Aiming the development of high yielding rice cultivars, IAC (Agronomic Institute of S. Paulo, Brazil) carries out a continuous breeding program focused on good-grain quality and disease resistance. Rice genotypes from the upland and irrigated advanced trials were evaluated for seed health, seed discoloration severity, panicle seed weight and spikelet sterility. The results showed that seed health varied according to the two environments. High seed incidence of Pyricularia grisea, Bipolaris oryzae and Microdochium oryzae occurred under irrigated conditions, whereas Pyricularia grisea, Phoma sorghina e Drechslera spp. in upland. Correlation coefficient values obtained were significant and negative for seed discoloration severity x panicle seed weight and filled grains, and positive for seed discoloration severity x empty spikelets and spikelet sterility. In lowlands, the lines IAC 1817 e IAC 1818 showed low values of seed discoloration severity, spikelet sterility and high seed weight per panicle. In upland, IAC 1776 line and cv. Bonança showed the lowest seed discoloration severity, while IAC 1781 line presented low incidences of the most important pathogens, and low spikelet sterility.
Oryza sativa; grain discoloration; genetic resistance; control; seed health