Estimation of narrow sense heritability in early segregating generations of rice introgressed with Sub1 QTL

Rice, often termed the golden cereal, sustains billions globally but faces submergence as a significant constraint in semi deep and deep-water ecosystems in India. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic potential of yield and yield-contributing traits in the cross ASD 16 x BIL of CO 51 Sub1 (12 x 9-7-6-12-3-45) across the F2 and F3 generations. The research revealed a wide range of variation for all traits in both generations. Specifically, positively skewed and platykurtic curves were observed for the number of productive tillers per plant and the number of chaffy grains per panicle, indicating the influence of a large number of genes with dominance-based gene interaction on these traits. The study also found highly significant correlation and regression coefficients for all recorded traits. Interestingly, while broad sense heritability showed high values for certain traits, narrow sense heritability percentages were only moderate for the same traits. Thus, focusing on selecting individuals based on narrow sense heritability would be more effective in improving those traits, as it targets the genetic variation that can be passed on to future generations