Table 5. The 20 traits measured on the rice genotypes in a field trial in Sierra Leone in 2008. Ratings were based on five at randomly chosen plants per plot.

Characteristic	Description and scale or unit	Type of determination	Stage of measurement
Agronomic traits
Culm length	Average length, from ground level to the base of thepanicle, in cm	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Plant height	Average height, from soil surface up to the tip of the tallestpanicle, in cm	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Leaf length	Average length of peninsulate leaf (leaf below flag leaf),from collar to tip of leaf, in cm	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Leaf width	Average width of peninsulate leaf (leaf below flag leaf),widest portion of the leaf, in cm	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Panicle length	Average length, of main panicle, from panicle baseto tip, in cm,	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Panicle number	Average number of panicles per plant	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Number of tillers	Average number of tiller(s) per plant	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Rattoon potential	Assessed after harvests: 0  =  None; 1  =  Low; 3  =  Medium;5  =  Vigorous; 7  =  Very vigorous	Scale.	After harvest
Grain length	Average length of grain length, from base of lowermoststerile lemma to tip of fertile lemma or palea, in mm.	Numerical	Post-harvest
Grain width	Average width, measured at the widest portion, in mm.	Numerical	Post-harvest
100-grain weight	Average weight of 100 filled seeds at 13% moisture content.	Numerical	Post-harvest
Botanical traits
Leaf blade colour	0  =  No green visible due to anthocyanin; 3  =  Light green;5  =  Medium green; 7  =  Dark green	Visual assessment	Physiological maturity
Leaf blade pubescence	1  =  Glabrous (smooth); 2  =  Intermediate; 3  =  Pubescent	Ocular inspection and thenfingertip rub to class hairiness	Physiological maturity
Ligule length	Average length, on peninsulate leaf of main stem, from thebase of the collar to the tip, in mm	Numerical	Physiological maturity
Ligule shape	0  =  Absent; 1  =  Truncate; 2  =  Acute to acuminate; 3  =  2-cleft	Visual assessment	Physiological maturity
Panicle attitude of mainaxis (PAMA)	1  =  Upright; 2  =  Semi-upright; 3  =  Slightly drooping;4  =  Strongly drooping	Visual assessment of the mainaxis of the panicle	Physiological maturity
Panicle attitude ofprimary branches (PAB)	1  =  Erect (compact panicle); 3  =  Semi erect, semi-compactpanicle; 5  =  Spreading (open panicle); 7  =  Horizontal; 9  =  Drooping	Visual assessment	Physiological maturity
Awn length	0  =  None (awn less); 1  =  Very short (<5 mm);3  =  Short (∼8 mm); 5  =  Intermediate (∼15 mm);7  =  Long (∼30 mm); 9  =  Very long (>40 mm)	The awn was measured frombase to the tip, then translatedin scales	Post-harvest
Husk (lemma and palea) colour	1  =  White; 2  =  Straw; 3  =  Gold and gold furrows; 4  =  Brown(tawny); 5  =  Brown spots; 6  =  Brown furrows; 7  =  Purple;8  =  Reddish to light purple; 9  =  Purple spots; 10  =  Purplefurrows; 11  =  Black	Visual assessment	Post-harvest
Seed coat colour /pericarp colour	1 =  White; 2  =  Light brown; 3  =  Speckled brown; 4  =  Brown;5  =  Red; 6  =  Variable purple; 7  =  Purple	Visual assessment	Post-harvest