Strategies and Methodologies of Improving Rice Varieties in Egypt

IN THE EXPERIMENTAL Farm of the Rice Research and TrainingCenter (RRTC), Sakha, Kafer elshiekh, Egypt, during the period from 2005 to 2011rice growing seasons. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate some Delta-Med materials under Egyptian conditions and develop a new rice lines using a crosses between 7 Egyptian varieties (Giza 177, Giza 178, Sakha 101, Sakha 102, Sakha103, Sakha 104 and Giza 182) and 7Spain varieties (Bala, Susan, Bahia, Bomba, Montsianejj, Senia and Tebre) to enhance the former genotype yielding ability. The results showed that there were significant differences between Egyptian varieties and Delta-Med varieties as well as among each group itself. The Egyptian varieties exceeded the Delta-Med entries in grain yield and its associated traits. For Spanish and Delta-Med genotypes, they were generally low grain yield, shorter duration and higher 1000-grain-weight. With crosses between Egyptian and Spain varieties, the former genotype yielding ability were enhanced along with a specific breeding program to be designed for Spain materials and be evaluated in Spain in the few coming years. The progenies from each cross were advanced under normal conditions with the pedigree method technique. The best selected lines from F6 generation (2010) were promoted to be grown as F7 generation in 2011 season. These lines were found to be resistant to blast disease in addition to possessing useful traits associated with high yielding ability. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was high for all the studied character and genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV) showed the same trend as for PCV. Heritability estimates were high for all studied traits. Highly significant positive phenotypic correlation coefficients were determined between grain yield per plant and all yield components studied.