EVALUATION OF NEW PROMISING RICE HYBRID AND ITS PARENTAL LINES FOR FLORAL, AGRONOMIC TRAITS AND GENETIC PURITY ASSESSMENT.

Development of new rice hybrids with high-yielding and superior in grain quality is the most important goal to enhance food security as well as to achieve consumer requirements. High seed costs and poor grain quality are the major limiting factors for adoption of hybrid rice. A practical way to improve hybrid seed quality and to increase production is possible to increase the seed setting rate through improving the floral traits for parental lines. In the context, the study was conducted at the Rice Farm and Laboratories of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt in consecutive three rice growing seasons in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The study focused mainly on characterization of the new promising hybrid 'G46A/GZ9399R' and its parental lines. The cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line and restorer line were evaluated for twenty-three floral traits that influence outcrossing rate in hybrid rice under two seasons and there was a marked stability for most of these traits. As compared with commercial check variety 'Giza 178', the new promising hybrid 'G46A/GZ9399R' showed its superiority in all agro-morphological traits except plant height. This hybrid was very early, adapted widely and recorded 20.19% more yield than commercial check variety ' Giza 178'. Instead, this hybrid produced superiority in all grain quality properties except grain length was medium grain and amylose content was equal for both studied genotypes compared to the check variety. In parallel, the assessment of genetic purity established the SSR markers RM154, RM331, and RM297, amplified alleles specific to differentiate parental lines of hybrid 'G46A/GZ9399R'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]