Development of an Aromatic High Yielding Basmati Rice Variety Having Extra Long Grains and Short Duration

Abstract

High-yielding rice verities having shorter growth duration, outstanding physico-chemical traits including better cooking, aroma, extra-long grain, have now become foremost objective of rice breeding research because of increasing demands of quality rice world-wide. Trait pyramiding of these highly valuable traits without compromising yield and quality at the same time is a difficult task using conventional breeding approaches. Excellent grain quality, fertilizer-responsiveness, high yielding varieties can rise income of poor farmers of developing countries as well in the face of considerable rise in world population and trends of international markets. A new improved high yielding, extra-long grain variety also having traits of early maturity, short stature and excellent cooking with aroma was developed at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku (RRI KSK) using conventional breeding approaches. The variety approved as “Punjab Basmati” with pedigree name i.e. PK8685-5-1-1-1-1 was tested in different varietal yield trials and regional adaptability yield trials in 2009 to 2014. On the average basis, it gave 15% and 7% higher paddy yield than local existing Basmati varieties i.e. Super Basmati and Basmati 515, respectively as checks. In physicochemical tests conducted at RRI KSK head rice recovery (58%) and rice kernel length (7.76 mm) were found better than both check varieties. It is two weeks earlier than both check varieties. Being short stature and stiffed stem, it is resistant to lodging.