COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MORPHO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND YIELD POTENTIAL OF FIVE RICE CULTIVARS

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the field laboratory of Agricultural Chemistry Department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, during the period from February to May, 2011 to study morphochemical, yield and yield contributing characters of five boro rice varieties of which four were local viz., Taipe, Pariza, Lafaya and Jirashail and one was a released varity BRRI dhan-50. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Result revealed that the morphological, phygiological, yield and yield attributes were significantly different among the cultivars studied. Result showed that high yielding released vareties were shorter in plant height, having more tillering capacity, higher leaf number which in turn showed superior growth character and yield than the local cultivars. Similarly released and HYV produced higher number of grains panicle’ and bolder grains which resulted higher grain yield than the local cultivars. The variety BRRI dhan-50 showed superiority in respect of morphological parameters like tiller numbers, leaf number, erect leaves and total dry mass. Nutrient content among all the cultivars showed significant difference. The highest Ca content was recorded in Pariza. Pariza also contained the highest Mg content than the others. The highest K and B content was recorded in Lafaya. The highest S and P content was recorded in Taipe. The highest Zn content was in BRRI dhan-50. Further, BRRI dhan-50 also showed superiority in yield contributing characters over other local varieties and it resulted in higher grain yield (5.7 t ha’), while Jirashail showed the lowest yield contributing characters and yield (4.6 t ha’). Among the local rice cultivars, Lafaya had the best yielding ability than those of others local cultivars.