Genetic resources

Anashwara: a quality rice variety with multiple tolerance released for Kerala, southern India
Rose Mary Francies, Jiji Joseph, and Gregory Zachariah, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur 680656, Kerala, India

The quality preference of consumers for cooked rice in Kerala differs from that of consumers in other parts of India. Keralites prefer red-kerneled, bold, nonsticky, and parboiled rice to white-kerneled, fine-grained rice. Unlike white rice, red rice undergoes minimal milling and polishing. Milling reduces the amount of nutrients such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, phytin, iron, and zinc (FAO 1954). Red rice is found to contain more protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and fiber than white polished rice (FAO 2004, ASEAN 2000). However, attempts to develop highyielding varieties using one or more introduced varieties in their parentage have resulted in varieties with variable grain quality. Kerala experiences both southwest (JunAug) and northeast (OctNov) monsoon rains and hay making becomes possible only at the end of the rabi season (AugDec/Jan). During the rabi season, farmers prefer long-duration, photoperiod-sensitive rice varieties with high straw yield. PTB 20 is one of the popular rabi rice varieties grown in Kerala. It is a tall, photoperiod-sensitive, low-tillering, long-duration (125130 d) variety with an average yield of only 2.5 t ha1. It lodges heavily, early on between flowering and grain filling, and has highly shattering panicles, traits that adversely affect grain yield. A mutation breeding program started at the Regional Agricultural Research Station in Pattambi, Kerala, to improve the yield potential of PTB 20 while retaining its cooking quality, reducing its tendency to lodge, and minimizing panicle shattering. Presoaked seeds of PTB 20 were irradiated with gamma rays at 22 KR. A photoperiod-sensitive, semi-tall mutant (105130 cm) with maturity duration of 125130 d was identified. Exhibiting high yield potential, reduced lodging (lodging at maturity only) and panicle shattering, and multiple tolerance for diseases and insect pests (Table 3), this mutant was multiplied and designated as Culture 20 D-1. Culture 20 D-1 was evaluated in initial yield trials from 1994 to 1996 and was included in the 1996-97 comparative yield trial, along with other promising mutant lines. It outyielded check variety PTB 20. In regional trials (2001-02), Culture 20 D-1 showed an increase in grain (8.91%) and straw yield (22.09%) (Table 1). The sensory quality of parboiled rice was assessed following standard
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procedures (DRR 2009). With its good taste and overall acceptability, Culture 20 D-1 was found to be on a par with PTB 20 in cooking quality characteristics (Table 2). Although it was not bred as a boro rice variety (cold-tolerant hill paddy cultivated in northeast India), it was evaluated under the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Program-Boro Trial (2002) because it was photoperiod-sensitive. Designated as IET 17608, it ranked second in the trials at Bankura, Assam. A summary of the important characteristics of Culture 20 D-1 is given in Table 3. Considering itt superior yield, reduced lodging, low panicle shattering, good taste, and overall acceptability, Culture 20 D-1 was released in 2006 as PTB 58 for cultivation during the rabi season in the state of Kerala. Its local name is Anashwara, which means immortal.

References
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). 2000. Food composition table for use in East Asia [online]. www.fao.org/docrep/003/X6878E/X6878E02.htm#ch4.1 Accessed 7 Sep 2010. DRR (Directorate of Rice Research). 2009. Laboratory manual on rice grain quality: physicochemical and molecular procedures. Hyderabad (India): DRR. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 1954. FAO Corporate Document Depositoryrice in human nutrition. www.fao.org/docrep/t0567e/T0567E08.htm. Accessed 7 Sep 2010. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 2004. Rice and human nutrition [online]. www.rice2004.org. Accessed 7 Sep 2010.

Table 1. Performance of Culture 20 D-1 (Anashwara) in yield trials.

District Location Grain yield (kg ha1) Culture 20 D-1 PTB 20 3,716 2,895 97.45 28.35 4,340 3,438 155 26.24 3,582 3,289 8.91 5,617 7,171 Straw yield (kg ha1) Culture 20 D-1 PTB 20 2,874 2,539 110.50 13.19 6,735 326 6.47 4,601 22.09

Station trials RARS, Pattambi Initial yield trials (1994-96) CD (0.05) Percent increase over PTB 20 in initial yield trials Comparative yield RARS, Pattambi trial (1996-97) CD (0.05) Percent increase over PTB 20 in comparative yield trial Regional trials Districts: (Rabi 2001-02) Thrissur & Ernakulam Percent increase over PTB 20 in regional trials

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Table 2. Sensory quality assessment of Culture 20 D-1 (Anashwara) and PTB 20.
Quality characteristica Appearance Cohesiveness Tenderness on touching Tenderness on chewing Taste Aroma Elongation Overall acceptability
a

Culture 20 D-1 5.0 2.6 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.6 2.8 2.8

PTB 20 4.2 2.8 4.0 4.0 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.3

Scoring: as per DRR (2009).

Table 3. Characteristics of Culture 20 D-1 (Anashwara).

Characteristic Plant habit Plant height Leaf color Length Width Flag leaf Leaf sheath color Ligule Collar Leaves at maturity Inflorescence Stigma color Outer glume color Lemma and palea Awn Fertility Panicle Panicle length Seed coat color Kernel appearance Grain size Length Width L/B Shape Value 105130 cm Green 36.20 cm 0.30 cm Intermediate Green with slight purple tinge at the base Pale green White Pale green, intermediate Purple Straw Light green ripening to gold furrows on straw background Absent Highly fertile Moderately well-exserted 17.80 cm Brown Red 7.93 mm 3.17 mm 2.5 LB

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Physiological features Photoperiod reaction Dormancy Maturity range (rabi) Quality of produce Kernel length Kernel width L/B Classification Hulling (%) Milling (%) Head rice recovery (%) Kernel color Abdominal white Volume weight Volume expansion Test weight (1,000-grain weight) Agronomic features Lodging Shattering Fertilizer responsiveness Reaction to major diseases Reaction to major pests

Photoperiod-sensitive Moderately dormant 125130 d 6.33 mm 2.67 mm 2.37 Medium bold 75.5 67.5 62.7 Red Present 6.13 kg/HL 5.63 30.6 g Lodging at maturity Low Responds to 90-45-45 kg NPK ha1 Moderate resistance to blast and sheath blight under field conditions Moderate resistance to leaffolders, stem borers, and gall fly

2011, Vol. 36

International Rice Research Notes (0117-4185)