Varietal evaluation and genetic variability in rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes of the Mid-Hill region of Nepal

heritability were recorded for days to maturity, 
days to flowering grain yield, straw yield, and 
plant height by Roy et al. (2015). 
 High values of broad sense heritability 
indicate that the traits being studied have the 
scope to improve through selection. These traits 
are less influenced by the environment and could 
be successfully transferred to the next 
generations if utilized in a hybridization program 
so that superior genotypic selection can be made 
through simple selection. Low heritability of 
traits indicates more influence of the 
environment in the phenotypic expression of that 
trait and hence, selection based on progeny or 
family testing should be done. 
Genetic advance 
Genetic advance as a percentage of the mean 
was found to be highest for straw yield (65.75%) 
followed by harvesting index (52.67%), filled 
grains per panicle (49.18%), grains per panicle 
(48.04%), thousand-grain weight (43.66%), flag 
leaf area (42.48%), grain yield (41.45%), 
effective tillers per m2 (35.09%), flag leaf length 
(42.48%), leaf area (30.34%), plant height 
(30.31%), tillers per m2 (25.69%), and days to 
maturity (21.76%). Similar high values of 
genetic advance as a percentage of the mean were 
previously recorded by Srivastava et al. (2017) 
for plant height, flag leaf length, number of 
grains per panicle, filled grains per panicle, test 
weight, and grain yield per plant. Medium 
genetic advance as a percentage of the mean 
values were found for days to booting (17.23%), 
panicle length (17.11%), days to heading 
(19.15%), and fertility percentage (14.75%). 
Low genetic advance as a percentage of the mean 
was found for SPAD reading (7.42%). High 
heritability coupled with high genetic advance as 
a percentage of the mean were recorded for days 
to maturity, number of tillers per m2, plant height, 
leaf area, flag leaf length, effective tillers per m2, 
grain yield, flag leaf area, test weight, panicle 
density, grains per panicle, filled grains per 
panicle, harvesting index, and straw yield. 
High GCVs and PCVs, heritability, and 
genetic advance as a percentage of the mean were 
recorded for straw yield, harvesting index, filled 
grains per panicle, grains per panicle, thousand- 
grain weight, flag leaf area, grain yield, effective 
tillers per m2, and leaf area. These characteristics 
with high values of the GCV, PCV, and heritability 
Laxmi Pd. Joshi et al. (2020) 
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Table 6. Phenological, agro-morphological, and yield attributing traits of the rice genotypes within and among four clusters 
Variable Cluster I Cluster II Cluster III Cluster IV Grand centroid 
BD 79.33 83.25 89.16 84.50 83.68 
HD 91.26 94.08 104.50 95.00 96.04 
MD 129.60 132.83 143.75 138.83 135.46 
PH (cm) 99.77 107.70 127.45 113.54 111.10 
SPAD 38.58 39.69 37.18 39.96 38.69 
LA (cm2) 28.24 33.79 35.68 35.72 32.70 
FLL (cm) 29.02 28.34 30.49 26.69 28.92 
FLA (cm2) 27.76 31.64 38.07 40.71 33.27 
PL (cm) 24.13 23.63 25.95 24.24 24.50 
ET 229.66 223.00 161.50 139.16 197.64 
Tillers m2 271.66 258.16 211.66 180.83 239.95 
FGPP 104.66 169.42 199.18 111.68 148.07 
GPP 124.25 194.10 243.12 161.20 179.50 
TW (g) 25.24 17.64 19.28 25.58 21.67 
SY (tons ha-1) 5.67 5.94 8.53 8.32 6.86 
GY (tons ha-1) 4.62 4.61 3.69 3.62 4.24 
HI (%) 45.14 43.25 32.66 35.56 40.03 
F (%) 84.58 86.91 81.46 70.14 82.44 
Note: BD = days to booting, ET = number of effective tillers per m2, FGPP = number of filled grains per panicle, FLA = flag leaf 
area, FLL = flag leaf length, F(%) = fertility percentage, GPP = grains per panicle, GY = grain yield, HD = days to heading, MD = 
days to maturity, PL = panicle length, PH = plant height, SY = straw yield, TW = test weight, TP = tillers per m2 
accompanied by high genetic advance as a 
percentage of the mean might be transmitted to 
their progenies and therefore, phenotypic 
selection based on these characteristics would be 
effective. Panse (1957) stated that high values of 
heritability with low genetic advance indicated 
that the heritability was probably due to the 
effects of non-additive gene action. In general, 
the characteristics that show high heritability 
with high genetic advance are controlled by 
additive gene action (Patil & Lokesha, 2003) and 
can be improved through simple or progeny 
selection methods. Selection for the traits having 
high heritability coupled with high genetic 
advance is likely to accumulate more additive 
genes leading to further improvement of their 
performance (Johnson et al., 1955). The 
characteristics showing high heritability along 
with moderate or low genetic advance can be 
improved by intermating superior genotypes of a 
segregating population developed from 
combination breeding. 
