In this study 55 promising rice varieties cultivated in Tamil Nadu was selected and raised in Randomized Block design with two replications. To reveal the nature and degree of correlation and path analysis between yield and quality traits. The results of correlation analysis showed traits like number of filled grains per panicle, productive tillers per plant had positive significant association with the single plant yield. The direct and indirect effects through path coefficient analysis unveils maximum positive direct effect of single plant yield with number of productive tillers recorded followed by days to fifty percent flowering, number of filled grains, gel consistency, 1000 grain weight and hulling percentage in both genotypical and phenotypical path analysis Therefore, the trait number of productive tillers per plant plays a major role in shaping the single plant yield in rice on which selection pressure has to be applied for increasing the seed yield.

The study was carried out in AC and RI, killikulam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India during Kharif 2017 to evaluate physiochemical and cooking properties of promising high yielding rice varieties of Tamil Nadu. Different physiochemical properties were studied in  Fifty-five rice varieties. The hulling percentage varied from IR 28 (88.85) to CO 39(62.5), milling percentage ranged between IR 28(79.6) to C0 39(59.35), HRR% varied from IR 28 (73.3) to CO 43 (42.5), grain length is highest in Pusa Basmati (8.85 mm) and lowest in short grain type TN 1 (4.05 mm), The grain breadth ranged between 1.5 mm (JGL 3855) – 2.4 mm (ASD 2). L/B ratio, varied from 5.72 (Pusa Basmati) to 1.84 (TN 1), grain length after cooking ranged from Pusa Basmati (14.7mm) to BRNS (WP) 5 (5.35mm). Whereas the highest grain breadth after cooking was observed in ASD 2 (4.75 mm) and the lowest observed in Pusa Basmati (2.05 mm), linear elongation ratio is ranged from 1.67 (Pusa Basmati) to 1.04 (TPS 3), breadth wise expansion ratio was varied from TPS 3(2.49) to Pusa Basmati (1.33), ASV recorded 4 , 7, 27,11 and 7 varieties for scale-2, scale-3,scale-4, scale-5, scale-6 respectively. gel consistency ranged from 99.55 mm (JGL 3855) to 55.5 mm (Swarna) and the amylose content varied from 39.45 (Abhya) to 13.55(ASD 17). The relationship between physicochemical and cooking properties was determined using Pearson’s correlation. Correlation was done for determining the nature of interaction among the characters.

Analysis of variance among lines, significant differences was observed for plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, panicle length, number of filled grains per panicle, single plant yield and 1000 grain weight while days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height, panicle length, single plant yield, 1000 grain weight, milling per cent, head rice recovery, grain length, L/B ratio, kernel length after cooking, kernel breadth after cooking, breadth wise elongation ratio and amylose content exhibited significant differences among testers besides in L x T interaction, all characters along with yield. The magnitude of difference between genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation was less for the traits indicating slight influence of environment. A wide range of PCV (4.09 – 43.43 %) and GCV (6.58 – 43.39 %) was resulted for 19 traits. The presence of higher GCV and PCV observed in number of filled grains per panicle followed by single plant yield, Alkali spreading value, gel consistency and amylose content, which signifies the additive genetic control in inheritance of that trait. The presence of high scale of GCV and PCV for observed traits suggested having better possibility for the enhancement through simple selection procedure.