The Identification of superior and consistent rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes suitable for wet and dry seasons of the Northern Telangana region, India

The main objective of the study was to identify the high-yielding rice genotypes with promising head rice recovery suitable for both kharif (wet) and rabi (dry) seasons. Twenty-one rice genotypes were evaluated in a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications during kharif, 2022 and rabi, 2022-23 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU), Polasa, Jagtial, Telangana. The data was subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) to identify the traits with maximum contribution towards total genetic variation present in the genotypes and rank them based on their performance specific to season and across the seasons. The mean days to reach 50 % flowering during the dry season (103 days) were significantly higher than the wet season (93 days). The other traits, viz. effective bearing tillers/m2, plant height, panicle length, test weight and head rice recovery were higher during the wet season than in the dry season. Yield in the dry season (7494 kg/ha) was significantly higher than in the wet season (7188 kg/ha). High temperatures during the grain development stage resulted in low head rice recovery in the dry season (31 %) compared to the wet season (53 %). Principal component analysis revealed that the first two PCs captured 72.5 % and 79.6 % of total variance during wet and dry seasons, respectively. Panicle length, effective bearing tillers/m2 and test weight were identified as primary drivers of genotypic divergence in both seasons. The genotypes, G4, G3, G2 and G1 for yield and G13, G16, G18 and G19 for head rice recovery were identified as best genotypes for both wet and dry seasons.