Eight male sterile lines of rice comprising five from WA and three from MS 577 A sources were studied for temperature influenced male sterility-fertility transformation under natural field and controlled growth chamber conditions. Of them WA-based Pusa 33–16A UP 24 A) showed the highest tendency for reversible sterility-fertility alteration. Along with its B-line JP 24 A was characterized using parameters like sensitive stage to temperature, critical sterility point and critical fertility point. JP24A and JP24B became resistance 21 and 24 days before heading respectively. Critical sterility point of JP 24 A is 33.8°C as against 35.1°C of JP 24 B. The CMS line possibly genetically linked with temperature sensitive genetic male sterility is of value in commercial hybrid seed production as it requires no maintainer to produce its seed.
Oryza sativa, rice, hybrid, temperature sensitive male sterility
