Agro-morphological characterization of farmers’ varieties of rice (oryza sativa l.) following dus guide lines

The present study was carried out to characterize seventy five farmers’ varieties of rice using twenty nine agro-morphological characters following DUS guide lines during Rabi 2012. A majority of varieties found to possess green basal leaf sheath colour (70), medium pubescence of leaf blade (38), presence of auricles (72) with light purple colour (66), split shape (74) and light purple (65) colour of ligule, semi erect attitude at early (39) and late (44) stages of flag leaf, late time of heading (39), absence of anthocyanin colouration of lemma apex (50) and stem nodes (64), white colour (57) of stigma, medium stem length (43), medium length (43) and semi-straight curvature (50) of panicle main axis (49), medium density of pubescence (35) and white colour tip (33) of lemma, absence (42) and tip only distribution (23) and yellowish white colour (22) of awns, semi erect attitude (48) and well exserted (34) panicle, straw colour sterile lemma (69), medium 1000 grain weight (38) and decorticated grain length (44), narrow decorticated grain width (75), short slender decorticated grain shape (60), white colour decorticated grain (33) and absence of decorticated grain aroma. This study will be useful for breeders, researchers and farmers to identify and choose the restoration and conservation of beneficial genes for crop improvement and also to seek protection under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act.