Gene action of yield and yield contributing traits of submergence tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Bangladesh

Background Trait selection for rice production under submergence stress and its effective investigation are important for sustainable improvement. Gene action is a principle, measures allelic interactions for traits that express the nature of phenotypic behavior, and leads to perfect selection of traits. Aim This study was aimed to measure the allelic interactions of genes responsible for different quantitative traits which have strong association with yield of submergence tolerant rice. Results In this study, generation mean analysis has been performed for yield-contributing traits and found that plant height, no. of primary branches panicle−1, no. of secondary branches panicle−1, no. of filled grain panicle−1, no. of grain panicle−1and dominant effects for yield hill−1, yield tiller−1, and 1000 grain weight have association to yield, governed by additive gene effect. In respect of epistatic effect, duplicate epistasis was predominant for all the traits except panicle length. From a heritability view, plant height, no. of primary branches panicle−1, and no. of grain panicle−1showed high heritability and plant height, panicle length, no. of filled grain panicle−1, and 1000 seed weight which found high genetic advance. Conclusion It could be concluded that days to heading is an important trait that needs to be investigated in every generation and days to maturity and panicle length that needs to be selected in early segregating generation.