Variation in morphological traits of aerobic and lowland indica rice genotypes at different stages

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is cultivated under flooded lowland conditions and is a single biggest user of fresh water. Overexploitation of groundwater has caused serious problems in many parts of India including Haryana and Punjab. A new development in water saving technologies is the concept of aerobic rice. Rice is considered a drought sensitive crop species, however, aerobic rice withstand water stress. In the present investigation, different morphological traits were studied in aerobic (MAS25, MAS26) and lowland (HKR47, PAU201, HBC 19 and PUSA1121) indica rice genotypes, grown under well watered conditions in pots. Root length, fresh root weight and dry root weight declined in all aerobic rice genotypes while, conversely, lowland rice genotypes showed enhancement under well watered environment at late vegetative and reproductive stages.