Purification of the Popular Rice Variety (Oryza sativa) IR841 in the Municipality of Cove (Benin)

The study of the purification of the popular IR841 rice variety was carried out at the SPRR/CRA-Sud/INRAB experimentation site in the commune of Cove. The objective of this research is to identify the pure strains of the IR841 variety for seed multiplication. To achieve this goal, 10 strains from INRAB, Toulou1, Toulou2, AfricaRice, Ouesse, Dangbo, Malanville, Glazoue, Togo and Banterice variety IR841 were collected. The experimental setup is a total randomization. This device has three repetitions. Each repetition includes ten (10) treatments. The results reveal that the strain Toulou1 groups together all the characteristics of the variety IR841, namely: height (Toulou l: 98.63 ± 7.47 cm, IR841: 100 cm), duration of the seed-heading cycle (Toulou1: 83 days, IR841: 84 days), length and width of the panicle leaf (Toulou1: 31.56 cm ± 2.58 cm, IR841: 33.72 cm) and (Toulou1: 1.46 cm ± 0.04 cm, IR841: 1.50 cm), number of tillers per tuft (Toulou1: 12.73 ± 1.85, IR841: 12). The strain of Toulou2 includes only a part of the characteristics of the variety IR841 (semis-épiaison cycle (83 jrs), height of the plants (101.63 cm), length of the panicle leaf (29.92 cm)). Then the strain Toulou1 is characterized by extra-vigorous seedlings, an intermediate pubescence of the leaves, a bifid ligule, an erect port and an erect panicle leaf, the absence of the anthocyanin colouration and especially its homogeneity (absence of off-types) which make it a more or less pure strain which can serve as a multiplication of seed.