The study was designated to explore the physiological mechanism of cold tolerance enhanced by phosphate in rice. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of phosphate fertilizer on cold tolerance and its related physiological parameters in rice seedings (chilling-sensitive cv. Changbai 9 and chilling-tolerant cv. Jijing 81) under low temperature stress. At the same time, the identification of cold tolerance was conducted. Compared with the normal temperature treatment, the relative chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, Fv/Fm and qP decreased and index of unsaturated fatty acid increased in rice under low temperature stress. The effect of chilling-sensitive cultivars was more than that of chilling-tolerant cultivars, more phosphorus fertilizer properly improved seedling quality of rice, slowed relative chlorophyll content dropping degree of rice seeding, increased photosynthesis rate, Fv/Fm, qP and index of unsaturated fatty acids, and enhanced the ability to chilling-tolerant cultivars under low temperature. The effect on chilling-tolerant cultivars was significantly higher than that on chilling sensitive cultivars by applying more phosphorus fertilizer. Phosphate regulated photosynthetic physiology and membrane fluidity to reduce injury by low temperature, and increasd the cold tolerance capacity of rice. The study was designated to explore the physiological mechanism of cold tolerance enhanced by phosphate in rice. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of phosphate fertilizer on cold tolerance and its related physiological parameters in rice seedings (chilling-sensitive cv. Changbai Compared with the normal temperature treatment, the identification of cold tolerance was conducted. The relative cold chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, Fv / Fm and qP decreased and index of unsaturated fatty acid increased in rice under low temperature stress. The effect of chilling-sensitive cultivars was more than that of chilling-tolerant cultivars, more phosphorus fertilizer properly improved seedling quality of rice, slowed relative chlorophyll content dropping degree of rice seeding, increased photosynthesis rate, Fv / Fm, qP and index of unsaturated fatty acids, and enhanced the The effect on chilling-tolerant cultivars by higher than than on on chilling-sensitive cultivars by applying more phosphorus fertilizer. Phosphate regulated photosynthetic physiology and membrane fluidity to reduce injury by low temperature, and increasd the cold tolerance capacity of rice.