JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

INVESTIGATING THE YIELD POTENTIAL AND GENETIC RESILIENCE TO DROUGHT STRESS OF DIVERSE RICE GENOTYPES

Qurat ul Ain Sani1, Rana Arsalan Javaid1, Abid Majeed1, Muhammad Shahzad Ahmed1, Muhammad Jalal Hassan2, Afia Gul3, Faiza Siddique1, Mashal Rehman1, Shafiq Qalandrani1, Muhammad Arshad4

Abstract:

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a globally vital staple crop, feeding billions of people and serving as a cornerstone of many cultures and cuisines. Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that delimit rice production and yield especially in rainfed ecosystems. To address this challenge and identify the promising drought tolerant rice cultivars, an effort was made in the present study to screen few potential rice genotypes aimed at investigating their genetic potential to withstand drought stress and ensure stable yields in water deficit conditions. Performance of 30 Rice genotypes were evaluated for yield on the bases of 8 morphological traits as days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, grains per panicle, thousand grain weight and grain yield.Assessment of genotypes to resist attack of stem borer and leaf folder was also carried out. Their genetic potential to withstand drought stress was assessed through SSR Marker Qdty1.1. 14 genotypes were screened out as drought tolerant genotypes.Study was conducted at Rice Research Program, CropSciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Center-Islamabad following Randomized Complete Block Design in three replications.After conducting an extensive assessment of yield under diverse conditions, three exceptional genotypes, NR 420, NR 429, and NR 421, emerged as the top performers in terms of yield. Furthermore, for prioritizing drought tolerance, NR 426, NR 415, and NR 414 stand out as promising choices, as they not only surpass the average yield but also exhibit genetic traits that make them resilient to drought stress.These efforts are crucial for food security in regions where rice is a staple crop and where drought events are increasingly common due to climate change.

Key words: SSR Marker, Genetic Potential, Water Sensitive Crop, PCR,