Objectives

The Hybrid Rice Evaluation Centre, Gudalur in Nilgiris Dist. was established during July 1996.  The main objectives are to identify and utilize TGMS lines for development of Two line Hybrid Rice suitable for Tamil Nadu.  A scheme entitled “Development of Two line Hybrid Rice” was implemented with the financial support by the TNADP during 1995-96.  The research activities were initiated at HREC, Gudalur from 1996 to intensify the research on two line hybrid rice under the technical and administrative control of the Director, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics and later Director of Research, TNAU, Coimbatore. The experiments were conducted in  different lease lands from 1996 to June 2009.  During July 2009, a separate land (2.65 acres) was purchased in Devala village, Nelliyalam panchayat, Gudalur taluk.  The experiments are being conducted in the newly purchased land. The station is located at Gudalur in Ooty – Mysore National Highway, Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu, India. This centre is situated at an elevation of 1300 m MSL and between 11.5 N latitude and 76.5 E longitude. The average rainfall is more than 2000 mm per year.

• To develop TGMS lines in rice.
• Purification and multiplication of  TGMS lines in rice.
• Utilizing the promising TGMS lines for developing  two line hybrids in rice.
• To screen the rice genotypes for blast resistance.

In this centre mainly evaluation and seed multiplication of Thermo Sensitive Genic Male Sterile (TGMS) lines are being carried out. The TGMS lines needs cool climate for seed setting ie., day temperature should be < 24⁰ C and night temperature should be >18⁰ C. This type of climate prevailed only in Gudalur of the Nilgiris District in Tamil Nadu.Screening of rice genotypes against blast is being carried out regularly.