Rice is an important food crop in the world by providing higher nutrition to half of the world population. To fulfill the rising demand for food, water and land resources have been extensively exploited in recent years. But with change in the climate and less availability of water there is a huge need of growing the rice with direct seeded condition. The direct seeded rice (DSR) technology has been adopted by rice experts and farmers in the tropics and subtropics as a result of the changing climate. Rice production using the DSR method uses much less freshwater and labor, while also producing more rice, using resources more effectively, and emitting less greenhouse gases. By keeping these aspects in to consideration present experiment was conducted. The present study was conducted on 202 genotypes from the Bengal and Assam Aus rice panels during the Rabi season of 2020-21 investigated nine quantitative traits impacting grain yield. The results observed that a significant positive correlation of grain yield with plant height, flag leaf length, flag leaf breadth, number of tillers per plant, and productive tillers per plant. Focusing on these attributes when selecting plants can enhance production. Furthermore, Path analysis identified the number of tillers per panicle as the primary driver of yield, followed by flag leaf width, productive tillers per plant, and flag leaf length. These results emphasize the importance of these traits in rice improvement programs and suggest their inclusion in selection models to achieve indirect enhancements in yield and overall crop performance. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing rice production by strategically considering specific plant characteristics.

Correlation analysis, direct-seeded rice, path coefficient analysis, rice, yield attributes

In conclusion, this study highlights the crucial role of specific traits in rice yield enhancement. Notably, traits such as the number of tillers per plant, flag leaf width, productive tillers per plant, flag leaf length, plant height, and SPAD exhibit strong positive correlations with grain yield. Path coefficient analysis underscores their direct positive effects on yield. Conversely, days to 50% flowering negatively impacts yield. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting rice plants based on these traits to maximize grain production. Such insights are vital for rice improvement programs, offering a clear path to enhance crop performance and address challenges related to changing climates and sustainable agriculture.

Rashad Khan, A. Anandan, T.K. Mishra, D. Lenka and P. Ranjith (2022). Maximizing Rice Production via Direct Seeded Rice: Insights from Correlation and Path Analysis. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4a): 794-797.