Studies on Growth and Yield Behavior of Short Grain Aromatic Traditional, Improved Scented and Fortified Quality Rice Varieties under Organic Production System

Abstract

An investigation was conducted at the Instructional Cum Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), to evaluate the performance of various quality rice varieties under organic farming conditions. The study utilized a Randomized Block Design with three replications and fifteen treatments, consisting of eight traditional short-grain aromatic, four high-yielding scented, and three fortified rice varieties. The findings showed significant differences in plant height among varieties, with Amrit Bhog, a traditional short-grain aromatic variety, exhibiting the maximum plant height at harvest, while CG Devbhog, a high-yielding scented variety, displayed the minimum plant height. In terms of tiller production, Indira Sughandhit Dhan 1 and Chhattisgarh Sugandhitbhog, both high-yielding scented varieties, showed superior performance, whereas Zinco rice MS, a fortified variety, demonstrated exceptional performance within its group. Amrit Bhog excelled in dry matter accumulation, leaf area, and leaf area index (LAI) across all varieties. Notably, CG Devbhog achieved the highest grain yield (37.0 q ha-1), outperforming all high-yielding scented varieties. Among traditional short-grain aromatic varieties, Tarunbhog Selection 1 and Lokti Machhi produced higher yields, while Protezin, a fortified variety, showed superior performance within its group. This study underscores the potential of diverse quality rice varieties under organic farming conditions in Chhattisgarh's agro-climatic conditions.