INTERRELATIONSHIPS IN SCENTED AND NON-SCENTED RICE (Oryza sativa L.)FOR YIELD AND ITS COMPONENTS TRAITS UNDER SODIC SOIL

Abstract

An investigation of interrelationships and cause-effect analysis of grain yield and its attributing traits was carried out to find out best one among one hundred four diverse accessions of rice under salt stress soil{pH =9.2;EC = 2.21 (dSm -1 ); ESP=45.00}. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes. Results revealed that grain yield per plant was found to have strong positive association at both phenotypic and genotypic levels (possessing different maturity groups) with biological yield per plant (0.921) followed by effective tillers per plant (0.358), spikelets per panicle (0.358), plant height (0.351), days to maturity (0.241), days to 50% flowering (0.237) and spikelet fertility percentage (0.196). A few traits were inter-correlated with each other. Path analysis identified biological yield per plant followed by harvest index as major direct contributors towards expression of grain yield per plant, while effective tillers per plant, panicle length, spikelets per panicle and spikelet fertility emerged as most important indirect yield components. Hence, emphasis should be given to select these traits as selection criteria to develop high yielding rice varieties under sodic soil conditions. Furthermore, promising genotypes CSR 43 produced highest grain yield per plant followed by AGAMI-MI, NDR 6242, NDRK 50032 and Johar which may be utilized as donors for rice sodic soil improvement.