Cluster analysis 
Cluster analysis of the fifteen rice genotypes 
in this study showed that the genotypes exhibited 
considerable genetic variability among 
themselves by occupying four clusters as shown 
in Table 6. These rice genotypes were grouped 
based on phenological, agro-morphological, and 
yield related traits, namely days to booting, 
number of effective tillers per m2, filled grains 
per panicle, flag leaf area, flag leaf length, 
fertility percentage, grains per panicle, grain 
yield, days to heading, harvesting index, leaf 
area, days to maturity, panicle length, plant 
height, SPAD reading, straw yield, test weight, 
and number of tillers per m2. 
Cluster analysis showed that cluster I was 
comprised of five genotypes, cluster II consisted 
of four genotypes, cluster III was comprised of 
four genotypes, and cluster IV consisted of two 
genotypes (Figure 1). Cluster II genotypes were 
characterized as having the highest fertility, 
Varietal evaluation and genetic variability in rice genotypes of the mid-hill region of Nepal 
590 Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences 
smallest palnicle lengths, and lowest thousand-
grain weights. Cluster III genotypes had the 
lowest SPAD readings at the time of flowering, 
and the longest number of days for booting, 
anthesis, and harvesting. It was also 
characterized by having the longest panicle 
lengths, largest numbers of grains per panicle, 
largest numbers of filled grains per panicle, and 
highest straw yields but lowest harvesting 
indicies. 
 Cluster IV contained the genotypes with 
the highest SPAD readings at the time of 
flowering, largest leaf areas, flag leaf areas, and 
thousand-grain weights, in addition to the lowest 
flag leaf lengths, and lowest numbers of total and 
effective tillers per m2. Cluster I had the 
genotypes that were earliest in terms of booting, 
heading, and days to maturity, lowest leaf areas, 
lowest flag leaf areas, and lowest numbers of 
filled grains per panicle and grains per panicle. It 
was comprised of genotypes with the highest 
grain yields, harvesting indicies, and numbers of 
effective tillers per panicle. 
Conclusions 
The analysis of variance study showed the 
presence of adequate phenotypic variability 
among the tested genotypes for all the traits in 
this study. From the mean performance analysis, 
it was found that Radha 11 can be selected for 
higher grain yield. Radha 13 can be selected for 
grains per panicle, tallest plant height, and leaf 
area. Ghaiya 2 can be selected for the largest 
number of panicles per m2 and effective tillers 
per m2. Hardinath-1 can be selected for 
maximum flag leaf area, chlorophyll content, and 
earlier heading and maturity, while the local 
landrace (Manabahu) also had a high values for 
panicle length, straw yield, flag leaf length, and 
maximum days to heading, booting, and 
maturity, and can be selected for these traits. The 
PCV was greater than the GCV for all the traits 
being studied, meaning that some degree of 
environmental influence was present in the 
expression of these traits. A small difference 
between the CGV and PCV suggests less 
influence of the environment on the expression 
of the traits. High GCVs and PCVs, higher broad 
sense heritability, and higher GAM of the traits
Figure 1. Cluster analysis showing the presence of variability among the tested genotypes and groupings of four distinct genotype 
clusters based on the phenological, agromorphological, and yield attributing characteristics 
Observations
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Laxmi Pd. Joshi et al. (2020) 
https://vjas.vnua.edu.vn/ 591 
straw yield, filled grains per panicle, harvesting 
index, grains per panicle, flag leaf area, grain 
yield, thousand-grain weight, effective tillers per 
m2, and leaf area indicates that there is less 
influence of the environment in the expression of 
these traits. A higher proportion of variability is 
heritable and improvement can be made for these 
traits in the next generation through direct 
selection. High broad sense heritability and 
genetic advance for these traits indicate the 
presence of additive gene interaction in the 
expression of quantitative traits and showed 
more opportunity for selection of these traits for 
improvements in yield. Cluster analysis showed 
the presence of considerable genetic variability 
among the genotypes for further improvement of 
the genotypes. 
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