Study of grain filling efficiency in two rice cultivars varying in panicle branch behaviour
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Authors
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Ajanta Nayak
Shailabala Government Autonomous College Cuttack
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6473-8613
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Kaushik Das
Shailabala Women's College Cuttack Odisha
Keywords:
Rice, panicle, grain filling, spikelets, branch behaviourAbstract
Improving yield and quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.) remains the main objective of rice research. Heterogenous grain filling of spikelets in rice panicle often results in yield loss. Spikelets borne near the basal regions, especially on the secondary branches of a panicle exhibit suboptimal grain filling. Matured grains from these positions in a panicle, being not filled properly are structurally weak, shriveled, lighter in weight, show less plumpness, possess reduced milling quality, are more susceptible to breaking and thus causes serious economic loss to rice growers. Rice consumers are also deprived of many health promoting micronutrients due to depleted nutritional quality of these underdeveloped grains. Therefore, to address these challenges, analysing the reason of poor grain filling and studying the panicle architecture is essential for achieving optimum quality yield in rice. In this study we investigated the yield related morphological traits in two rice cultivars varying in panicle branch behaviour, since characteristics of branches greatly influences grain filling process. Result clearly suggested that high secondary branching (> 40 branches) and their behaviour curtailed grain development in the compact panicle rice cultivar Mahalaxmi, therefore unfilled grain percentage were relatively higher (= 44%) in this cultivar compared to the lax-panicle cultivar Upahar with few numbers of secondary branches (< 30 branches) bearing only 15% unfilled grains. This study highlights the potential of designer panicle with ideal branch behaviour, for enhancing yield, quality and their nutritional value.
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