Relationship between biometric and biophysical parameters with yield in traditional rice varieties in coastal saline belts of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Rice is the major food crop of Asian and African countries. The nutritional qualities of rice grains vary based on their nutrient and amino acids content. Indigenous varieties are conserved for a variety of reasons. Farmers have great awareness about the rice varieties they were using and their importance. Some of them are pest and disease resistance (Sigappu Kuruvikar); some of them are suitable for saline soil (Kalarpalai); flood and drought resistance (Samba Mosanam and Vadan Samba) and provide energy and stamina (Mappillai Samba). In order to study the response of these traditional varieties to salinity, a replicated trial was conducted in a completely randomised block design (RBD) with 50 varieties (47 traditional rice varieties and 3 local varieties as check) in the coastal saline areas of Tamil Nadu. In this study, data on biometric, biophysical, growth analysis and yield parameters were recorded and statistical analysis of clustering of genotypes, correlation analysis, multidimensional scale and principal component analysis (PCA) were also done using the statistical tools for agricultural research software with the varieties. The results revealed that the varieties Raja mannar, Pal kudaivazhai, Kuzhiadichan and Raja mudi performed well by recording better observations in biometric, biophysical, growth analysis and yield parameters.