• Corpus ID: 89882282

Yield components and gas exchange responses of Nerica rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) to vegetative and reproductive stage water deficit

@inproceedings{Sikuku2012YieldCA,
  title={Yield components and gas exchange responses of Nerica rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) to vegetative and reproductive stage water deficit},
  author={P. A. Sikuku and Jc Onyango and Godfrey Wafula Netondo},
  year={2012}
}

• P. Sikuku, J. Onyango, G. W. Netondo
• Published 2012
• Biology

Kenya has got a rapidly increasing population which was estimated to be 36 million in the year 2009 with a growth rate of 2.7 per annum hence the need for diversified food production. Water deficit is one of the most environmental stresses affecting agriculture productivity. Drought may affect crop yield and gas exchange at any developmental stage while early reproductive stage is found to be one of the most susceptible phases of a crop to drought stress. NERICA (New Rice for Africa) are high yielding rainfed rice varieties with early maturity and has shown high potential to revolutionize rice farming even in Africa’s stress afflicted ecologies. However, NERICA varieties vary in their response to water deficit. A pot experiment was conducted in 2009 at the Maseno University Botanic garden, to evaluate the responses of five NERICA varieties (NERICA1, NERICA 2, NERICA 3, NERICA 4 and NERICA 5) to water deficit during their vegetative or reproductive stage of their development. The response pattern of crop yield and gas exchange parameters to water deficit imposed at different growth stages might provide basis for selecting the most tolerant variety to water deficit in order to stabilize yield and solve food crisis.