Comparative Efficiency of Two Breeding Methods for Yield and Quality in Rice

A rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeder must choose a selection method that facilitates the simultaneous improvement of yield and quality. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of honeycomb selection (HCS) and panicle‐to‐row selection (PRS) in two F2 rice populations. Both populations were advanced to the F6 generation by both methods. Five F6 lines with high yield potential and good grain quality were selected from each population and selection method and were tested with a check cultivar (Strymonas) in a randomized complete block design for 2 yr near Kalochori, Thessaloniki, in Greece. In population GW 1992, significant differences in grain yield occurred between lines derived from the two methods as well as between selected lines and the check. In GW 2002, the differences were significant only between the HCS‐derived lines and the check. In both populations, significant genotypic differences were attributed to selection methods, and to methods vs. the check, for all quality traits studied except for total milling yield. The average superiority of the HCS method over the PRS method was 6 (GW 1992) and 5% (GW 2002) for grain yield, 18 and 9% for grain vitreosity, 1% (both populations) for grain length, and 3 and 2% for grain length/width ratio. These results indicate that honeycomb selection for yield and quality applied during generations was more effective than panicle‐to‐row selection applied in later generations.