Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance Studies on Yield, Its Components, Quality Traits and Gall Midge Incidence in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Twenty-eight lines including 18 F1 plants, 9 parents, and one commercial were studied for estimation of genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance at Agricultural Research Station, Kunaram. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied indicating the presence of a considerable amount of variability among the genotypes for yield and its components, quality traits and gall midge incidence. PCV values for the number of productive tillers per plant were significantly greater than GCV indicating highly sensitive to environmental changes. The GCV and PCV were high for the percentage of gall midge incidence, the number of productive tillers per plant, the number of filled grains per panicle, and grain yield per plant, whereas, low for hulling percentage, head rice recovery, milling percentage, and kernel length. Additive gene action was predominant for Gall midge incidence, number of productive tillers per plant, number of filled grains per panicle, grain yield per plant and grain weight per 1000 grains as they registered high heritability coupled with high genetic advance values.