Morphological and yield trait analysis of gamma-irradiated Kalanamak rice: Based on the insights from M4 and M5 generations

Kalanamak rice is a non-basmati aromatic rice known for its nutritional and medicinal properties. We studied the agronomic traits of gamma-irradiated Kalanamak rice in the M4 and M5 generations. Seeds from the M3 generation are selected according to the desired traits. This study found substantial morphological and yield characteristic variations between the mutant population and the control group. The control group exhibited higher mean leaf area, plant height, panicle length, spikelet counts, and filled spikelet counts, compared to the M4 and M5 mutant lines. The analysis between M4 and M5 generations revealed no substantial morphological distinctions, which proves genetic stability. Principal component analysis was used for factor analysis to understand agronomic trait relationships. Analysis yielded three components that accounted 59.5% of the total variance. The number of filled spikelets per panicle, number of spikelets per panicle, and primary branching number per panicle contributed to Component 1, accounted for (28.3% of variance). The 1,000-seed weight and leaf area measurements constituted component 2, which explained (15.8% of variance), whereas number of productive tillers and plant height comprised component 3, which explained 15.4% of variance. These results provide insight into the effects of gamma irradiation on Kalanamak rice and future breeding strategies.