Evaluation of CMS based rice hybrids developed using rice varieties of Kerala as restorers

Hybrid rice is one among the many approaches to break the present yield plateau in rice crop. Red rice is highly preferred by the consumers in Kerala and it therefore warrants that the hybrids developed for the state possess red kernels which would preferably fall into the short to long bold category. The study was undertaken with the objective to evaluate cytoplasmic male sterility based rice hybrids developed using rice varieties of Kerala as restorers, for heterosis for yield and grain quality. Varieties ‘Remya’ and ‘Kanakom’ were found to restore the fertility of CRMS31A and CRMS 32A respectively, yielding promising hybrids. Six hybrids along with two checks (Uma and Kanchana) were evaluated in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Observations on 12 yield contributing traits and eight grain quality traits were recorded. This evaluation could identify two promising rice hybrids for Kerala i.e., CRMS32A x Kanakom and CRMS31A x Remya which could give yield advantages of 17.91 per cent and 16.37 per cent over the popular rice variety Uma. These two hybrids had long slender grain shape with red kernel colour. The amylose content of these two hybrids was also intermediate. These hybrids had a lower cooking time and good head rice recovery. Standard heterosis of these hybrids over the check variety Uma was positive for all the traits except for pollen fertility and thousand grain weight in the case of the hybrid CRMS 32A x Kanakom.