'Hari', a mutant cross derived rice variety released In India

Full text: TR-RNR-21 is a derivative from a cross between 'IR-8' and 'TR-5', the latter being a Nf-induced dwarf mutant of the salt tolerant variety SR-26-B. In initial yield evaluations at BARC during 1972-78 it gave higher yields of 54% in monsoon season and 19% in dry season over 'Jaya' and compared favourably with 'IR-8' and 'Sona'. During 1975-80, trials were conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University (APAU), Rajendranagar and the All India Co-ordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP), at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. In these trials TR-RNR-21 was compared with 'Pankaj', 'Jaya', RP-4-14, 'Sona', 'Surekha', RNR-323341 and 'Prabhat'. Compared with the highest yielding check and all the seven checks combined, overall average yields of TR-RNR-21 were higher by 10.1 and 19.8% respectively. Since 1981, TR-RNR-21 was included in minikit trials of Andhra Pradesh State. Results from over 90 locations of the Telangana region show that mean grain yield of 3843 kg/ha was 19% more than the yield of the local checks. In view of its consistently superior performance, TR-RNR-21 was released as 'Hari' in 1987 for general cultivation in the irrigated transplanted conditions of the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, excepting the endemic gall midge prone areas. 'Hari' is a medium duration variety maturing within 135-140 days. It is a semi-dwarf (93 cm), erect, compact and non-lodging type with dark green foliage; anthocyanin pigment absent; grain long (10.1 mm), slender with kernel length/breadth ratio of 3.54; kernel flinty, white, translucent and non-glutinous; white belly absent; TGW 25.2 g; protein content 7.1%; bulling, milling and head recovery - 80, 74.5 and 68% respectively; cooking quality good. It is not affected seriously by blast, tungro virus, sheath blight and brown leaf spot diseases and green leaf hopper, leaf folder and stem borer insect pests. A characteristic of this variety is that the flag leaf is long, stays far above the panicle and remains green till maturity. (author)