~ 1225 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2020; 9(6): 1225-1229 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 www.phytojournal.com JPP 2020; 9(6): 1225-1229 Received: 19-08-2020 Accepted: 28-09-2020 Rakesh Koshle Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India AK Sarawgi Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Bhawana Sharma Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Mangla Parikh Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Suraj Ware Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Corresponding Author: Rakesh Koshle Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Assessment of genetic variability for early seedling vigour, yield and its contributing traits in early duration genotypes of rice under direct seeded condition Rakesh Koshle, AK Sarawgi, Bhawana Sharma, Mangla Parikh and Suraj Ware Abstract Eighty rice genotypes were assessed for different 26 early seedling vigour traits, yield and its component traits under direct seeded condition. The entire 26 early seedling vigour, yield and its component traits showed significant variation. Highest values of PCV coupled with GCV was recorded for number of unfilled spikelet, vigour index II, seedling dry weight on 30 DAS, seedling dry weight on 20 DAS, number of filled spikelet, grain yield per meter square. Based on grain yield, genotypes namely, R1004- 2552-1-1 recorded high grain yield followed by Indira aerobic-1, Asam chudi, Surekha, IR 08 L 152, Pokali and Aditya. Keywords: Early seedling vigour, rice, upland Introduction Rice is the most important cereal of the world providing 21% of global human per capita energy and 15% of per capita protein. Rice (genus Oryza) has only two domesticated species Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima, out of its twenty two species. Oryza sativa is known as Asian rice and Oryza glaberrima is the African rice. Hence, Oryza sativa is the major food crop for people in Asia and nearly 90% of the world's rice is produced and consumed in this region. Furthermore, rice is the staple food for nearly 2.4 billion people in Asia including China, Japan, some parts of India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and many more (Warusawithana, 2017) [9] . Rice is widely cultivated under irrigated and rainfed conditions, with improved varieties and landraces that specifically adapt to these situations. In India, more than 50% of rice areas under rainfed conditions are cultivated as direct seeded rice (DSR). Due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, direct seeded rice has become regular practice under rainfed situation. Conversely, due to labour scarcity and unavailability of timely irrigation water, the farmers in the irrigated ecosystems are also adapting to dry direct seeding techniques. However, DSR has major drawbacks such as the non-uniform emergence and uneven population of seedlings in the field as well as high weed growth (Chauhan and Abugho, 2013) [3] . In such situation, Early Seedling Vigour (ESV) comes in rescue. Early seedling vigour (ESV) determines rapid, uniform emergence and the development of seedlings under a wide range of field conditions and it has been considered as one of the important characteristics that determines successful crop establishment (Zhang et al., 2005) [10] under DSR. Strong seedling vigour is desirable trait in dry direct-seeded rice (DSR) for enhancing crop establishment and the ability to compete against weeds. However, currently available modern irrigated rice varietal architecture with semi-dwarf stature and reduced seedling vigour is not amenable to dry direct seeded conditions. Irrigated rice varieties are high yielding but relatively poorer in early seedling vigour as compared to rainfed varieties. Genes promoting vigourous growth in young rice seedlings need to be identified and transferred into high-yielding cultivars. This will depend upon the identification of superior donors for early seedling vigour and of traits that best predict field performance (Redona and Mackill, 1996) [5] . Materials and Methods The present research work was regulate at Research cum Instructional farm Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of agriculture, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, during the Kharif season of 2019.