Abstract

In general, the rice varieties grown in Japan belong to Oryza sativa forma Japonica which are characterised by short stature, stiff straw, non-lodging habit, and have short and and coarse grains. Generally they are heavy yielders, the average yield being 4,000 lb. of paddy (rice in husk) per acre. In addition, these varieties show definite response to fertiliser applications. The rices that are cultivated in India belong to Oryza sativa forma Indica. The Indica rices easily lodge in most of the cases and the average yield of these varieties is less when compared. to that of Japonica rice. Hence to combine the useful genes that exist in the two different races of rice, crosses were effected at the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack and the hybrids were distributed to the different States for study. The present note deals with the obser- vations recorded during the study at the Paddy Breeding Station, Coimbatore.

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