By using three rice hybrids with typical plant types as materials, and changing their morphology of uppermost two leaves through N fertilizer application during the elongation of the two leaves, relationships among plant type factor, layered leaf area and radiation transmission were determined at the full heading stage, 10 and 25 days after full heading, respectively. A model for calculating the layered leaf area by plant type factors was established and validated, and were subjected to analyze the effects of plant type factors on layered leaf area of the three hybrids. Furthermore, the relationship between layered leaf area and radiation transmission was validated using a light distribution model for plant canopy radiation transmission, and the effects of plant type factors on radiation transmission for the three hybrids were conducted by this model. Thus, a method for calculating canopy structure (layered leaf area index) and radiation transmission was established by plant type factors in rice.