EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF CERTIFIED RICE SEEDS FROM SELECTED SEED COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Field and screen house experiments were conducted during the rainy season of 2018 with a survey at Kano, Katsina and Zaria in the year 2019. The treatment was a factorial combination of two varieties of rice (FARO44 and FARO 52) and four selected seed companies (Company A, company B, company C, and company D) arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications at the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) Badeggi) and Edozhigi in southern guinea savannah agro-ecological zone. The parameters measured at the field were plant height, days to 50 % flowering, number of tillers, number of panicle, seed weight and seed yield. The screen house experiment was a factorial combination of the varieties and seed companies arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The parameter measured during the screen house experiment includes seedling emergence test and seedling emergence index. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis and performance index. The survey data was analysed using qualitative and quantitative statistical bar charts. The analysis of variance showed that variety had a significant effect on plant height at 2 WAT and at harvest. Companies had a significant effect on plant height at 2 WAT and 4 WAT, seed weight, number of panicles and seed yield at 1 % level of probability. The result of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first three principal components accounted for 99.42 % of the total variation. FARO 44 produced the highest seed qualities, growth and yield components than FARO 52. Company C produced better seed quality attributes, growth and yield components than the other seed companies. The result of survey data revealed that premier seed company had proper monitoring, no field rejection by (NASC), highest buyback and lowest price of foundation seeds than the other companies. It is therefore recommended that rice producing farmers should engage seed company C for increased growth, yield and seed quality of rice in the southern guinea savanna zone of Nigeria.