Since 1997, the EuroSOMNET project, funded by the EU-ENRICH programme, has assembled a metadatabase, and separate experimental databases, of European long-term experiments that investigate changes in soil organic matter. In this paper, we describe the WWW-based metadatabase, which is a product of this project. The database holds detailed records of 110 long-term soil organic matter experiments, giving a wide geographical coverage of Europe, and includes experiments from the European part of the former Soviet Union, many of which have not been available previously. For speed of access, records are stored as hyper-text mark-up language (HTML) files. In this paper, we describe the metadatabase, the experiments for which records are held, the information stored about each experiment, and summarize the main characteristics of these experiments. Details from the metadatabase have already been used to examine regional trends in soil organic matter in Germany and eastern Europe, to construct and calibrate a regional statistical model of humus balance in Russia, to examine the effects of climatic conditions on soil organic matter dynamics, to estimate the potential for carbon sequestration in agricultural soils in Europe, and to test and improve soil organic matter models. The EuroSOMNET metadatabase provides information applicable to a wide range of agricultural and environmental questions and can be accessed freely via the EuroSOMNET home page at URL: http://www.iacr.bbsrc.ac.uk/aen/eusomnet/index.htm.

Experiments investigating effects of foliar disease control on wheat grain protein concentration (GPC) are reviewed. Fungicidal control of rusts (Puccinia spp.) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis) increased or had no significant effect on GPC in almost all cases, whilst control of the Septoria spp. often resulted in reduced GPC, but with exceptions. Reasons for these differences are discussed with reference to host pathogen interactions. Irrespective of infection strategy (biotrophic or necrotrophic), controlling severe infection increased nitrogen yield and the proportion of above-ground crop nitrogen that was partitioned to the grain. Similar effects are recorded for above-ground biomass and dry matter harvest index. The relationships between fungicide effects on green flag leaf area duration (GFLAD) and GPC were examined and shown to be unaffected by mode of action of the fungicide. Interactions between fungicide use and cultivar, nitrogen and growing season are related to the amount and type of pathogen present, and environment. An economic analysis demonstrated that fungicide effects on GPC should not affect the choice of fungicide or application programme, but that applications of foliar urea at the start of grain filling can deliver a cost-effective method of eliminating GPC reductions that may occasionally result from fungicide use.

Three field experiments were conducted on sandy-loam soils comparing the effects of triazole, strobilurin and oxazolidinedione fungicides applied at flag leaf emergence and again at ear emergence to wheat between 1998 and 2000. Cultivars Hereward and Consort were included in all 3 years, Cockpit in 1999 and 2000 and Charger in 1999. Foliar disease, green area of the flag leaf, grain weight and moisture content were assessed weekly during grain filling and senescence. Grain yield, 1000 grain weight (TGW) and specific weights were measured at harvest maturity. Septoria tritici was the dominant disease in all cultivars except Cockpit, where Puccinia striiformis caused most damage. Consort was more affected than Hereward by S. tritici in all years. Effects of fungicides on disease control were usually reflected in green flag leaf area duration (GFLAD), with large gains in Consort and Cockpit. In 2000, however, fungicides increased GFLAD of Hereward and Consort by similar amounts. Apical grains had smaller water content than medially placed grains. Maximum water content was positively influenced by fungicides where significant disease was controlled before maximum grain weight had been attained. Grain weight in Hereward was less affected than other cultivars by fungicides in both positions. Grain filling rates varied between cultivar and ear position by inconsistent and small amounts, but large and significant gains from fungicide treatment were made in grain filling periods. These varied from 0·16 days per day GFLAD in Hereward to 0·69 days per day GFLAD in Consort in apical grains in 2000. Gains in GFLAD were associated with increased yield, TGW and specific weight, but these relationships varied with cultivar. Increases in GFLAD by fungicide in Hereward in 2000 occurred much later relative to grain filling and thus after the time of maximum grain water content, resulting in smaller gains in filling duration, yield, TGW and specific weight than that seen in Consort. There was no evidence of differing relationships between GFLAD and yield for the different fungicide groups used in these experiments.

