Crop Res. 36 (1, 2 & 3) : 212-214 (2008) Printed in India Genetic divergence of qualitative and quantitative characters in lowland rice germplasm B. VIJAYALAKSHMI, D. VIJAY, P. R. K. RAJU AND P. V, SATYANARAYANA Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Institute & Regional AgriculturalResearch Station. ‘Maruteru-534 122, District West Godavari(A. P,, India ABSTRACT Genetic diversity was studied in 128 genotypes for erectness of leaf, compactness of panicle, lodging, days to 50% flowering, effective tillers/plant, panicle length, L/B ratio and test weight using the standard evaluation system for rice developed by IRRI. Based con leaf angle, genotypes were grouped into erect (47), horizontal (37) and droopy leaves (44), The genotypes were classified according to their panicle compactness into compact panicle type (45}, intermediate type (63) and open panicle type (20). Based on lodging resistance, genotypes were grouped into non-lodging (38), moderately strong (6); intermediate (12), weak culm (24) and 48 genotypes were found to have very weak culm type. Among 128 genotypes, only 12 accessions viz., 31, 54, 74, 93, 94, 101, 102, 107, 110, 112, 113 and 295 exhibited non-lodging habit with rect leaves and compact panicles. High genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were observed for effective tillers/plant (29.06 and 32.87) followed by test weight (18.2 and 18.3). High heritability was observed for all the six characters ranging from 76.46% in panicle length to 98.9% in test weight. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of means was observed for effective tillers/plant and test weight thus indicating its effectiveness as selection. Key words germplasm, rice INTRODUCTION Genetic diversity in a crop species is essential to sustain high level of productivity. The importance of information about the extent and magnitude of genetic divergence in rice and its utilization for the selection of desirable parents/ donors either for exploitation of hybrid vigour or to get desirable recombinants has been stressed by many workers (Anand and Murthy, 1968). Arunachalam (1981) reported that the greater chance of getting heterotic hybrids and enhanced variation in the segregating population of varietal improvement programmes mainly depended on genetic divergence. Germplasm is the core of any breeding work. The variability and novel characters existing in the germplasm can be exploited during crossing programme to develop need-based varieties and hybrids. Before using the germplasm it has to be characterised and also the genetic diversity has to be studied to effectively use it in the crossing programme. Herefore, attempt was made to study morphological variability in 128 rice accessions present at APRRI & RARS, Maruteru. + Genetic divergence, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, MATERIALS AND METHODS ‘The present study consists of 128 rice genotypes maintained at Maruteru during the wet season of 2007. These were sown in nursery beds separately and the seedlings were transplanted by adopting a spacing of 20 x 15 cm in 2.5 x 2 m plots laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The observations were recorded in two sets of five randomly selected plants in each replication. The first set consisted of leaf angle, panicle type and culm strength (Lodging) and groupings were done according to standard evaluation system of rice developed by IRRI. Second set consisted of quantitative characters i. ¢. plant height, days to 50% flowering, number of effective tillers/plant, panicle length, L/B ratio and test weight. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was calculated by the formula suggested by Burton (1952) and that of the heritability and genetic advance was estimated as per the formula suggested by Johnson et ai. (1955) and Hanson et al. (1956).Genetic divergence studies in lowland rice RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Variability in Leaf Angle The angle of openness of the blade tip against the culm was recorded at the time of prior to heading. Wide range of variation was observed for agro morphological characters of 213 the plant. The genotypes were grouped based on the leaf angle against culm into erect leaves (47), horizontal leaves (37) and droopy leaves (44). All cultivated varieties were having erect type of leaf angle (Table 1) because during the selection process the erect leaf character will be taken into consideration because of plant type and more food source. Table 1. List of rice germplasm accessions based on character classification Tist of accessions ‘Character/sub- Beare Total no of classification accessions eat angle (@) Erect leat types 1 a7 () Horizontal leaf types 5 37 (@) Drooping leaf types “4 Paalele type {e) Compact types 1 45 (©) Intermediate types s 63 (6) Open types 9 a Lodging (a) Strong (No lodging) 1 38 () Moderately strong, 3 6 (¢] Intermediace 5 2 (e) Weak culm 7 24 103, 104, (@) Very weak culm 9 48 9, 29, 90, 31, 34, 35, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 52, 58, 54, 56, 58, 59, 73, 74, 77 , 79, 80, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 96, 91, 92, 93, 98, 95, 96, 97, 101, 162, 104, 105, 106, 108, 103, 110, 112, 113, 111, 114 10, 11, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 43, 48, 49, 50, 60, 62, 67, 72, 75, 76, 78, 81, 82, 84, 85, 98, 99, 100, 103, 107, 111, 115, 120, 122, 126, 127 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32, 36, 37, 38, 99, 40, 51, 55, 57, 61, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 71, 116, 117, 118, 119, 131, 123, 124, 125, 128) 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 13, 21, 23, 26, 31, 44, 47, 49, 50, 54, 62, 63, 69, 72, 74, 79, 85,'86, 87, 93, 94, 97, 101, 104, 105, 106, 108, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 147, 120, "122, 123, 124, 128 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 46,'52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 60, 64, 65, 68, 70, 73, 75, 76, 78, 81, 84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 95, 96, 98, 99, 103, 105, 106, 118, 118, 121, 125, 126 30, 33, 35, 40, 45, 51, 55, 59, 61, 66, 67, 71, 77, 78, 82, 83, 97, 100, 107, 119 30. 