A panel of 60 genotypes comprising New Plant Types (NPTs) along with indica , tropical and temperate japonica genotypes was phenotypically evaluated for four seasons in irrigated situation for grain yield per se and component traits. Twenty NPT genotypes were found promising with an average grain yield varying from 5.45 to 8.8 t/ha. A total of 85 SSR markers were used in the study to identify QTLs associated with grain yield per se and related traits. Sixty-six (77.65%) markers were found to be polymorphic. The PIC values varied from 0.516 to 0.92 with an average of 0.704. A moderate level of genetic diversity (0.39) was detected among genotypes. Variation to the tune of 8% within genotypes, 68% among the genotypes within the population and 24% among the populations were observed (AMOVA). This information may help in identification of potential parents for development of transgressive segregants with very high yield. The association analysis using GLM and MLM models led to the identification of 30 and 10 SSR markers associated with 70 and 16 QTLs, respectively. Thirty novel QTLs linked with 16 SSRs were identified to be associated with eleven traits, namely tiller number ( qTL-6 . 1 , qTL-11 . 1 , qTL-4 . 1 ), panicle length ( qPL-1 . 1 , qPL-5 . 1 , qPL-7 . 1 , qPL-8 . 1 ), flag leaf length ( qFLL-8 . 1 , qFLL-9 . 1 ), flag leaf width ( qFLW-6 . 2 , qFLW-5 . 1 , qFLW-8 . 1 , qFLW-7 . 1 ), total no. of grains ( qTG-2 . 2 , qTG-a7 . 1 ), thousand-grain weight ( qTGW-a1 . 1 , qTGW-a9 . 2 , qTGW-5 . 1 , qTGW-8 . 1 ), fertile grains ( qFG-7 . 1 ), seed length-breadth ratio ( qSlb-3 . 1 ), plant height ( qPHT-6 . 1 , qPHT-9 . 1) , days to 50% flowering ( qFD-1 . 1 ) and grain yield per se ( qYLD-5 . 1 , qYLD-6 . 1a , ...

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16A panel of 60 genotypes consisting of New Plant Types (NPTs) along with indica, tropical and 17 temperate japonica genotypes were phenotypically evaluated for four seasons in irrigated situation 18 for grain yield per se and component traits. Twenty NPT genotypes were found to be promising with 19 an average grain yield of 5.45 to 8.8 t/ha. A total of 85 SSR markers were used in the study to 20 identify QTLs associated with grain yield per se and related traits. Sixty-six (77.65%) markers were 21 found to be polymorphic. The PIC values varied from 0.516 to 0.92 with an average of 0.704. A 22 moderate level of genetic diversity (0.39) was detected among genotypes. Variation to the tune of 23 8% within genotypes, 68% among the genotypes within the population and 24% among the 24 populations were observed (AMOVA). The association analysis using GLM and MLM models led to 25 the identification of 30 and 10 SSR markers were associated with 70 and 16 QTLs, respectively. 26 Thirty novel QTLs linked with 16 SSRs were identified to be associated with eleven traits, namely, 27 tiller number (qTL-6. 29 total no. of grains (qTG-2.2, qTG-a7.1), thousand-grain weight 30 qTGW-8.1 ), fertile grains (qFG-7.1), seed length-breadth ratio (qSlb-3.1), plant height (qPHT-6.1, 31 qPHT-9.1), days to 50% flowering (qFD-1.1) and grain yield per se 11.1). This information could be useful for identification of highly potential parents for development 33 of transgressive segregants. Moreover, super rice genotypes could be developed through pyramiding 34 of these QTLS for important yield traits for prospective increment in yield potentiality and breaking 35 yield ceiling. 36 Introduction 39Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple crop for more than 3.5 billion people in the globe. In current 40 scenario, rice productivity is increasing rate at 1% per year which is less than the 2.4% per year rate 41 required to double the global production by 2050 [1]. Considering a glimpse of the history, a 42 quantum jump in productivity was achieved due to the green revolution in mid-sixties, which 43 drastically enhanced the rice production of the world. However, a ceiling of productivity potentiality 44 is reported by and large in semi-dwarf inbred indica genotypes since release of , in spite of 45 substantial improvement in yield stability, per day productivity and grain quality [3]. A 46 breakthrough in productivity barrier is necessitated because of increasing competition for natural 47 resources viz., land, water and others given population explosion coupled with expanding 48 industrialization, urbanization and diversion of agricultural land [1,4,5]. This is still aggravated with 49 the abnormal change in weather and climate with significant influence on crop productivity and 50 quality [6,7]. 51Rice scientists are facing many challenges for doubling rice production by 2050. Irrigated 52 rice has a share of 75% of total rice production in the world, although it has a share of about 55% of 53 the total rice area [2]. Therefore, improveme...