Can rice cultivar with submergence tolerant quantitative trait locus (SUB1) manage submergence stress better during reproductive stage

Cultivars with submergence tolerant quantitative trait locus (SUB1) greatly enhance submergence tolerance at vegetative stage. Whether such cultivar is better off or not at reproductive stage submergence is not known. Due to uncertainties in rainfall pattern and delayed monsoon, flooding at later stages corresponding to reproductive stage is very much common now. Therefore, the main goal of the present investigation is to work out the effect of submergence at reproductive stage on yield and yield attributes in three rice cultivars namely Swarna, Swarna-Sub1, and Baliadhan (a traditional rice cultivar showed similar reaction to SUB1). The present study envisages that submergence at reproductive stage greatly decreased the grain yield even though there was no mortality of plants. Yield reduction was greater at flowering stage followed by booting and panicle initiation stage. Swarna-Sub1 performed significantly better compared to Swarna when submergence was given at panicle initiation stage. Swarna-Sub1 and Baliadhan both maintained greater quantities of carbohydrate and total dehydrogenase activity yet the yield reduction was greater in Swarna-Sub1 compared to Baliadhan due to greater chalf formation in the former. The cultivar with SUB1 is quite better off at reproductive stage submergence. Baliadhan is superior to Swarna-Sub1.