Evaluating environmental impact is more complex than statistical analysis; it requires value judgements about which kinds of environmental impacts are acceptable and which are not. The new EU Directive on the release and commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops (2001-18-EC) includes a requirement for an assessment of indirect effects on the environment of farming practices associated with the introduction of a GM crop. There is also a requirement for post-commercialization monitoring to address impacts of scale and time. Both of these additions to the regulations present challenges in deciding how environmental impacts should be measured, and in judging their acceptability. Impacts can also be socio-economic. These frequently require scientific tools to help to resolve them. The demands by some food sectors for zero GM content in crop produce is likely to prove difficult or impossible to verify by analytical procedures. It will probably be necessary to agree on levels of tolerance of the presence of GM material in “non-GM” crop produce. It is important that the future use of biotechnology in agriculture is considered in the context of a broader discussion about our vision for agriculture and the environment over the coming decades.

The neutron probe (NP) is used widely to measure changes in soil water storage in research and more recently to aid irrigation scheduling. Its accuracy is rarely questioned and most of the relationships between soil water changes and productivity are based on its use. A field experiment was conducted at Cambridge University Farm in 1999 to address whether the NP could accurately measure changes in soil water content (SWC) under irrigation or substantial rain (>10 mm). The experiment was a replicated split-plot design with four irrigation treatments allocated to the main plots, and surface profile (ridge, flat) and crop (potato cv. Saturna, bare soil) treatments allocated to the subplots. The mean results from four NP access tubes per plot installed to measure soil moisture deficit (SMD) across the row-width were analysed. The NP was inconsistent in measuring known irrigation or rainfall input. In relatively dry soil (SMD>40 mm), the NP generally measured 93 to 110% of 18 mm of irrigation within 4 h of irrigation. The NP recorded much less water applied as irrigation in wetter soil, and often only 40 to 70% of the applied irrigation (18 or 36 mm) was measured. There were occasions when the NP did not measure all the water input even when the SMDs before irrigation were greater than the water subsequently applied. Some of the ‘missing’ water might be attributed to drainage, however, results from an additional experiment using an open-topped tank of soil showed that the NP was unable to detect all the water added to the soil, particularly where the water was largely confined close to the soil surface. Replicated measurements of the change in SMD in the field experiment were precise for a given event and treatment (mean S.E. = 1·3 mm) but were not accurate when compared against the input measured in rain gauges. It was concluded, that the NP could not be used reliably to measure changes in soil water storage after irrigation or substantial rain. For periods when there were minimal inputs of water, there was a closer correlation between changes in SMD measured by the NP and those predicted by a modified Penman–Monteith equation than after substantial inputs of water. However, for predicted changes in SMD of c. 20 mm, there was a range of c. ±5 mm in the changes in SMD measured by the neutron probe.

The value of the NP for monitoring SMDs where there is irrigation, or substantial rain, must be seriously doubted. Consequently, its limitations for scheduling irrigation, testing models or quantifying the effects of treatments on crop water use in potatoes must be appreciated, especially where the areal sampling limitations of single access tubes positioned only in the ridge centre have not been addressed.

Leaflet movement in soyabean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is considered to be an important physiological adaptation for intercepting sunlight for photosynthesis. Solar tracking may serve to increase plant production by maximizing light interception. The objective of this study was to determine the response of A (leaflet net assimilation rate), τ (stomatal conductance) and Ci (internal leaf carbon dioxide concentration) when penultimate fully expanded leaflet angles were changed. Soyabean (cv. Enrei, Maturity group VI) was planted at Niigata University, Japan, at two densities (25 and 16 plants/m2) in mid-May of 1992 and 1993. PFD (photon flux density), A, τ, and Ci were measured with a portable leaf photosynthesis instrument. The more towards vertical the leaflets were moved, the lower the PFD and A were. A measured at R5 showed no light saturation, but did show this at V13 and R3. While A measured at 09.00 h showed no saturation point, there was saturation at 12.00 h and 15.00 h at or less than 1500 μmol/m2/s. At R3 a high correlation (r = 0.89, P < 0.01) was found between PFD and A for naturally oriented leaflets, but not for horizontal ones. These results suggest that leaflet movement is an adaptation to optimize A.

