1. PRESENTED BY 1 C.H SAPUMANAGE

2. CONTENT  Introduction  Specific characteristics  Categories of traditional varieties  Podi wee, Murungakayan, Pachchaperumal, Deveredderi, pokkali, Weda heenati, Kalu heenati, Sudu heenati, Madathavalu, Herath banda, Molligoda,Kahata wee, Gonabaru,  Why low yield potentials ?  Future potentials

3.  All the varieties which were grown before old improved varieties found (before 1950´s)  Varieties are typically tall with long narrow & drooping leaves  Farmers were concern about weather pattern,Topography & soil conditions even in ancient  Cultivated more than 4000 traditional varieties in SL-now conserve at PGRC  List of traditional varieties prepared in 1902 - 300 varieties - Exhibited at Kandy Agri-horticultural & Industrial Exhibition 3

4. Specific Characteristics 1) Typically tall with long, narrow,drooping leaves 2) Photosensitivity 3) Lodging susceptibility 4) Poor tillering 5) Flood tolerance 6) Tolerance to iron toxicity 7) Tolerance to salinity 8) Tolerance to drought & submergence 9) Low response to fertilizer 10) Resistant to P & D 4

5. Categories of Traditional Varieties  Goda Wee -Totally rainfed -Cultivate in uplands >4000ft from sea level  Al Wee -Cultivated in new chena lands (Kegalle, Morawak Korale, Hinidumpattuwa, Rathnapura & Badulla districts) -Totally rainfed -Protein content of rice is highest 5

6. Categories of Traditional Varieties Cntd…  Ma Wee -Cultivated only in maha -Cultivate only in wet zone -Irrigation of water -Resistant to flooding  Bala Wee -Popular in WZ & DZ -Mature after 3-31/2 months 6

7.  Very popular long duration variety  Pearly white grain  Tall & bulky habit  Thick culms  Moderately profuse tillering  Medium, long fairly dense panicles with round, bold grain  High % of variety tillers ineffective or unproductive 7

8. WEAKNESSES  Low yielder  Very low fertilizer response  High susceptibility to blast & stem borer  Grain shedding  Severe preharvest lodging  Low grain straw ratio 8

9. MURUNGAKAYAN  Medium plant height(127-135cm)  Duration 4- 4 1/2 month  Moderately tillering  Very long, heavy panicles  Large,coarse red rice grains  Culms are tall, thick & bulky  Flag leaf is conspicously erect  Response to N is very high 9

10. MURUNGAKAYAN Cntd..  Resistant to grain shedding & piricularia disease  Moderately resistant to lodging  Good yielder even at low soil fertility  Yield potential upto 60-65bu/ac  Tall & bulky growth 10

11. PACHCHAPERUMAL  Very popular & extentively cultivated  Duration-3 months  Red rice grain  Short, thin culms(seldom out growing 85cm)  Tillers have short panicle with well filled, heavy, medium size grain  Fairly high yield potential (80bu/ac in Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa Districts)  High susceptibility to blast  Severe grain shedding  Susceptible to lodging  Low N response 11

12. DEVEREDDERI  Old variety but not popular one  Duration 5 months (grow only in Maha season)  Plant height 150-160cm  Red colour grain is medium length  Poor tillering  Medium long panicles  Large heavy grains  Tall culms about 120cm  Highly flood resistance  Potential yield is 25-35bu/ac 12

13. WEAKNESSES  Poor yielder  Grain shedding  Susceptibility to lodging  Susceptibility to piricularia disease 13

14. POKKALI  Morphologically resembles to Deveredderi  Not popular variety  Definitely yala season variety  Saline resistence  Poor yield is the problem 14

15. WEDA HEENATI  Medium height plant  Duration Yala -4 months Maha-31/2 months  Red rice grain  Drought tolerant  More prefer muddy lands  Yield potential is 30-40bu/ac  Use as a medicine in ayurvedic  Susceptible to Fe toxicity  Growth reduction in sandy soil & in heavy rainy period  High grain shedding losses if not harvest at correct maturity 15

16. KALU HEENATI  Medium plant height(111-115cm)  Medium length panicles are in black colour,paddy husk also black  Red rice grain  Yield potential from boggy field is 25-30bu/ac  Use as a medicine in ayurvedic  Not suitable for sandy soil  Susceptible to Fe toxicity  Growth retardation in heavy rainy period 16

17. SUDU HEENATI  Medium plant height(112-135cm)  Duration Yala-4 months Maha-6 months  Red rice grain  Clearly straw colour paddy husk  Flood resistence  Moderately drought resistence  Moderately tolerant to Fe toxicity  Yield potential 40-50bu/ac 17

18. MADATHAWALU  Medium height plant(120-130cm)  Duration 4 months  Paddy husk is mud colour  Red rice grain  Grain is intermediate bold shape  Potential yield is 60-65bu/ac  High yield gives in organic farming 18

19. HERATH BANDA  Medium height plant(120-130cm)  Duration- 31/2 months  Low tillering(2-3 tillers/plant)  Red rice grain  Grains are intermediate bold shape  Yield potential is 45-50bu/ac 19

20. MOLLIGODA  Medium height plant(150-160cm)  Duration-41/2 months  Low tillering(4-5tillers/plant)  Red rice grain  Shape of grain is intermediate length  Prefer for boggy paddy fields  Yield potential is 40-50bu/ac 20

21. KAHATA WEE  Tall plant(165cm)  Duration Yala - 41/2 months Maha - 5months  Red rice grain,but has black/brown colour slightly in the grain  Lengthy grains 21

22. GONABARU  Tall plant(180cm)  Duration- 41/2 months  Long, drooping leaves  Resistant to many pest & diseases  Red rice grain (lengthy grain)  Yield potential 30-40bu/ac 22

23. Why low yield potential ?  Low tillering- moderate tillering should there. Profuse tillering cause mutual shading Late tillering don´t contribute to grain yield  Susceptible to lodging - upto 60% yield decrease at pre flowering stage - upto 18% yield decrease at dough & ripening stage  High shattering losses in most varieties  Low fertilizer response  Long duration varieties - Inefficient use of land - Longer exposure to natural hazards 23

24. Future potentials  Demand for traditional rice varieties increasing  Increasing the demand for organic rice  Traditional rice varieties can cultivate as organic farming  High nutritional value and tasty  Some varieties has medicinal properties  EX :-Kalu heenati 24

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