Abstract: Rice yield production is limited by the carbohydrate supply during grain-filling, which is unable to fill the large number of florets of rice plants, especially in the newly bred super-rice with numerous spikelets in a panicle.During grain-filling stage, carbohydrate supply depends on carbon from two sources: current photosynthetic assimilates and pre-stored assimilates in culms and leaf sheaths of rice plants. It is necessary to conduct the ecophysiological study on the sources of carbohydrate supply, which would enhance our understanding of limitations to yield potential in modern super-rice. The author summarized recent progresses in this field, and proposed that yield potential of modern‘super’ rice could be improved by exploring ecophysiological properties of leaf photosynthesis, interaction of light and nitrogen distribution within canopy, and the relationship between root water uptake and leaf water potential. In the end, the author emphasized the role of modelling in integrating crop physiological knowledge to find the limitations to realizing super-rice yield potential and its physiological basis.

Key words: photosynthesis, yield potential, light and nitrogen distribution within canopy, relationship between root water uptake and leaf water potential

摘要： 水稻籽粒灌浆期同化物供应不足会导致籽粒灌浆不充分，从而影响产量，这种现象在大穗型、高库容的现代超级稻品种中尤为明显，直接限制了超级稻品种产量潜力的发挥。灌浆期水稻同化物的供给主要来源于花前同化物的积累与花后同化物的合成，它们均依赖于冠层群体光合能力。因此，加强相关过程的生理生态研究对揭示制约现代超级稻产量潜力的关键性因素具有重要意义。作者综述了相关领域的研究进展，并从叶片光合生理、冠层光氮匹配和根-冠水分平衡等方面，对提高现代超级稻产量潜力的栽培生理途径进行了探讨。同时，作者总结了模型分析在综合栽培生理认识、发现超级稻产量潜力限制性因子及其生理机制等方面的作用。

关键词: 光合作用, 产量潜力, 冠层光氮匹配, 根-冠水分平衡