Path coefficient analysis using traditional and improved rice genotypes for trait effect on grain yield

Accessions of traditional rice play a crucial role in preserving the genetic diversity of commercial rice. They contain specific and useful traits that can help to improve the overall yield, which cannot be achieved by relying solely on improved rice varieties. This is because traditional rice accessions display a wide range of morphological characteristics that contribute to their unique yield determinants. Fifty traditional and forty-five improved rice genotypes were evaluated for thirteen agronomic traits (days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of tillers per plant, number of effective tillers per plant, number of leaves per plant, panicle length, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, number of grains per panicle, filled grain percentage, 100 -grain weight at maturity, grain length, and grain width) to understand the yield determination of traditional and improved rice genotypes. Path analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS AMOS statistical software to understand the difference in the direct and indirect effect of the studied parameters. The direct effect of effective tillers per plant (beta = 0.519), filled grain percentage (beta = 0.496), and hundred -seed weight (beta = 0.403) on grain yield was high in improved rice varieties. In traditional rice accessions, the direct effect of effective tillers per plant (beta = 0.746) and filled grain percentage (beta = 0.395) on grain yield was high, but there was no direct effect of hundred seed weight. Filled grains per panicle recorded a moderate effect in both traditional (beta = 0.246) and improved (beta = 0.266) rice genotypes. None of the studied parameters directly and negatively affected the yield of improved rice varieties. Still, several traits (flag leaf length, days to 50% flowering, panicle length, seed length, and seed width) negatively affected the yield of traditional rice accessions. The contributions of yield determinants in traditional rice accessions deviated substantially from those observed in improved rice varieties, highlighting the critical role of plant architecture in determining the final yield. Fertile tiller number, filled grain percentage and grains per panicle are possible traits that can be used in direct selection criteria for improved and traditional rice genotypes for high yield.