Experiments were conducted in controlled environmental chambers to study the effects of temperature on leaf emergence and leaf growth of main stem in winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants. Plants of the cultivar, Kikai Hadaka, were grown at constant temperatures between 12·5 to 27·5 °C. The leaf number on the main stems was counted (in Haun units) every day from the emergence of the third leaf until the emergence of the seventh leaf. The area was measured from the second to the sixth leaves on the main stems. The emergence of new leaves was a linear function of time at all temperature regimes. The leaf emergence rate increased with increasing temperature until an optimum temperature of 22·5 °C was reached and then decreased with further increasing temperature, but not significantly, compared with the peak. The leaf emergence rate per degree-day (DD) was slower with increasing temperature. The leaf growth rate increased with increasing temperature until an optimum temperature of 20·0 °C was reached and then declined with further increases in temperature. The leaf growth rate per DD had its maximum at 17·5 °C. The leaf emergence and leaf growth under different temperatures but at the same DD were different. The responses to temperatures for emergence and growth of barley leaves were different. These results suggest that a fully developed concept of the relationship of temperature to plant development and growth is an important aspect of increasing the accuracy of dynamic crop simulation models.

Phenotypic yield stability is a trait of special interest for plant breeders and farmers. This value can be quantified if genotypes are evaluated in different environments. Common bean is the main cash crop and protein source of farmers in many lowland and mid-altitude areas of Ethiopia. An experiment was undertaken to evaluate common bean genotypes for yield performance at Alemaya, Bako and Nazreth in Ethiopia for 3 years. The yield performance of genotypes was subjected to stability analysis and yield-stability statistics were generated to aid the selection of genotypes that were high yielding and very stable. The significant genotype by environment interaction indicated that the relative performance of the varieties altered in the different environments. Genotype yield performance varied ranging from 1511–2216 kg/ha. Simultaneous selection for yield and yield-stability statistics using YS(i) statistics indicated that A 410, GLP x92, Mx-2500-19, G 2816, A-195, 997-CH-1173, Diacol calima, ICA 15541 and AND 635 were both high yielding and stable. Following this study, using farmers’ evaluation and other criteria, GLP x92 and G-2816 were identified as preferred genotypes and were released for further production.

A series of tropical maize hybrids, involving 10 single, four double and four three-way crosses were evaluated with their parental inbred lines and three control varieties, at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia, in a randomized complete block design, with three replications. The objectives were to identify hybrids superior for yield, yield components and other agronomic traits, to estimate heterosis revealed by the hybrids, and to estimate broad-sense heritability for important characters in the populations. The hybrids were found to vary highly for grain yield and most other traits measured. High estimates of heterosis were shown by grain yield, ear weight and grain weight per ear, moderate for plant and ear heights, shelling percentage, ear diameter, number of kernel rows per ear, number of kernels per ear row and 100-grain weight. The hybrids flowered and matured earlier than their respective inbred parents. Estimates of broad-sense heritability also varied with characters. Moderate heritability was shown for grain yield indicating a substantial amount of genetic variation in this population of hybrids. Low and negligible heritability for days to silking and 100-grain weight indicate that these traits were very much influenced by environmental factors. Based on the overall performance of the hybrids, the single cross, SC-2, the double cross, DC-11 and the three-way cross, TWC-15, were found to have high potential. No obvious differences were observed in performance among the three categories of hybrids, the single, double and three-way crosses.

Fibres of three cotton cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum H-4, H-8 and G. arboreum G. Cot-15) were analysed for growth in terms of fibre length and dry weight and endogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) content thrice during 1997–2000, at Rajkot. The development of cotton fibre was divided into four distinct growth phases but overlap between elongation and secondary thickening was considerable which suggests that both these phases are independent of each other. During fibre elongation, GA3 content remained low and increased after a decrease in the rate of fibre elongation in all three genotypes. The long staple cultivar (H-4) showed highest endogenous GA3 content followed by the middle one (H-8) and the short staple cultivar (G. Cot-15). In in vitro studies when GA3, NAA or GA3+NAA was supplemented to the media, increase in fibre length of the short staple cultivar was maximum, followed by the middle one and the long staple cultivar. Both in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that GA3 is one of the important factors that determine fibre length.

