YIELD EVALUATION OF FIFTEEN RICE (Oryza Sativa. L) GENOTYPES UNDER RAINFED AND IRRIGATED CONDITIONS IN NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

This study was undertaken to examine the nature and quantify the magnitude of Genotype by Environment interaction effects on rice (Oryia Sativa L.) grain yield and to determine the most stable and winning genotype (s) in terms of yield stability and performance in two rice producing hubs. The study was conducted at four locations within two rice producing hubs in Northern Ghana on fifteen (15) rice genotypes including a checking genotype GR18 red. A randomized complete block design with three replications was employed. A multi environment trial analysis depicted differential performance of rice genotypes at the different test environments. The yield stability and adaptability measure using the AMMI Stability value (ASV), Yield Stability Index (YSI), Rank sum (RS) and GGE biplots showed the genotypes Perfume (short), GH1837, Good and new (JP) and IR72(Ph) to be high yielding and stable in terms of yield performance across all four environments respectively. Panicle length possessed both positive association and high positive direct effects, indicating selection of this agronomic trait could bring about improvements in yield and yield components. The study revealed that the mean technical efficiency of rice farmers across the two hubs is 55.2% (7.8% 95.1%). It was observed from the study that yield was significantly predicted by water PH, proportion of nitrogen, organic matter, clay and silt in the soil and the relative humidity in the atmosphere. The genotypes GH1837, Perfume (short) and IR72(Ph) were found to the high yielding and stable in both rainfed and irrigated conditions across all four mega environments.