Vol. 12, Issue 9 (2023)

Rice (Oryza sativa pv. sativa) holds paramount significance as a staple food crop, serving as the primary dietary staple for approximately half of the global population. The study titled "Identification of high-yielding, disease resistant lines with enhanced bran oil content in 3K rice genome subset panel" was conducted during the kharif season of 2022-23 at ICAR- Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. In this study, forty germplasm lines from the 3k rice genome subset panel and eight varieties from Telangana were assessed for their resistance to bacterial leaf blight and blast, as well as genetic variability and the association of traits related to yield. The experiment was conducted using an Alpha Lattice Design with two replications. Data was recorded for twelve different characteristics, including days to 50 percent flowering, plant height, panicle length, panicle weight, total number of tillers per plant, number of productive tillers per plant, total number of grains per panicle, total number of filled grains per panicle, total number of unfilled grains per panicle, spikelet fertility, 1000 grain weight, and single plant yield. Variability studies indicated substantial differences in all characteristics across the genotypes examined. Plant height, total grains per panicle, total number of filled grains, and total number of unfilled grains, spikelet fertility, and single plant yield displayed notably high PCV (Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation) and GCV (Genetic Coefficient of Variation) values, along with high heritability and significant genetic advance as a percentage of the mean. Moreover, character association studies indicated a significant and positive correlation between yield and plant height, panicle weight, number of tillers per plant, number of productive tillers, and test weight. Based on these findings, selecting genotypes with these favorable traits, in addition to disease resistance, holds great promise for enhancing yield in future breeding programs.