Genetic Variability, Multivariate and Association Analysis for Agronomic Traits in Different Rice Genotypes

The current study aimed to evaluate the presence of variability for desired traits and to estimate genetic parameters (phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation, broad sense heritability), correlations and principal component analysis for such traits. The study was conducted in 2020 and 2021 at the Rice Research Department Farm of the Sakha Research Station of the Agricultural Research Centre, Egypt. In a randomized complete block design with three replications, fifteen rice genotypes were evaluated for yield and yield components, including days to flowering, plant height, number of panicles per plant, panicle length, total spikelets per panicle, panicle density index, grain length, width, thickness, shape and 1000 grain weight and grain yield per plant. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between the genotypes for all the studied traits. The genotypes Egyptian Yasmine, IRRI 154, Sakha 101, Giza 178, IR 65600-77-4-2-1, and IRRI 147 were found to have the highest mean values for grain yield/plant (53.47, 55.07, 52.32, 52.07, 50.02, and 46.60, respectively). The widest grains, measuring 3.31 to 3.63 mm, were found in the genotypes WAB-96-1-1, IR 65600-77-4-2-1, Sakha 105, GZ 10101-5-1-1-1, and IRRI 147. IR 65600-77-4-2-1 recorded the thickest grain (2.37 mm). All the results obtained will be considedrd in the next hybridization programs to get the most preferred traits in rice plants.