Agronomic Performance of Cultivars of Upland Rice in the Southern of the Region of Rondônia, Brazil

The upland rice is grown in most Brazilian states. However, in many of them the yield obtained is low. The choice of cultivar more suited to a particular environment can contribute to increased productivity of this crop. This research aimed to evaluate the performance of a hybrid cultivar of upland rice (Ecco) and five conventional cultivars (BRS Monarca, BRS Primavera, AN Cambará, BRS Sertaneja and BRS MG Curinga) in two environments (Vilhena and Cerejeiras). The tests were conducted in the agricultural year 2010/2011. We evaluated the following characteristics: tillering, panicle number per unit area, number of filled grains per panicle sterile, mass of grains per panicle, 1000 grain weight, grain yield (kg·ha-1) and whole grain yield. There was no cultivar x environment interaction for all traits. Greater tillering, higher panicle number per area, higher productivity and yield of whole grains in the municipality of Cerejeiras were observed, while the highest number of sterile grains per panicle was obtained in Vilhena. The hybrid Ecco highlighted in relation to all other cultivars is in relation to tillering, panicle number per area and grain yield. The municipality of Cerejeiras is the most suitable for the cultivation of upland rice.