Genetic variability and yield analysis in rice

Abstract

Twenty-six diverse genotypes were cultivated for two consecutive warm wet seasons of 2015 and 2016 to study genetic variation and the cause-effect relationship of different quantitative characters on seed yield in rice. The genotypes showed significant variation for all the characters. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were high for the flag leaf area, spikelet number, grain number, test weight and grain yield, and moderate for plant height, days to flowering, the number of panicle and primary branches per panicle. Heritability was high for days to flowering, plant height and test weight. Genetic advance as per cent of mean was very high for test weight and grain yield, moderate for plant height, flag leaf area and the number of grains, and low for spikelet fertility (%). Genotypic and phenotypic correlations of seed yield with plant height, flag leaf area, days to flowering, the number of primary and secondary branches per panicle, the number of spikelets and filled grains per panicle, spikelet fertility (%) and test weight were significant and positive. Genotypic path analysis indicated that direct selection for test weight, the number of primary and secondary branches per panicle in a positive direction with restricted selection for panicle number and spikelet fertility would increase the grain yield of rice in the population.