Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012.
1Present address: PMB Unit, Division of Biochemical Sciences, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411 008.
Three sets of A x R (AF1) and B x R (BF1) hybrids were evaluated to study the influence of male sterility inducing (WA) cytoplasm on various morpho-physiological and biochemical characters in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The nature and magnitude of cytoplasmic effects varied with character and cross combination. The cytoplasm negatively influenced plant height, spikelet fertility, average panicle weight, 1000-grain weight, biomass yield, harvest index and grain yield, while enhancing number of productive tillers and growth duration. The cytoplasm negatively influenced physiological characters like CGR, RGR, NAR, LAI and LAD and biochemical characters like α-amylase activity in germinating seeds and nitrate reductase activity at various stages of crop growth. It could be feasible to reduce or overcome the negative effects of cytosterility by choosing appropriate parental lines.
Rice, WA cytoplasm, sterile cytoplasm, effect on physiolgical and biochemical characters
