Importance of physical plant properties on methane transport through several rice cultivars

The transport rate of methane from a nutrient solution to the atmosphere via rice plants was controlled both by the methane concentration in the nutrient solution and by plant physiology. Measurements on 11 rice cultivars indicated that the conductance of the rice plant for methane increased as the plants developed. The conductance varied from 0.3 +/- 0.2 to 1.2 +/- 0.7 mu mol min(-1) mM(-1) plant(-1) during the tillering stage, and from 0.6 +/- 0.3 to 2.5 +/- 0. 2 mu mol min(-)1 mM(-1) plant(-1) during the reproduction stage. Based on measurements of all plants, the conductance positively correlated with parameters of plant size. Conductance correlated best with stem inter-cellar volume at the tillering stage, and with root volume at the reproduction stage. For both stages taken together, the correlation between conductance and root volume was the most significant. The conductance could be approximated by a multiple linear regression using root volume and the length of root bundle. Higher conductance was found to generally associate with the plants with larger root volume, heavier root fresh weight.