Abstract
The objectives of this study were to identify promising rice genotypes and evaluate the genetic variance and effectiveness of selection of the rice varieties for several yield attributing traits. A varietal trial of fifteen rice genotypes was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in a farmer’s field in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal during the rainy season of 2018. Analysis of variance indicated that all the genotypes showed significant variation for all the traits considered. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the characteristics being studied indicating the presence of environmental influence on the traits. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of the mean was found for days to physiological maturity, number of tillers per m2, plant height, leaf area, effective tillers per m2, flag leaf area, test weight, grains per panicle, filled grains per panicle, harvest index, grain yield, and straw yield indicating that additive gene interaction is present in their inheritance. Direct selection can be effective for yield improvement in the populations through selection of these traits. Cluster analysis based on eighteen traits grouped the fifteen rice genotypes into four clusters. Cluster I was the largest and consisted of five genotypes. Radha 11, NR 119, and Sukhadhan-5 were the top performing genotypes having yield potentials of 5.78, 5.49, and 4.89 tons per ha, respectively.
Highlights
In Nepal, rice is the main staple crop grown in all three major ecological regions accounting for 73%, 24%, and 3% of the total rice cultivated in the Terai, Hill, and Mountain areas, respectively (MoAD, 2016)
High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of the mean was found for days to physiological maturity, number of tillers per m2, plant height, leaf area, effective tillers per m2, flag leaf area, test weight, grains per panicle, filled grains per panicle, harvest index, grain yield, and straw yield indicating that additive gene interaction is present in their inheritance
High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean were recorded for days to maturity, number of tillers per m2, plant height, leaf area, flag leaf length, effective tillers per m2, grain yield, flag leaf area, test weight, panicle density, grains per panicle, filled grains per panicle, harvesting index, and straw yield
Summary
In Nepal, rice is the main staple crop grown in all three major ecological regions accounting for 73%, 24%, and 3% of the total rice cultivated in the Terai, Hill, and Mountain areas, respectively (MoAD, 2016). Rice fields occupy 1.36 million ha of land with an annual production of 4.23 million metric tons and productivity of 3.154 tons per ha (MoAD, 2016). The production and productivity of rice in Nepal are much less compared to other rice-growing countries. Agriculture in Nepal is a subsistence type where each farmer derives only a small part of their food requirements from fragmented plots of land cultivated under challenging conditions. Food insecurity is a major ongoing problem in Nepal, resulting in the rising problem of malnutrition in the country. Climate change and natural calamities like drought, flooding, and fluctuations in rainfall patterns are serious threats to food security
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