Productivity of rice is negatively affected by drought. Morpho-physiological traits are key for plant adaptation under water stress condition. This study was conducted with the objective to study the 49 local land races of rice including checks in field and PVC pipes for screening drought tolerant genotypes based on their yield performance and the effect of various physiological traits associated with drought tolerance were studied. Results revealed significant yield decline in almost all the genotypes studied under drought condition as compared to irrigated condition. Yield per plant was significantly and positively associated with productive tillers per plant, number of spikelets per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle, seed filling per cent and test weight. Physiological characters like chlorophyll content, relative water content, proline content, root length, root to shoot ratio and root volume showed significant positive correlation with yield under drought condition. Phenotypic path-coefficient analysis revealed that test weight in drought and number of spikelets per panicle under control showed highest direct effect on yield per plant and among physiological characters root length under drought and control condition exhibited highest direct effect on yield. However, out of 49 genotypes Sannavaalya, Manjakaime, JGL-1798, Gangadace, Madras sanna and Najarbad showed superiority in terms of grain yield and its associated traits. | Studies on morpho-physiological traits associated with drought tolerance in local landraces of rice (Oryza sativa L.)
