• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.343-349
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• 1993

This study was conducted 1)to determine the factors responsible for the gradually increased rice yield by examining any improvements in yield-related characters and physiological characters among the historically recommended varieties of rice in Korea, and 2)to reveal the way of achieving further yield improvement by breeding in the future. Eight recommended varieties from 1911 to 1988 were selected and grown at the same conditions. The yield-related characters were observed at the harvest time, and the physiological characters such as RGR, NAR, LAR, SLA and L WR were estimated by the classical method of growth analysis. The newer varieties are shorter and those released after 1970's are greater in percent of filled spikelets and harvest index than the older varieties. There are no definite changing trends in the variations of number of panicles per hill, number of spikelets per panicle and 1000 grain weight according to the course of evolution in the recommended varieties. There is little evidence of improvement in the physiological characters such as NAR, LAR, SLA and LWR among the recently developed varieties compared with those of the older varieties. The increase in grain yield due to variety improvement, if any, is largely associated with the greater harvest index and percent of filled spikelets by breeding blight resistant and / or lodging resistant genotypes with short culm. It is suggested that increase in NAR should be carried out simultaneously with increase in harvest index to breed high yielding genotypes. I t appears to be important to breed genotypes with long culm in order to enhance light penetration into the canopy as long as they are lodging resistant. Since NAR is negatively correlated with LAR, it is unlikely to succeed to improve both characters simultaneously. The direct effect of NAR on RGR by path analysis is much larger than that of LAR, and hence it is suggested that breeding genotype with large NAR is more effective on enhancing RGR. It is also suggested that improving LAR through LWR is likely effective on increasing RGR.