Ephemeral Growth span and Rapid Veg-repo shift is Critical for Survival against Naturally Rainfed Upland and Erratic Drought in Rice Growing Regions

Abstract

Two experiments were undertaken simultaneously (early generation evalua-tion and advanced generation evaluation respectively) during Kharif 2013-14 at S G College of Agriculture and Research Station, Jagdalpur, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to indentify and analyze ephemeral genotypes for their suitability in rainfed upland and present era’s climate change-laid unpredicted water stress production agro-ecosystem. In early generation testing, mean plot flowering was recorded to be 72 Days After Sowing (DAS), plant height 83cm, panicles per square meter 212 and grain yield to be 2330kg/ha. Regional check Vandana and CRR-676-1 flowered earliest by 68 DAS followed by CRR-627-35-1-5 (69 DAS) and CRR-507-11-B-1 and CRR-605-23-1. The CRR-433-2-1-1 flowered latest by 83 DAS and as per hypothesis; yield was con-siderably reduced since plant could not develop optimum source-sink bal-ance and carbon accumulation in seeds eventually. Regarding, crop yield, five genotypes placed above the local check, namely CRR-597-5-1 (29.47%), the national check i.e. Anjali (21.05%), CRR-676-1 (15.79%), CRR-433-2-1-1 (10.53%) and the regional check i.e. Vandana (7.92%). Among advanced ma-terial, interestingly, the highest yielding genotype flowered earliest (69 DAS) that suggests the accomplishment of crop growth and physio-biochemical development while utilizing the soil and environmental reserve appropriate-ly. On overall, mean yield was 2349kg/ha, whereas genotype CRR-616-B-2-54-1 ranked 1st with 2718 kg/ha yield, 69 days of flowering duration and short bold grains. The bimodal experiment concludes that ephemeral growth span and rapid veg-repo shift is critical for survival against naturally rainfed-upland and erratic drought in rice growing regions and those genotypes which maintain the physiological buffer at the shift will be able to sustain genetic yield potential.