Assessment of variability of floral and yield traits: i. restorer lines of rice

Abstract

Abstract : An investigation was undertaken to study the genetic variability and character association for ten floral and yield related characters of twenty restorer lines of rice identified as male parent for use in commercial hybrid seed production. Highly significant mean sum of squares of genotypes were observed for all the traits indicating the presence of wide range of variability among the lines studied. The high degree of genotypic variation indicated preponderance of additive gene effects. The range of variation was much higher for all the traits studied. The differences between GCV and PCV were low for all the traits except pollen diameter indicating additive gene effects. Heritability in broad sense (h2b) was high for all the traits except pollen diameter and moderate for anther breadth. High heritability as well as high to moderate GA and GA in percent of mean was observed for anther length, pollen sterility, flag leaf area, spikelet sterility, panicle characters and grain yield per hill indicating improvement could be done through selection. Panicle length showed significant positive association with grain yield. Flag leaf area and panicles per hill showed insignificant but considerable positive association with grain yield. Panicle length was found to be the most important trait due low difference of GCV and PCV, high h2b with moderate GA and GA in percent of mean, significant positive correlation and high positive direct effects followed by flag leaf area and panicles per hill.