Characterization of indigenous upland rice varieties for high yield potential and grain quality characters under rainfed conditions in Thailand

Indigenous upland rice is a staple food for local people in the North and Northeast regions of Thailand. As a result, variations of grain yield and GxE interactions have been utilized for wider adaptability of upland rice varieties. A high yielding genotype that performs well under a good yielding environment as well as in poor environments is greatly needed. Our experiment, therefore, aimed to identify high potential indigenous upland rice varieties for grain yield and yield stability under rainfed conditions. Fifty upland rice genotypes were evaluated from 2013 to 2015, in which a randomized complete block design with three replications was laid out over the three years. Based on grain yield, eight indigenous upland rice varieties, including ULR026, ULR042, ULR075, ULR078, ULR080, ULR081, ULR089 and ULR105; demonstrated superior performance, high yield stability, and greater adaptability over the other varieties, including the Sew Mae Jan check variety. Additional qualities of the superior varieties included high amylose content (ULR081 and ULR075), high aroma (ULR078), and intermediate gelatinization temperature test (GT) (ULR078, ULR026, and ULR105). The participatory varietal selection (PVS) test for farmer(s) acceptance, and promotion of these varieties under rainfed conditions will be further studied.