Lodicule Isolation and Morphometric Analysis During Rice Floret Opening.

Rice lodicules are specialized floral organs located at the base of the ovary that undergo dynamic morphological changes during the flowering period. Water uptake-driven swelling and subsequent dehydration-induced shrinkage of the lodicules trigger floret opening and closure, respectively. Although lodicules play a central role in floret movement, standardized methods for quantitatively monitoring their temporal morphological changes remain limited. Here, we describe a detailed and reproducible workflow for lodicule sampling, dissection, imaging, and quantitative morphometric analysis. Florets are collected at predefined clock time points during the flowering period, and lodicules are carefully isolated under a stereomicroscope. High-resolution imaging is performed under consistent acquisition settings, followed by precise measurement of lodicule length, width, and thickness using image analysis software. This protocol emphasizes positional consistency in sampling, uniform imaging parameters, and standardized data analysis to enhance reproducibility. This method is suitable for evaluating the effects of genetic background or environmental conditions on lodicule morphology. By providing a standardized analytical framework, this protocol enables accurate and quantitative morphometric analysis of rice lodicules during floret opening. Key features • Standardized time-point sampling minimizes variability caused by diurnal fluctuations and handling during lodicule morphometric analysis. • Enables reproducible isolation and imaging of rice lodicules while preserving native morphology and preventing dehydration-induced artifacts. • Time-resolved workflow enables analysis of rapid morphological changes associated with floret opening and closure. • Applicable for comparing genetic and environmental effects on lodicule morphology under controlled experimental conditions.