Rice ratooning,or the production of a second rice crop from stubble after the harvest of the main crop,is considered to be a green and resource-efficient rice production system.The present study was conducted to examine variance in amylose content(AC),grain morphology,crystal structure,and thermal properties of starch between main-and ratoon-season rice of seven varieties.Ratoon-season rice grains had higher ACs and significantly lower transition gelatinization temperatures(To,Tp,and Tc)than did main-season rice grains.The relative crystallinity and lamellar peak intensity of ratoon-season rice starch were 7.89%and 20.38%lower,respectively,than those of main-season rice starch.In addition,smaller granules with smoother surfaces and lower thermal parameters were observed in the starch of ratoon-season rice.The relative crystallinity and lamellar peak intensity of starch correlated negatively with the AC and positively with transition gelatinization temperatures.These results suggest that the superior cooking quality of ratoon-season rice is attributable to the moderate increase of grain AC,which reduces the relative crystallinity,weakens the crystal structure,and lead to a decrease in the gelatinization temperature.
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