Germplasm Evaluation, Genetic Variability, Heritability, Genetic Advance, and Character Analysis in Scented and Non-Scented Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Under Irrigated Conditions

Eighty-nine germplasm of rice (Oryza sativa L.) along with four checks were evaluated in a well-prepared field to assess the genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for different characters under irrigated conditions in Augmented Block Design. In this study, the analysis of variance revealed highly significant or significant for all the 13 characters except non–significant for 1000- grain weight. High and moderate broad sense heritability was recorded for all the characters except 1000-grain weight, days to maturity, days to 50 % flowering, and spikelet fertility which showed low heritability. Genetic advance in percent of mean recorded high and moderate for all the characters except 1000-grain weight, days to 50 % flowering, number of fertile spikelet per panicle, and spikelet fertility which had the low genetic advance. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was recorded higher for flag leaf area and moderate for harvest index, days to maturity, and L/B ratio. Non- hierarchical Euclidean analysis grouped the eighty-nine germplasm into eight clusters and this study showed the existence of wide genetic diversity within Oryza sativa germplasm. Among the eight clusters, the highest number of genotypes were present in cluster III which contained 23 entries, followed by cluster IV and cluster VII with 14 and 11entries, respectively. While least no genotypes were present in cluster VIII contained only 4 genotypes. The highest intra-cluster distance was observed in cluster II (3.664) while the lowest was in cluster V (2.327). In the case of inter-cluster distance, the highest value was observed between cluster VIII and cluster II (5.698) while the lowest value was observed between V and III clusters (2.808). The genotypes present in the diverse clusters may serve as parental material for the hybridization program which will lead to the isolation of desirable sergeants for developing high-yielding rice varieties under irrigated conditions.