was partially submerged to nutrient medium.

• Ho-Jin Lee
• Jin-Ho Lee