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars with increased water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations were evaluated under controlled environment conditions. The growth and carbon partitioning of these cultivars was compared with standard cultivars during vegetative growth. The high WSC cultivars had shoot growth rates that were not significantly different from the standard cultivars, confirming that the extra WSC in these cultivars was not made available through reductions in yield potential. The extra WSC stored in these cultivars coincided with lower concentrations of neutral detergent fibre in the dry matter. When the cultivars were grown in hydroponic solution the high WSC cultivars Aurora and Ba10727 were found to also have less root mass and a lower root[ratio ]shoot ratio than the standard cultivars. However, this trait was not consistent across all high WSC cultivars with Cariad having the same root[ratio ]shoot ratio as the standard cultivars at the end of the experiment. The reduction in the root mass of the cultivars Aurora and Ba10727 was far greater than necessary to provide the extra carbon stored as WSC in these cultivars. The implications of these results for the breeding of cultivars of perennial ryegrass with increased WSC concentrations are discussed.

Experiments in three dry years, 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1995/96, on a medium sand at ADAS Gleadthorpe, England, tested responses of six winter wheat cultivars to irrigation of dry-matter growth, partitioning of dry matter to leaf, stem and ear throughout the season, and to grain at final harvest. Cultivars (Haven, Maris Huntsman, Mercia, Rialto, Riband and Soissons) were selected for contrasts in flowering date and stem soluble carbohydrate. Maximum soil moisture deficit (SMD) exceeded 140 mm in all years, with large deficits (>75 mm) from early June in 1994 and from May in 1995 and 1996. The main effects of drought on partitioning of biomass were for a decrease in the proportion of the crop as lamina in the pre-flowering period, and then earlier retranslocation of stem reserves to grains during the first half of grain filling. Restricted water availability decreased grain yield by 1·83 t/ha in 1994 (P<0·05), and with more prolonged droughts, by 3·06 t/ha in 1995 (P<0·001) and by 4·55 t/ha in 1996 (P<0·001). Averaged over the three years, grain yield responses of the six cultivars differed significantly (P<0·05). Rialto and Mercia lost only 2·8 t/ha compared with Riband and Haven which lost 3·5 t/ha. Losses for Soissons and Maris Huntsman were intermediate. In the two years with prolonged drought, the biomass depression was on average greater for Haven (6·0 t/ha) than for Maris Huntsman (4·2 t/ha) (P<0·05). Thus, the grain yield sensitivity of Haven to drought derived, in part, from a sensitivity of biomass growth to drought. Harvest index (HI; ratio of grain to above-ground dry matter at harvest) responses of the six cultivars to irrigation also differed (P<0·05) and contributed to the yield responses. The smallest decrease in HI of the six cultivars with restricted water availability was shown by Rialto (−0·033); this partially explained the drought resistance for this cultivar. The largest decrease was for Maris Huntsman (−0·072). The cultivars differed in flowering dates by up to 9 days but these were poorly correlated with grain yield responses to irrigation. Stem soluble carbohydrate at flowering varied amongst cultivars from 220 to 300 g/m2 in the unirrigated crop; greater accumulation appeared to be associated with better maintenance of HI under drought. It is concluded that high stem-soluble carbohydrate reserves could be used to improve drought resistance in the UK's temperate climate, but that early flowering seems less likely to be useful.

A range of three generations from each of three populations of Cambridge Composite Cross Five of barley spanning a period of 18 years of cultivation in Cambridge was evaluated for grain yield over 2 years in the field in 1991 and 1992. The design of the experiment was a randomized complete block with two replications. In 1991, the yield of the best composite cross generation was 78% that of Atem, a commercial variety bred for N.W. European conditions. In the drought-affected year, 1992, three of the composite cross generations performed better than Atem. It is suggested that composite cross populations may be useful in deriving lines for low-input agriculture.

Intercropping of spring cereals in a permanent stand of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) is a novel, low input cropping system, and little is known about the agronomic management of this system. An experiment was conducted over two growing seasons in 1998 and 1999 to determine the impact of a white clover intercrop on spring oat (Avena sativa L.) growth and grain yield at three different seeding rates of oat, and also to determine the effect of the three different white clover cultivars (cv. Aran, cv. S184 and cv. Milo), on weed pressure and growth of the oat crop. The clover cultivars differed in stolon morphology and leaf size. Oat in monoculture was included for comparison. The white clover intercrops did not reduce the weed pressure compared with oat in monoculture. Oat grain nitrogen concentration and content was raised in the intercropped oats. Grain yields in an intercrop were similar to those in a monoculture. Oat seeding densities did not affect grain yields. The oat grain yields in 1998 were significantly higher with S184 as intercrop. In 1999 it was directly opposite, grain yields were significantly lower with S184 as intercrop.

Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv ‘Amalia’) were subjected to water stress by withholding irrigation water for 72 hours and then reirrigated for 120 hours. Water stress reduced root mycorrhizal colonization, although the presence of the fungus Glomus clarum stimulated tomato plant growth. During the stress period the effect on the growth was more pronounced in aerial biomass than in the root biomass. The decrease in the soil water potential generated a decrease in leaf water potential (Ψl) and leaf turgor potential (Ψt), particularly in the non-mycorrhizal plants. Although the absence of osmotic adjustment provoked the loss of turgor in stressed plants, both Ψl and Ψt recovered after a short reirrigation period. Mycorrhizal infection improved photosynthetic activity (Pn) and stomatal conductance (gs) in non-stressed and stressed plants. These increases were accompanied by higher root hydraulic conductivity values, indicating enhanced water uptake in drought conditions. Neither Pn nor gs fully recovered after rewatering. The beneficial effect of the mycorrhizal symbiosis on the water status of tomato plants stimulated plant growth.

A replicated field plot experiment was carried out in Northern Ireland in 1996 with flax, cv Ariane, and linseed, cv Flanders, each grown at seed rates of 500, 1000 and 1500 seeds/m2, in which a comparison was made between retting of the standing crop, following desiccation by the trimesium salt of glyphosate (Touchdown, Zeneca Ltd.), and water or dew retting of the pulled crop. Application at 4 litres/ha on 9 August, 33 days after the mid-point of flowering (MPF), achieved both desiccation and partial retting of the crop within 14 days. Over 16% clean long fibre was extracted by scutching the stand-retted flax straw, yielding 800 kg/ha fibre, while water retting achieved 20% extraction and 980 kg/ha yield and dew retting 8·5% and 420 kg/ha respectively. The dew retting was uneven, resulting in high losses during fibre extraction, while water retting for 7 days at 25 °C did not achieve complete retting resulting in a high content of woody fragments in the fibre. Fibre yields increased by almost 50% with the high v. low seed rate. Linseed was less well retted than flax and contained higher levels of impurity in the extracted long fibre which, after retting, yielded 120 to 310 kg/ha at extraction rates of 2·9% to 7·5%.

In a second experiment in 1998 flax cvs. Viola and Evelyn were treated with the timesium salt of glyphosate at rates of 2, 4 or 6 litres/ha 10, 20, 30 or 40 days after MPF on 5 July. Viola desiccated satisfactorily at all spray dates with 4 and 6 litres/ha glyphosate. The 20-day treatment desiccated more slowly than the 30-day and the 2 litres/ha rate did not achieve complete desiccation, but the trimesium salt of glyphosate achieved better desiccation at this timing than that found in earlier studies with the original form of glyphosate. Evelyn desiccated more slowly and less evenly than Viola particularly at the 20-day and 40-day timings. Spraying at MPF+10 days interrupted early development of the seed and fibre significantly reducing yields. Due to slower desiccation the 20-day timing was no better than the 30-day, which was well retted by harvest 44 days after spraying, and gave the highest yield of clean long fibre. The spraying 40 days after MPF was considered too late in the season to be of practical use. It was concluded that retting of standing flax following desiccation with the trimesium salt of glyphosate was more effective than with the earlier formulation and that retting of the standing crop could achieve equivalent or better retting with similar fibre yields to traditional retting methods. The optimum spray timing was found to be about 30 days after MPF with 4 or 6 litres/ha, the lower rate being adequate for glyphosate responsive varieties such as Viola.

Deep-rooted crops used in rotation can improve the overall water and N use efficiencies of cropping systems and help minimize nitrate leaching to groundwater. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a deep-rooted annual crop grown in Mediterranean regions that might be useful for this purpose. Safflower's response to residual soil N measured to 2.7 m in the soil profile was evaluated in 1998 in field plots in the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA that were used previously for cotton over a 9-year period and had been fertilized with nine N rates from 0 to 230 kg N/ha. Residual soil NO3-N measured prior to safflower planting increased with prior cotton fertilization rates. Amounts present to a soil profile depth of 2.7 m varied from 760 to 2600 kg/ha. Safflower seed yield increased with increasing pre-plant residual NO3-N levels, from 1700 kg/ha in the control to 2200 kg/ha, and then declined to 1800 kg/ha at the largest residual N level. Oil per cent, and oil yield were affected by soil N only at the largest residual N level, while oil composition was not affected. Root growth and N uptake at depth increased in plots with larger amounts of residual N compared to those with less. Results suggest that N fertilization applied to safflower could be reduced or even eliminated following crops previously fertilized at economic levels. Residual N should be accounted in growers' management programmes.

