Abstract

                                The performance of traditional basmati varieties is very poor in high humid condition of eastern India. The local aromatic rice cultivars popularly grown in Gangetic West Bengal are not considered as basmati type for export purposes due to their short kernels. Very little attention has been paid for the improvement of such aromatic rice. The improvement of aromatic rice through hybridization would be easier if the cross_x0002_parents having aroma differ in panicle characters. Considering the above mentioned aspects, the present study was undertaken for assessing the variability in F2 generation through crosses of two induced mutants of local aromatic cultivar Gobindabhog with three basmati varieties.

Key words : Genetic variability, panicle characteristics, aromatic rice