Purification of Sahdyari rice hybrid parental lines through paired crosses for nucleus seed production

Abstract

The availability of genetically pure and good-quality seed is a primary prerequisite for exploiting the potential of hybrids. Lack of purity in parental lines and improper isolation conditions in seed production result in poor hybrid seed quality. Chinese scientists reported that, with every 1% decrease in the purity of hybrid seed, the eventual yield loss in F1 hybrids would be about 100 kg ha-1 (Sharma 1995). In 1998, RARS-Karjat identified and released a rice hybrid from the cross IR58025A/BR827-35-3-1-1-1R-Sahdyari- for commercial cultivation in Maharashtra State. Maintaining or improving the purity of the parental lines of Sahdyari was a major challenge. Thus, efforts were made to purify the three parental lines of Sahdyari through paired crosses.