EFFECT OF RELATIVE-HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF RICE SEEDLINGS

Variation on relative humidity and temperature on growth and chlooroph yll content of NS19, FR13A, Kurkaruppan, Hashikalmi, IR20, IR36, IR42, IR6023-10-1-1, LMN and MI48 variety of rice have been studied. Shoot dry weight, leaf area and height of rice seedlings at 50% relative hum idity were significantly lower than those at 80% relative humidity for all, the varieties. However, an opposite significant trend was observ ed due to increase in day/night temperature from 29/21 to 35/21 degree s C. The shoot dry weight, height and leaf area decreased significantl y at 5% level among the varieties due to decrease in relative humidity from 80% to 50% and in increase of temperature form 29/21 to 35/21 de grees C. The best performance of Kurkaruppan and NS19 was shown at 80% relative humidity and 29/21 degrees C temperature respectively. The l owest response was shown by IR20 in both the conditions.