ANNUAL VARIATION IN WILD RICE (Zizania palustris L.) GROWTH AND POTENTIAL YIELD IN SASKATCHEWAN

Abstract

Mature wild rice plants collected from 20 sites across northern Saskatchewan over the period 1984–1987 were measured for various morphological traits. Considerable regional variation was noted for factors such as stem length, degree of tillering and seed production with plants in the west being generally more robust. Differences also occurred between years. Much of this variation appeared to be related to environmental conditions with high water levels being particularly detrimental to the plants. Seeds collected at each site during the 1986 harvest were sown into growth tanks. Plant development under uniform growing conditions was compared to individuals collected from corresponding natural sites. Although intersite variability was considerably reduced indicating a high degree of environmental plasticity in the population, some regional variation in tillering and seed production was still detectable in the artificial populations and plants from eastern sites still tended to flower earlier. Such inherent genetic variability should be considered when seed is introduced into new sites as the industry expands in northern Saskatchewan.Key words: Rice (wild), Zizania palustris L., Saskatchewan, environmental interaction, annual variation, regional plasticity