STUDY OF GENETIC VARIABILITY OF INDIAN AND EXOTIC RICE GERMPLASM IN ALLAHABAD AGROCLIMATE

Abstract

Experiment was conducted on Indian and Exotic rice germplasm to study the genetic variability in Allahabad agroclimate. Genotypic coefficient of variation was played a major role for the expression of the traits ranged from 7.9 (panicle length) to 37.78 (total biomass per plant). Heritability in broad sense ranged from 0.72 (panicle length) to 1.00 (days to 50 percent flowering and plant height). High genetic advance was observed for the traits, plant height (35.44), 1000 grain weight (40.23), harvest index (48.05), spikelet/panicle (53.12), grain yield/plant (64.98) and total biomass/plant (77.54), coupled with high heritability, indicating the preponderance of additive gene action; suggesting that mass selection and other breeding methods based on progeny testing will be effective. The highest contribution in manifestation of genetic variability was exhibited by plant height (32.91) followed by days to 50 percent flowering (29.45), total biomass/plant (12.14) and spikelet per panicle (8.60); suggesting that these traits should be given top priority during selection.