Influence of population density on leaf and panicle senescence in rice

Both leaf and panicle senescence were delayed during ripening stage in low (25 plants/m²) than in high (100 plants/m²) population densities in the early rice varieties, Pallavi and Ratna. The relative senescence of leaf was slower in Ratna and of panicle in Pallavi. The panicle weight/tiller was higher in Ratna than in Pallavi indicating the importance of deferred leaf senescence for tiller yield in rice.