2.3.5. Leaves as food factories

     2.3.5. Leaves as food factories

 

     Leaves are the carbohydrate  factories of rice plants. They are necessary for the interception and transformation of light energy to growth and yield. A leaf is the major organ for the photosynthesis. The photosynthesis takes place in mesophyll cell containing chloroplasts. Many mesophyll cells exist  inside a leaf. Water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air are the main materials in the production of carbohydrates which is photosynthate. Water needed for photosynthesis is absorbed by roots from the soil. Air enters the rice plant through stomata on the leaf surface.The amount of chloroplast per plant increases as the number of leaves and leaf size increases. Thicker leaves usually have more chloroplasts. Rices with erect leaves receive more light and thus produce more carbohydrate. Lack of water leads to decreased carbohydrate production.