Varietal Evaluation of Promising Spring Rice Genotypes in Bagdula, Pyuthan, Nepal

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in order to assess the performance (growth, yield, and yield-attributing characteristics) of five different spring rice genotypes. The study was conducted in a farmer’s field in Bagdula, Pyuthan, under the supervision of Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project (PMAMP), Rice Zone, Pyuthan, from March 2021–July 2021. Five spring rice genotypes, including PR-126, HHZ 25-DT9-Y1-Y1, IR 103575-76-1-1-B, IR 99742:2-11-17-1-9-B, and IR 86515-19-1-2-1-1-1-1, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications each. Plant growth and yield-attributing parameters were measured, entered into MS-Excel, and analyzed using the R-Studio software. Rice seedlings were raised in a wet nursery bed and transplanted at a spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm (3 seedlings per hill). The highest plant height (82.25 cm) and number of tillers per hill (10.40) were recorded in IR 86515-19-1-2-1-1-1-1, whereas the lowest plant height was observed in genotype IR 99742:2-11-17-1-9-B (64.30 cm). The highest number of effective tillers per square meter (247.125), panicle length (24.43 cm), number of grains per panicle (206.35), thousand grain weight (25.90 g), and grain yield (6.630 t.ha-1) were recorded in PR-126, whereas the highest straw yield was recorded in IR 86515-19-1-2-1-1-1-1 (5.78 t.ha-1). Similarly, the lowest numbers of effective tillers per square meter (150.73), panicle length (18.51 cm), number of grains per panicle (158.30), and thousand grain weight (22.53 g) were recorded in IR 99742:2-11-17-1-9-B. Thus, based on the yield and other growth parameters, the PR-126 genotype was found to be the most suitable for achieving greater productivity in Bagdula, Pyuthan, Nepal. However, further multilocation yield trials, including assessments of nutrient content, should be conducted for validation.