Principal component analysis of morphological traits in thirty-nine accessions of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in a rainfed lowland ecology of Nigeria

Gana A. S, Shaba S. Z, and Tsa

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Edozhigi, National Cereal Research Institute experimental field, to assess the contribution of morphological traits to variability in some accessions of rice. The field was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Thirty nine entries collected from farmer’s field and National Cereals Research Institute gene Bank were planted in a plot size of 5 × 1 m. The experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons. Data were collected on twelve morpho-physiological traits. The results of the principal component analysis showed that the first 5 principal component axes explained 68.9% (first year) and 61.6% (second year) of the total variations in the rice population. The combined results showed that 65.4% of the variations were accounted for by the first 5 principal components axes. Number of grains per panicle loaded more on the component loading correction plot using the combined results. It accounted for about 17.8% of the variation in the population. High levels of variability were expressed among the varieties and the characters studied which will allow further improvement in the varieties.