Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (MJSA)

Spring rice (Oryza sativa L.) plays a crucial role as Nepal’s primary staple cereal crop. It has a high potential as an alternative during low rice production in the main season, ensuring food self-sufficiency. A field study was conducted on spring rice at a farmer field school, Kailari Rural Municipality-09, Kailali district, Nepal to identify the best-performing and the most preferred genotypes by the farmers through the participatory approach. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with twelve spring rice genotypes including a local check variety. Each treatment was replicated thrice. Statistically significant differences in yield and yield-attributing traits were observed among the genotypes under observation. Average plant height was recorded as the highest in Hardinath-3 (101.75 cm) followed by IR17L1387 (99.78 cm), Jhumka (98.74 cm), and IR17A3019 (96.55 cm) with the lowest in IR16A3838 (84.79 cm). Similarly, the total number of tillers and effective tillers were found to be the greatest in IR18A1451 and IR17A3019 respectively at harvest. The sterility percentage was lowest in IR17A3012 followed by IR17A3019 whereas highest in Hardinath-4. Similarly, the Hardinath-1 variety matured earlier than, IR16A3838 and IR17A3019. Hardinath-4 variety followed by Jhumka was a late maturing variety. Maximum grain yield was found in IR17A3012 (6.06 t ha-1) which was followed by IR17A3019 (5.97 t ha-1) and superior to the local check variety (Jhumka). Thus, the farmers’ preference score was found to be maximum (0.09) in the IR17A3019 genotype which signifies that this genotype has certain preferable traits such as early and uniform maturity, low disease and pest attack, a high number of effective tillers, panicle length, and sterility percentage.