Performance of Rice Hybrids Under Mediterranean Cultivation Conditions

Hybrid rice varieties have clearly shown a 1–1.5 t/ha yield advantage over semi-dwarf inbred high-yielding varieties in China and other countries. No information about the performance of hybrid rice varieties in rice-producing European countries been reported, however. Three previously selected Indica hybrid varieties from China (SYRC-86, SYRC-89 and SYRC-90), and two Indica check varieties (L-202 and Doongara) were evaluated in southern Spain. Various agronomic performance indicators including days to heading, plant height, grain moisture at harvest, yield components, grain yield and milling quality were recorded. Plant height and 1000-grain weight were found to be significantly greater in the hybrids, the yields of which exceeded those of the high-yielding check varieties by 10–20%. By contrast, head rice recovery was 7–10% lower in the hybrids than in the check varieties. The optimum seeding rate for the hybrids was about 75–90 kg/ha.