Vol. 11, Issue 1 (2022)

Author(s):
SK Mundotiya and Monika A Joshi

Abstract:
Rice is the world’s most important food crop and provides 21% of the human per capita energy, and 15% of protein globally (FAO). India is the world’s second largest producer (105.4 mt) of rice on an area of 44.7 mha with productivity of 24.6 qt/ha. In the system of commercial seed production, detailed characterization of the varieties play the critical role in the maintenance of genetic purity. Diversity analysis provides information on the genetic distances among farmers’ varieties and genetic similarity/distinctness among populations of the same named landrace(s) grown by different farmers in different niche environments. The present study was carried out to characterize the twenty-eight extant rice varieties for plant and grain morphological traits and assessment the extent of similarity and variability in these varieties. The field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2014-15 in the field of Seed Science and Technology Division, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. The complete DUS database of plant morphological characters for all the rice varieties were generated as per DUS guidelines (Rice) no. SG/01/2007. Out of twenty seven morphological descriptors studied, three were monomorphic, two were dimorphic and rest twenty two were polymorphic. The study grouped the 28 varieties into five different clusters based on these DUS parameters. The present experimental material thus revealed considerable variability for most of the morphological characters, indicating their utility in the characterization and use in rice variety improvement programme.