Abstract:
Identification of proper genetic materials with reliable characters to enhance crop productivity
through higher yielding potentials, resistant and tolerant against biotic and abiotic stresses under
different climatic conditions is required. The study was conducted to evaluate the selected advanced
rice breeding lines under different cross combinations with their respective check varieties under
low country wet zone conditions of Sri Lanka. The experiment was conducted as randomized
complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates in 2022 Yala season. The five selected advanced
rice breeding lines of Bw20-1281, Bw20-1285, Bw20-612, Bw19-1398, Bw19-1430 and two check
varieties of Bw451 and Bg403 were used. Agronomic characters of plant height, culm length,
reproductive characters of panicle length, days to 85% maturity and yield related characters of
number of panicles per unit area, number of productive tillers per plant, number of filled grains per
panicle, panicle weight, 1000 grain weight and grain yield were measured in average ten plants at
different growth stages according to the standard evaluation system for rice developed by the
International Rice Research Institute. Significant differences were observed among the tested entries
and check varieties for all the evaluated traits. Among the yield components, Bw20-1281 had the
highest number of filled grains per panicle, Bw19-1430 had the highest 1000 grain weight, while
Bw20-1285, Bw19-1430, Bw451, and Bg403 had the highest number of productive tillers per plant.
In addition to that the highest number of panicles per unit area was recorded by Bw20-612.
Considering about yield components such as number of panicles per unit area and 1000 grain weight,
Bw20-612 behave better than the other tested entries and it has non lodging type steady plant
architecture also. Therefore, Bw20-612 was selected as the potential rice germplasm to be used in
the future testing in varietal improvement programme of the research Centre.
