Induction of productive semidwarf mutants of Basmati rice [India]
1987
Sajjad, M.S. | Awan, M.A. (Nuclear Inst. of Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad (Pakistan))
Basmati rices are prized for their good cooking quality and aroma. Basmati 370, isolated from the local germplasm, currently is cultivated predominantly in Punjab Province [India].The cultivar is matchless in cooking quality and aroma, but is tall and has weak straw, so that it is unable to respond to fertilizer and to withstand lodging. Hybridization involving the Dee-Geo-Woo-Gen dwarfing gene source has been tried to modify these two inherent characters. Induced mutation could be another approach. Semidwarf mutants of Basmati 370 were induced during 1980. Healthy uniform seeds of Basmati 370 with 14% moisture content were exposed to 0, 15, 20, and 25 kR from a 60Co source (5,000 seeds/treatment). Seedlings were transplanted 1/hill at 15- x 15-cm spacing to suppress profuse tillering. Three first-emerging panicles per plant were harvested and bulked by treatment. The M2 was grown at 1 seedling/hill, 20- x 20-cm spacing. Some semidwarf mutants were selected and their breeding behavior studied during 1982-83. True-breeding mutants (gross plant size 8 square meter) were tested in a micro yield trial during 1983-84, in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Seedlings were transplanted at 1/hill, 20- x 20-cm spacing. Fertilizer was 80-40-0 kg NPK/ha. All mutant lines were 24-26% shorter than Basmati 370, but panicle length and 1,000 grain weight were significantly inferior. Mutant strains were similar in grains per panicle and panicle fertility. Their yield potential was 25-51% higher than that of Basmati 370. The attribute of mutant lines that may enhance yield potential seems to be higher number of productive tillers per plant. All the mutants exhibited semidwarf plant posture along with higher yielding capability, and maybe used directly and indirectly as new gene sources for short culm for Basmati rices.
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