Path Coefficient Analysis of Growth and Yield Traits of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) at Bokolori, Talata Mafara, Sudan Savanna Ecological Zone, Nigeria

Abstract

In order to determine the direct and indirect effects of yield and yield components of rice, a field experiment was conducted in each of the wet seasons of 2016 and 2017 at Irrigation Research Stations of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Bokolori, Talata Mafara, in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria (12° 34’ N; 06° 04’E). The treatment consisted of four (4) weed management practice (Oxadiazon at 1.0 kg a.i ha^-1 [pre-emergence], Orizo-plus [proponil 360 g/l + 2,4-D 200 g/l] at 2.8 kg a.i ha^-1[post emergence at 3 WAS], manual weeding [at 3 and 6 WAS] and weedy check [control]); three (3) each of seeding method (Drilling, Dibbling and Broadcast) and seed rate (40 kg ha^-1; 70 kg ha^-1; 100 kg ha^-1). The experiment was laid in a split plot design replicated three times. Weed management practice was assigned to the main plots while the combination of seeding method and seed rate to the subplots. Data were collected on plant height, leaf area, crop dry matter, tillering ability, crop growth rate, harvest index (HI), panicle length, number of grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight and paddy yield. The result indicated that, the highest individual contribution of 25.04% to paddy yield was made by dry matter followed by 1000-grain weight (8.74%), tillering ability (8.46%), leaf area (3.13%), number of grains per panicle (1.03%) and the least was from panicle length (0.83%). The contribution of these growth and yield attributes to yield suggests that, priority be given to these traits when making selection for improvement.