Variation in the grain morphology among the dwindling indigenous rice biodiversity
Mitu De1 and Santi Ranjan Dey2
1Department of Botany, Gurudas College, 1/1 Suren Sarkar Road, Narkeldanga, Kolkata-700054 (India) Email: mitude@rediffmail.com, M-8777324754 2Department of Zoology, Rammohan College,102/1 Raja Rammohon Sarani, Kolkata-700009 (India) Email: srdey1@rediffmail.com, M- 9330322203
ABSTRACT
Rice is one of the very few crop species endowed with rich genetic diversity which account over 100,000 landraces and improved cultivars and makes it one of the most researched crop. This genetic wealth is being silently eroded due to neglect and over-exploitation. Thousands of valuable allelic variations of traits of economic significance still remain unutilized in this crop plant. A better knowledge of genetic aspects of rice will also aid in genetic improvement and conservation programs of landraces of West Bengal. The rice genotypes used in the study comprised of aromatic and non-aromatic rice landraces of West Bengal specifically adapted to varied climatic and edaphic conditions of West Bengal. A total of 10 grain morphological and 6 different measurements of grains and kernels were used for the assessment of genetic diversity.