Performance of different rice hybrids and aromatic rice varieties under saturated and flooded soil conditions

Rice is a crop which consumes more water than any other cereal crop. As irrigation water shrinks globally, there is a need to screen different rice varieties which perform better with less water. An experiment was conducted in the clay loam soil in TNAU, in a split plot design, with seven rice hybrids and seven aromatic rice varieties (all lowland varieties) under saturated (0.5cm of standing water) and flooded (2.5 cm of standing water) soil conditions. Varieties were evaluated for yield and water use efficiency. Rice hybrids and aromatic rice varieties recorded higher yield in flooded soil condition. But water use efficiency (35% more) was higher in saturated soil condition. Two hybrids, NDR-359 and KRH-2 and one aromatic rice variety, Mugad sugandhi recorded less yield reduction and better water productivity than other varieties in saturated soil condition.