INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEED VIGOUR TRAITS AND FIELD PERFORMANCE IN NEW RICE FOR AFRICA (NERICA) GENOTYPES (Oryza sativa L.)

The study was conducted to examine the relationships between seed vigour traits and field performancein 24 interspecific rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes specifically for Africa. Seeds of these genotypeswere evaluated in the late cropping season of 2003 and early cropping season of year 2004 inthe laboratory for seed vigour traits. Field performances were evaluated at the Teaching and ResearchFarm, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria for field performance traits. Data were collectedfrom the laboratory studies on six seed vigour traits while seven performance traits were assessed onthe field. The data were subjected to Pearson’s correlation to compute correlation coefficient (r) andstep-wise multiple regression analysis to determine percentage contribution of each trait to field emergence.The results of correlation analyses in the 2003, 2004 and across the two seasons revealed thatstandard germination, energy of germination, seedling vigour index-11, seedling vigour index-1 andspeed of germination index exhibited significant positive relationships with field emergence, seedlingestablishment, plant height, seedling dry weight and seed yield/plant. 100- seed weight significantcorrelation with plant height. From these results, all the laboratory seed vigour traits examined except100 seed weight were identified to be good predictors of field performance in NERICA rice. Regressionanalysis ranked speed of germination index as the major contributor to field emergence, accountingfor 58% of the total variation. Also, seedling establishment, standard germination and field emergencewere identified as the major contributors to seed yield/plant, accounting for 79, 77 and 66% ofthe total variation in seed yield/plant. Hence, prediction of field emergence and seed yield of NERICArice genotypes from seed vigour traits in the laboratory is possible and was effective.

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