Genetic variability, heritability and correlation coefficients of grain quality characters in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Ninety-two rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes were evaluated during kharif 2013 to estimate the genetic variability, heritability and correlation coefficients for 14 physicochemical and cooking quality traits. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized block design with 3 replications. Highly significant (P < 0.01) differences were observed for all 14 quality characters studied. Among the traits, head rice recovery (%), water uptake, gel consistency and alkali spreading value exhibited high estimates of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV). Highest broad sense heritability and genetic advance was obtained for head rice recovery (89% and 29%), milling (84% and 21%), water uptake (90% and 24%), amylose content (93% and 29%) and gel consistency (90% and 31%) which suggested that these traits would respond to selection owing to their high genetic variability and transmissibility. High estimates of heritability in association with medium genetic advance observed for KLAC (89% and 13%), elongation ratio (86% and 11%) and alkali spreading value (80% and 19%) suggested the role of both additive and non-additive gene action in their inheritance. The significant positive correlation of KLAC with ER (r = 0.638) and L/B ratio (r = 0.556), ASV with water uptake (r = 0.426), hulling % with milling % (r = 0.60) and with HRR % (r = 0.150) indicated that these are the primary traits for improvement of rice grain quality.