Two non-dwarf and two dwarf, autumn-sown determinate genotypes of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) were sown at three sites in north-west Europe in the crop years, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98. Fully factorial experimental designs were used to analyse all combinations of genotype, seed rate and row spacing. Canopy expansion, expressed as the percentage of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) intercepted, and above ground dry matter (DM) accumulation were measured at frequent intervals during the main growing season at Rothamsted in the UK and Lusignan in France. The data from Rothamsted were used to derive models for the two processes, which were compared to the data from Lusignan, France.

Crops with more than 23 plants/m2, 25 main stem leaves per plant or 1400 leaves/m2 were able to intercept more than 80% of the incident PAR. There were small differences in canopy expansion between genotypes. The non-dwarf genotypes began expansion slightly earlier (100–150 °Cd or thermal time in °Cdays, base temperature = 3 °C) than the dwarf genotypes. Crops sown on rows wider than 40 cm apart or with low plant densities (less than 23 plants/m2) were also slower to expand the canopy and intercept the PAR.

The maximum quantity of dry matter accumulated by a genotype in the season (476–1044 g/m2) was related by a conversion efficiency (e) to the cumulative quantity of PAR intercepted. Values of e were generally in the range 0·92–1·65 g DM/MJ PAR during the early part of the growing season, which was comparable with other work on temperate-zone grain legumes. The non-dwarf genotype Ludet achieved an unusually large value of e (3·13 g DM/MJ PAR) and accumulated 1355 g DM/m2 at Lusignan in 1998. Late season drought in 1995–96 at Rothamsted produced some low values of e (0·75 and 0·88 g DM/MJ PAR).

The seed yield was not related to the quantity of dry matter accumulated as harvest index varied from 22·3% to 49·7%. Maximum seed yield (4·54 t/ha) was produced from a low plant density (15·9 plants/m2). Mutual shading, caused by any combination of high plant densities, large numbers of leaves per plant or sowing on wide rows (>40 cm; at high plant densities within the rows) appeared to limit seed yield potential.

A 2-year split-plot field experiment investigated the influence of selected sulfonylurea herbicides including chlorsulfuron mixtures and presowing seed treatment using triadimenol/imazalil/fuberidazole (Baytan Universal 19·5 WP) on the incidence of naturally occurring net blotch (Drechslera teres (Sacc.)) Shoem of barley. All the herbicides examined provided effective and season-long weed control at a similar level that no significant differences in weed density and weed dry weight were found amongst herbicide treatments. Significant (P<0·05) increases in disease prevalence over the weedy check were recorded in herbicide treated plots throughout the evaluation period, but disease severity remained unaffected. Presowing seed treatment with Baytan Universal provided significant control of net blotch of barley compared with the control throughout the evaluation period. No phytotoxicity was observed in any of the treatments.

A field study was conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines during the dry seasons of 1997 and 1998 under irrigated conditions. The objectives of this study were to quantify the critical leaf area index (LAIc) at which tillering stops based on the relationship between tillering rate and LAI, and to determine the effect of nitrogen (N) on LAIc in irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. Results showed that the relative tillering rate (RTR) decreased exponentially as LAI increased at a given N input level. The coefficient of determination for the equation quantifying the RTR-LAI relationship ranged from 0·87 to 0·99. The relationship between RTR and LAI was affected by N input level, but not by planting density. The N input level had a significant effect on LAIc with a high N input level causing an increase in LAIc. Tillering stopped at LAI of 3·36 to 4·11 when N was not limiting. Under N limited conditions LAIc reduced to as low as 0·98. Transplanting spacing and number of seedlings per hill had little effect on LAIc. Results from this study suggest that LAI and plant N status are two major factors that influence tiller production in rice crops. The possibility that LAI influences tillering by changing light intensity and/or light quality at the base of the canopy where tiller buds and young tillers are located is discussed.