Upland rice is important for sustainable crop production to meet future food demands. The expansion in area of irrigated rice faces limitations due to water scarcity resulting from climate change. Therefore, this research aimed to identify potential genotypes and suitable traits of upland rice germplasm for breeding programmes. Forty-three genotypes were evaluated in a randomised complete block design with three replications. All genotypes exhibited a wide and significant variation for 22 traits. The highest phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for the number of filled grains/panicle and yields/plant (g). The highest heritability was found for photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2, and number of filled grains/panicle and yields/plant (g). Cluster analysis based on 22 traits grouped the 43 rice genotypes into five clusters. Cluster II was the largest and consisted of 20 genotypes mostly originating from the Philippines. The first four principle components of 22 traits accounted for about 72% of the total variation and indicated a wide variation among the genotypes. The selected best trait of the number of filled grains/panicle and yields/plant (g), which showed high heritability and high genetic advance, could be used as a selection criterion for hybridisation programmes in the future.

An experiment was conducted at the Research farm of Regional Agricultural Research Station, BARI, Hathazari, Chittagong during Rabi season (December to April), 2009-2010 for estimation of genetic variability, genetic parameters and correlation coefficient among different yield components in a randomized block design with three replications. Thirty four groundnut genotypes were tested in the experiment. Highly significant variations were observed among the genotypes for all the characters studied. The highest genetic coefficient of variation was observed for karnel yield per hectare, followed by karnel yield per plant, branches per plant, immature and mature nuts per plant, 100 kernal weight and plant height. The highest heritability was observed in karnel yield per pant (95.08%), followed by karnel yield per hectare (94.38%), 100 kernal weight (87.01%), immature and mature nuts per plant (82.24%, 80.32%), branches per plant (79.54%) and 100 nut weight (78.98%), while high values of genetic advance were obtained in all the characters except days to maturity and days to 50% flowering. The seed yield per plant showed the highly significant and positive association with nut size, number of nuts per plant, karnel size and days to 50% flowering. The number of mature nuts per plant had high positive direct effect on seed yield per hectare followed by nut size, shelling percentage, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity. Therefore, branches per plant, plant height, nuts per plant, nut size, karnel size, days to 50% flowering, shelling percentage and days to maturity were identified to be the important characters which could be used in selection for yield. Keywords: Genetic variability; heritability; genetic advance; groundnut DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v9i1-2.9476 The Agriculturists 2011; 9(1&2): 29-36

Rust is the most devastating fungal disease in wheat. Three rust diseases, namely, leaf or brown rust caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks, stem or black rust caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici West, and stripe or yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. Tritici Eriks, are the most economically significant and common diseases among global wheat cultivars. Growing cultivars resistant to rust is the most sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach for controlling rust diseases. To date, more than 187 rust resistance genes (80 leaf rust, 58 stem rust and 49 stripe rust) have been derived from diverse wheat or durum wheat cultivars and the related wild species using different molecular methods. This review provides a detailed discussion of the different aspects of rust resistance genes, their primitive sources, their distribution in global wheat cultivars and the importance of durable resistant varieties for controlling rust diseases. This information will serve as a foundation for plant breeders and geneticists to develop durable rust-resistant wheat varieties through marker-assisted breeding or gene pyramiding.

A field experiment was conducted comprising eighteen advanced lines of mustard in a randomized block design with three replication at Regional Agricultural Research Station, BARI, Hathazari, Chittagong during Rabi season (December 2009 to April 2010) for estimation of divergence among advanced lines of mustard. The genotypes were grouped into four clusters. Cluster I contained the highest number of genotypes (6) and the cluster III contained the lowest (3). The inter-cluster distances in all cases were larger than the intracluster distance which indicated that wider diversity was present among the genotypes of distant grouped. The highest intra cluster distance was observed in cluster II and the lowest in I. The highest inter cluster distance was observed between the cluster III and II followed by III and I and the lowest between cluster IV and III. Days to 50% flowering (81.94%), days to maturity (8.24%), plant height (5.82%), branches per plant (1.91%) and siliquae per plant (1.17%) contributed maximum towards the total divergence which suggested that these characters were highly responsible for genetic divergence in the present materials. But the highest cluster means for primary branches per plant and maximum seeds per siliquae with minimum seed yield per plant were obtained from the cluster II. The genotypes from cluster I had dwarf plant along with earliness in days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and maximum number of primary branches per plant. Therefore, the genotypes from cluster I and III could be utilized in the hybridization programme for getting desirable transgressive segregants and high heterotic response due to getting maximum yield along with short duration.

Comprising 34 groundnut genotypes an experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replication at the Research farm of Regional Agricultural Research Station, BARI, Hathazari, Chittagong during Rabi season (December 2009 to April 2010) for estimation of the multivariate analysis of divergence. The genotypes were grouped into five clusters. Cluster III contained the highest number of genotypes (12) and the cluster II contained the lowest (2). The inter-cluster distances in all cases were larger than the intra-cluster distance which indicated that wider diversity is present among the genotypes of distant grouped. The highest intra cluster distance was observed in cluster V and the lowest in II. The highest inter cluster distance was observed between the cluster IV and III followed by V and III and the lowest between cluster V and I. Days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of branches per plant, number of matured nuts per plant and karnel size were the most important contributors based on the latent vector. But the highest cluster means for matured nuts per plant, 100 karnel weight, 100 nuts weight and yield per plant were obtained from the cluster II. With moderate yield but early maturity varieties were found in cluster IV. Therefore, more emphasis should be given on cluster VI for selecting genotypes as parents for crossing with the genotypes of cluster II and III for getting new recombinants with early maturity and higher yield.

Forty genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) were studied in a field experiment conducted at the experimental field of BARI, Joydebpur, during the year 2004-2005. Significant genetic variations were observed among the genotypes for days to flower, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, 100-seed weight and seed yield per plant. The highest genotypic variability was observed in number of seeds per pod and seed yield, followed by number of pods per plant and branches per plant, whereas days to maturity showed the lowest genotypic co-efficient of variability. In all cases, phenotypic variances were higher than the genotypic ones. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for seed yield per plant, pods per plant, 100-seed weight and dry weight per plant, which indicates that selection could be effective for these traits. Considerable heritability was observed in pod length, seeds per pod and days to flowering. The results showed that seed yield per plant had positive and significant relation with branches per plant and pods per plant. Number of pods per plant were positively correlated with branches per plant but negatively correlated with plant height and days to first flowering. Weight of 100-seed had significant and positive correlation with days to first flowering, dry weight per plant and pod length but had negative correlation with pods per plant and seeds per pod. Days to first flowering, pod length, pods per plant, dry weight per plant had direct effect on yield. Therefore, days to first flowering, pods per plant, pod length, branches per plant and dry weight per plant are found the important characters which could be used in selection for yield.

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L

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