Morphological Variations of Twelve Accessions of the Traditional Rice, Heenati, Deposited at the Plant Genetic Resource Center, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Twelve Heenatirice accessions collected from the plant genetic resources centre (PGRC), Gannoruwa, Sri Lanka were evaluated on the basis of 12 agro-morphological traits in a field experiment during major [Maha] season, 2012/13 and 2013/14. The aim of the study was to distinguish the traditional rice accessions identified as Heenati and catalogued under different accessions at PGRC are similar or not in morphological characteristics. Three-week-old seedlings of the accessions were transplanted in rows with 15 cm x 20 cm spacing according to randomized complete block design. Three replicates were arranged for each accession and each replicate consisted of 3 rows of seedlings while 20 plants were included in to each row. Agro-morphological traits, biomass and harvest index of middle row plants were recorded according to the Standard Evaluation System for Rice, IRRI. The data were statically analysed using the SPSS version 20 software. Principal Component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis and morphological dendrograms using Ward Linkage were used to assess the patterns of the morphological variation. The first three principle components (PCs) explained over 80% of the total variation associated within the accessions. Among them the first two principle components cumulatively explained 61.7% of the total variation. All the accessions catalogued under different accession numbers were not significantly different in relation to considered characteristics and all the accessions distinguished in the same name were also not similar in their morphological traits. According to the cluster analysis, Rathu Heenati-5486 rice accession was significantly different from the other Rathu Heentirice accessions at rescaled cluster distance 25. Six Kalu Heenati rice accessions were also grouped into two clusters at cluster distance 13. It can be concluded that rice accessions with the same name may not always belong to the particular cultivar though they have the same name.