R Pavithra, P Spandana Bhatt, K Bhanu Rekha, K Aparna
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple food crops worldwide. Pigmented rice varieties are rich in anthocyanins, phenolic compounds and antioxidants, making them nutritionally superior to conventional rice. Chlorophyll content is an important physiological parameter that determines photosynthetic efficiency and crop productivity. A field experiment was conducted during Kharif, 2025 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Polasa, Jagtial, Telangana. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications comprising four fertilizer levels viz., M₁ - Control (0-0-0 NPK kg ha-1), M2 - 50% RDF (60-30-20 kg NPK ha-1), M3 - 75% RDF (90-45-30 kg NPK ha-1) and M4 - 100% RDF (120-60-40 kg NPK ha-1) as main plots and four pigmented rice varieties viz., S1 - Navara (Red), S2 - Raktashali (Red), S3 - Kalabatti (Black) and S4 - Krishna Vrihi (Black) as subplots. Total Chlorophyll were estimated at 30, 60 and 90 DAT using Arnon's (1949) method. The results indicated that fertilizer application significantly influenced chlorophyll accumulation, whereas varietal differences were also evident throughout crop growth. Higher fertilizer levels recorded greater chlorophyll content owing to improved nutrient availability and enhanced photosynthetic activity. Among the varieties, significant variation in chlorophyll accumulation was observed due to genetic differences.