Khatri, R.S.Dharwal, Gaurav2017-06-032017-06-032014http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810014391Molecular markers can greatly improve the efficiency of rice breeding program to improve the mineral (iron and zinc) content and their bioavailability. The F3 population (HKR 47 x BR 4-10) and 8 BC1 plants (HKR 47 x BR 4-10) x HKR 47) derived from crosses between iron rich genotype (BR 4- 10) and high yielding indica rice variety (HKR 47) were evaluated for various agronomic traits and mineral (Fe and Zn) content. The F3 population displayed large variation for days to 50% flowering (85-109 days), plant height (72.6-137.4 cm), effective number of tillers per plant (8-14), panicle length (13.35-30.59 cm), grain yield per plant (9.84-24.51 g), grains per panicle (68-161), 1000- grain weight (17.14-27.93 g), grain length/breadth ratio (2.70-4.41 mm), days to maturity (129-134 days), Fe content (9 to 188.4 Lg/g) and Zn content (19.80 to 96.10 Lg/g). Variation for Fe (69.4 to 80.6 Lg/g) and Zn (21.5 to 95.6 Lg/g) contents was also observed in BC1 plants. Transgressive segregation for grain iron and/or zinc contents was noticed in F3 individuals of the cross. Grain iron content showed significant positive correlation (r=0.523 and 0.299) with grain zinc content in both the F3 and F4 populations indicating the feasibility of improving Fe and Zn levels simultaneously in rice grain. As many as 18/60 SSRs, which showed polymorphism among the two parental rice genotypes, were used to associate with mineral content in grains using 120 HKR 47 x BR 4-10 F4 plants displaying the entire range of variation in Fe and Zn contents. NTSYS-pc based two dimensional PCA analysis showed scattering of the F4 population between the two distinct parental genotypes.enplanting, rice, grain, iron, developmental stages, zinc, genetics, biological phenomena, minerals, yieldsThesis