Abstract

Rice Research at Paddy Breeding Station, Coimbatore was intensified in the year 1969 when it was recognised as the Zonal Headquarters for the Southern Peninsula under the All India Co-ordinated Rice Improvement Project popularly known as "AICRIP". The main objective of the programme of research at this centre is to carry out multi-disciplinary and multilocational co-ordinated research on rice as per the programme of work drawn at the Rice Research Workshops held twice in a year. This Co-ordinated approach to rice research has enabled rice research workers make rapid progress in finding out newer technologies in Rice Production. Research on varietal improvement under the project has so far resulted in the release of fourteen high yielding varieties of rice for large scale cultivation in India. During the Rice Research Workshop held at Hyderabad during February, 1971 eleven more varieties were recognised as fit for pre-release multiplication. Besides these, there are also varieties released by the State Departments and Agricultural Universities for specific locations, such as the variety Hamsa for Andhra Pradesh, Suma and Kusuma for Mysore, Annapoorna, Ashwathi, Rohini and Tiruveni for Kerala and Karuna and Pennai for Tamil Nadu. As new varieties have started coming in quick succession, it is necessary to study their performance under Jocal conditions to choose the best suited strains that are to be popularised in each State. The data on the performance of the varieties at Paddy Breeding Station, Coimbatore are discussed with a view to fix the best for large scale cultivation in Tamil Nadu.

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