Yields and Agronomic Characters of New Rice Hybrids Performed at Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Abstract

Yields and agronomic characters of 35 new hybrids were tested at Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 2013. These hybrids were developed from 7 female parent sterile lines, UP-1s, UP-3s, 100s, 101s, 105s, 111s, and 113A, and 5 male parent restorer lines, PB2, PB5, PB12, PB13, and PB18. The inbred variety Francis, which is a popular variety in the rice production, was used as the check (CK). Results showed that the yields of 10 hybrids were 20.3% - 31.7% higher than that of CKFrancis. The yields of other 18 hybrids were 10.1% - 19.4% higher than CK, and the yields of rest of the hybrids were 2.5% - 9.2% higher than CK. Hybrid UP-3s/PB5 had the highest yield, 12,983.8 kg/hectare and over check by 31.7%. The yield of hybrid UP-3s/PB18 and 115A/PB18 were 12,333.7 kg/hectare and over check 25%. The yields of hybrid UP-1s/PB12 was 12,324.6 kg//hectare and over check 24.9%. The sterile lines UP-3s, 113A, 105s, and 101s have good combinability and the average grain yields of their hybrids were over CKby 21.5%, 20.34%, 17.2% and 16.2%, respectively. The restorer lines PB18, PB5, and PB12 have good combinability and the average grain yields of their hybrids were over CKby 19.9%, 18.4% and 16.2%, respectively. These results indicated that these top hybrids and their parents of the sterile lines and restorer lines might be used in the hybrid rice breeding and production in the future.