31,34, 95, 41, 46, 48, 54, 56, 58, 59, 73, 74, 77,79, 81, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 101, 102, 105, 26 105, 103, 110, 112, 133413, 7, 83, 100, 107, 127 63, 72, 76, 80, 85, 89, 99, 125, 128 8, '10, 15, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 64, 82, 84, 98, 108, 111, 136,'126, 132 1, 3,5, 6,9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 32, 93, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 49, 50, S1, 52, 59, 55, 60, 61, 62, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 75, 78, 115, 117, 118, 119, 131, 123,124 Variability in Panicle Type non lodging (38), moderately strong (6), intermediate (12), weak culm (24) and 48 All the 128 genotypes were grouped into three types based on the mode of branching, angle of primary branches and spikelet density. Of the 128, 45 genotypes had compact panicle; 63 genotypes had intermediate panicle type, while the remaining 20 genotypes showed open type panicle. Variability in Culm Strength Wide variability was observed in the magnitude of culm strength ranging from non- lodging to very weak culm type. The details of culm angle are presented in Table 1. Based on lodging resistance, genotypes were grouped into genotypes were found to have very weak culm ‘ype. Among the 128 genotypes evaluated for the above three traits, only 12 genotypes viz., 31, 54, 74, 93, 94, 101, 102, 107, 110, 112,113 and 295 exhibited all the three desirable characters i, . non-lodging habit with erect eaves and compact panictes. Variability in Quantitative Characters ‘A wide range of variation was observed in plant height, days to 50% flowering, number of effective tillers/plant, panicle length, L/B ratio and test weight. The plant height ranged214 from 82 cm (Accession No. 24) to 192 cm (Accession No. 38). The days to 50% flowering varied from 70 days in Acession No. 114 to 132 days in Accession No. 24. The number of productive tillers per plant which is one of the important yield contributing characters, ranged from 5 to 20 in Accession Nos. 41 and 76, respectively. Panicle length ranged from 14 cm in Accession No. 73 to 35 cm in Accession No. 70. The length/breadth ratio which decided the fineness of the variety varied from 1.89 (Accession No. 44) to 3.96 (Accession No. 61) and the test weight ranged from 11.12 to 35.7 g in Accession Nos. 55 and 111, respectively. The Vijayalakshmi, Vijay, Raju and Satyanarayana analysis of variance revealed higher significant difference among the genotypes studied for all the six characters thus indicating the existence of sufficient variation in the population for these characters (Table 2). High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were observed for effective tillers/plant (29.06 and 32.87, respectively) and low genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were observed for the days to 50% flowering (13.05 and 13.98, respectively) indicating effective tillers/plant, an important character for selection. Moderate magnitude of genotypic ‘Table 2. Genetic parameters of variance of rice germplasm accessions for quantitative characters Character Days to Plant Effective Panicle T/B ratio __‘Test 50% height —_tillers/plant Tength weight flowering (cm) (cx) Mean 106.92 143.86 9.08 24.96 2.80 21.53 Range Min. + 70.00 82.00 5.00 14.00 189 11.20 Range Max. 132.00 192.00 20.00 35.00 3:96 35:70 oP 223.65 592.20 8.91 12.83, 21 15.54 og 198.77 325.23 6.98 981 0.18 15.37 PCV (24) 13.98 16.91, 92.87 14.35, 16.36 18.30 Gov eg 13.05 15.93 19.09, 1234 15.15 182 1B 87.08 88.69 78.33 76.46 85.71 98.90 GA. at 5% 26.81 44:39 381 5.63 0.80 8.02 GAas%ofmean 25.07 30.85 53.08 22.55 28.5 37.28 coefficient of variation (10-20%) was recorded for the characters viz., plant height (15.93), L/ B ratio (15.15), days to 50% flowering (13.05), panicle length (12.54) and test weight (18.2). Similar results were reported by Ghosh et al. (1981) and Gomathinayagam et al. (1990). The high genotypic coefficient of variation alone is not very effective for selection. Therefore, heritability (broad sense) and genetic advance were also computed. High heritability was observed for all six characters ranging from 76.46% in panicle length to 98.9% in test weight. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for effective tillers per plant and test weight, thus indicating its effectiveness as selection criterion. Gomathinayagam et al. (1990) also reported high heritability alongwith high genetic advance for number of effective tillers per plant. This indicated additive gene action involved in the expression of this trait. Other four characters had high heritability and low genetic advance indicating more influence of non-additive gene action in the expression of these characters. According to Johnson et al. (1955) heritability estimates alongwith genetic advance were more useful than heritability alone in predicting the resultant effect for the selection of best individuals. REFERENCES Anand, I. J. and Murthy, B. 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