Study of Genetic Variability in F2 Population for Yield Enhancing Traits under Direct Seed Condition in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The present investigation was conducted to assess the variability, frequency distribution of grain yield and yield attributing traits in F2 generation of DRR Dhan 60 × Pusa 44 (NIL). In order to better understand the genetics of DSR and develop rice genotypes that are aerobic conditions-suited, genetic diversity is crucial. The experimental material consists of 236 F2 plants along with parents which were planted in DSR plot at ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad. Data recorded for the traits viz., Days to 50% flowering, Plant height, Number of tillers per plant, Flag leaf length, Flag leaf width, Number of panicles per plant, Panicle length, Number of spikelets per panicle, Number of filled grains per panicle, Number of chaffy grains per panicle, Spikelet fertility, Spikelet sterility, 1000-grain weight and Grain yield per plant. The traits, number of productive tillers per plant, number of tillers per plant, flag leaf length and grain yield per plant have high genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation. For productive tillers per plant, number of tillers per plant, flag leaf length, and grain yield per plant, high GCV and PCV along with high heritability and high genetic advance as a percentage of mean were noted. This suggests an additive type of gene action and that selection for these traits is effective. These findings indicate that, in aerobic conditions, there was adequate genetic diversity for most of the characters under investigation.