Morphological Characterisation, Genetic Diversity And Ethnobotanical Study Of Rice Landraces Of Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

This study investigates the agromorphological traits, genetic diversity, and ethnobotanical significance of indigenous rice landraces from the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. Altogether fifteen landraces were collected from ten villages and subjected to phenotypic characterisation using standard descriptors, revealing substantial diversity in grain length, breadth, weight,presence of awn, lemma colour, and kernel characteristics. Genetic diversity was assessed using SSR markers and matK-based DNA barcoding. STRUCTURE, PCA, and PCoA analyses revealed two genetic subpopulations, with high intra-population variability and limited inter-population differentiation. AMOVA results showed 92.34% of the variance occurred within individuals. The mean pairwise genetic distance was 0.0331%, confirming low inter-landrace divergence. Ethnobotanical documentation revealed six major cultural uses of rice, including its role in traditional fermentation (P-aa and Yu-shie), ritual ceremonies (Tam-La, Tam-La-Du), and medicinal preparation (Ke-Chaie). Among the varieties, Ke-Tuilu showed the highest cultural importance index. The integration of molecular, morphological, and ethnobotanical analyses underscores the significance of these landraces as reservoirs of genetic and cultural heritage, warranting their conservation and utilisation in future rice breeding and food security programs.