This study was conducted to examine the physiological and biochemical responses against UV-B radiation in the seedling of 15 different rice cultivars, having the different physiological sensitivities. Out of 15 rice cultivars tested, moderate and susceptible groups showed significant decreases in biomass and RGR (relative growth rate). Contents of total chlorophyll were reduced remarkedly by irradiation of UV-B. In all rice cultivars tested, the content of chlorophyll a was strongly decreased, while the contents of chlorophyll b were slightly reduced without showing clear different among three groups and 15 cultivars. Carotenoid content was largely reduced by UV-B radiation, whereas polyamine content was moderately increased. The contents of MDA (malondialdehyde) that reflect the level of lipid peroxidation of cell membranes were clearly increased by UV-B stress, showing higher content in susceptible cultivars than moderate and torelant cultivars. The physiological important parameters highly related to visible injury were leaf color, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and lipid peroxidation, whereas biomass and polyamines were not closely correlated. Based on this results, it was concluded that changes of visible injury and the contents of chlorophyll and MDA could be adequately applied and utilized as physiological indicators to UV-B radiation

This experiment was carried out at paddy field (commercial silty loam soil) in the southwestern Korea. Pungsannamulkong, a determinate growth habit, was a relatively high yielding and late maturing cultivar, and Han­namkong, a semi determinate growth habit, was a relatively low yielding and early maturing cultivar. Seeds were sowed at two plants and with a planting density of 70~times10cm on May 26, 2003. Fertilizer was applied prior to planting at a rate of 3.0-3.0-3.4g (N-P2O5-K2O)~;per~;m2 by all basal fertilizations. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Seed yield was higher in Pungsannamulkong by 362g per m2 than in Hannamkong of 260g per m2 Also, the number of pod, number of seed, and number of seed per pod were greater in Pungsannamulkong than in Hannamkong. The number of leaves per m2 showed similar with two soybean cultivars up to August 24 but thereafter it decreased in Hannamkong. The leaf area up to August 4 increased in Hannamkong higher than in Pungsannamulkong, but after that time, Pungsannamulkong had greater leaf area than Hannamkong. The shoot and leaf dry matter of two soybean cultivars from June 23 to August 4 were similar but thereafter, Pungsannamulkong had a significantly greater than Hannamkong. Crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilate rate (NAR) for Punsannamulkong were relatively higher than Hannamkong but leaf area ratio (LAR) and specific leaf weight (SLW) showed higher in Hannamkong. Most of leaves distributed in the ranges of 80-90cm and 60-70cm from the soil surface in Punsannamulkong and Hannamkong, respectively. Pods of Punsannamulkong ranged 10-80cm from the soil surface and most of pods were distributed at 40-50cm. Photosynthetic rate at the flowering stage showed a significant difference between cultivars in the upper most leaf position. There was no significant difference of the photosynthetic rate at 7tn leaf at the flowering stage, and the uppermost and 7th leaf position at the seed development stage between two soybean cultivars.