IDENTIFICATION OF PROMISING INDIGENOUS RICE LANDRACES FOR GRAIN PRODUCTIVITY AND FE–ZN ENRICHMENT THROUGH MULTI-TRAIT RANKING

Abstract

Indigenous rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces represent valuable genetic resources for improving grain productivity and nutritional quality. This study aimed to identify promising landraces combining yield-related traits with grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations using an unweighted multi-trait rank-sum approach. Sixty-six landraces and four standard checks (Chittimutyalu, DRR Dhan 45, BPT 5204 and Zincorice) were evaluated during Kharif 2024 at the Agricultural College Farm, Aswaraopet, Telangana, using an augmented block design. Six traits, number of panicles per plant (NPP), number of filled grains per panicle (NFP), 1000 grain weight (TGW), grain yield per plant (GYP) and grain Fe and Zn concentrations were ranked and individual ranks were summed with lower values indicating superior overall performance. Substantial variation was observed for NPP (2-14), NFP (38-142), TGW (2.11-29.25 g), GYP (12.09-34.20 g), Fe (3.87-15.30 ppm) and Zn (10.63-25.48 ppm). Assamchudi recorded the lowest rank sum (57.5), followed by Red jasmine (66.0) and Hembarbag (69.0). DRR Dhan 45 ranked fourth (77.5), Zincorice fifth (90.5), BPT 5204 ninth and Chittimutyalu fourteenth. Assamchudi combined favourable yield attributes with 14.30 ppm Fe and 20.98 ppm Zn. Red jasmine recorded the highest grain yield (34.20 g) and NPP (14), while Hembarbag combined high yield (31.97 g) with favourable grain micronutrient concentrations. These landraces represent promising parental resources for breeding rice varieties with improved productivity and grain Fe-Zn enrichment.