Genetic improvement in grain yield has been intensively studied in wheat (T
riticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), m
aize (Zea mays L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Such information
is limited in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The objective of this study was to de
termine the trend in the yield of rice cultivars-lines developed since 1966
. Twelve cultivars-lines were grown at the International Rice Research Inst
itute (IRRI) farm and the Philippine Rice Research Institute farm during th
e dry season of 1996. Seven cultivars-lines were grown at IRRI farm in the
dry season of 1998. Growth analyses were performed at key growth stages, an
d yield and yield components were determined at physiological maturity. Reg
ression analysis of yield versus year of release indicated an annual gain i
n rice yield of 75 to 81 kg ha(-1), equivalent to 1% per year. The highest
yields obtained with the most recently released cultivars was 9 to 10 Mg ha
(-1), which is equivalent to reported yields of IRS and other early IRRI cu
ltivars obtained in the late 1960s and early 1970s at these same sites. The
refore, the 1% annual increase in yield may not represent genetic gain in y
ield potential. The increasing trend in yield of cultivars released before
1980 was mainly due to the improvement in harvest index (HI), while an incr
ease in total biomass was associated with yield trends for cultivars-lines
developed after 1980. Results suggest that further increases in rice yield
potential will likely occur through increasing biomass production rather th
an increasing HI.