EVALUATION OF THREE JAPONICA AND ONE INDICA RICE VARIETIES FOR YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS

Abstract

Present research work was conducted during rice growing season of 2013 at the paddy experimental field of Tsukuba International Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Japan. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Three japonica and one indica varieties of rice viz. Koshihikari, Fukuhibiki, Hitomebore and IR-50 were screened out. High yielding and best performing varieties in respect to yield and yield components were identified. All varieties were transplanted at spacing of 30 cm x 15 cm using three seedlings per hill. The results showed that varieties IR-50, Koshihikari and Hitomebore performed better in terms of yield as compared to Fukuhibiki by producing 7.77, 6.96 and 6.75 tons ha^-1 more yield, respectively. The variety IR-50 with high paddy grain yield also retained high number of panicles/m², high ripening ratio and reasonable spikelets/m^2. On the basis of these results, IR-50, Koshihikari and Hitomebore gave high biological and economical yield, therefore these varieties are recommended for cultivation in specific rice growing areas.