Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

OVERALL GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE RICE CULTIVARS IN THE COASTAL BELTS OF WEST BENGAL

S.S. Aich and A. Roy

Abstract

Phenotyping of varieties in stressed ecology is an important undertaking in genetic resource conservation to ensure efficient conservation management as well as its effective utilization especially in breeding programs. Trait correlations can be used by breeders either to simultaneously improve correlated traits or reduce undesirable side effects when trying to improve only one of the correlated traits Salt Stress is a major constraint across the rice producing coastal areas particularly in the Sunderban areas. This forces the farmers to continue growing of their traditional salt tolerant land races with low yield /grain quality. Salinity is an ever-present threat to crop yields, especially in countries where irrigation is an essential aid to agriculture. Attempts to improve the salt tolerance of crops through conventional breeding programmes have met with very limited success, due to the complexity of the trait. In this paper attempts has been taken on detail studies of 79 rice varieties for various yield attributing characters along with salinity scoring at tillering stage at Salt and Flood Research Station, Gosaba. Thus, this study assessed the phenotypic diversity of the rice cultivars along with the selection of the desirable types not only for cultivation but also for future breeding programmes. We were able to identify a few varieties that is better fitted for cultivation in the saline tracts and the production potentiality can be increased to 3500- 4800 kg/ha by a small effort by utilising tall varieties like Dudheswar, Nona Bokra, and medium height types like Kaushalya, Dadsal, Mohan, Jarava, Lunishree, Khejurchari, Raghusal, Sitasal, Bhutnath