Documentation of the grain morphological variation within some traditional aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties of West Bengal

Mitu De

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2019.v18.004

Abstract

With the introduction of high-yielding varieties, price incentives and research inclinations towards modern varieties of non-aromatic rice to achieve self reliance, cultivation of several indigenous scented rice varieties have been neglected. A large number of traditional scented rice has already been lost and many are on the verge of extinction. It is more so for the small and medium-grained non Basmati aromatic rice than the long-grained Basmati types which form the bulk of rice export. Even though the cultivation of traditional aromatic rice varieties in prime areas is fast declining, their aroma and grain quality is highly appreciated by local communities and they are used in several rituals and customs. Future progress in the improvement of scented rice largely depends on immediate documentation, evaluation, conservation of the extant scented rice genetic resources and their effective utilization. The present study is on the documentation and evaluation of some of the aromatic rice germplasm of West Bengal.

Highlights

Aromatic rice is an important commercial commodity
Future progress in the improvement of scented rice largely depends on immediate documentation, evaluation, conservation of the extant scented rice genetic resources and their effective utilization
In this study the 8 aromatic varieties showed considerable variation in the grain morphological parameters. These aromatic folk varieties of West Bengal (A WBL) were the non Basmati type the grain length was Short (S), which is less than 7.66mm according to the Standard Evaluation System (SES) for rice developed by the International Rice Research Institute, (IRRI, 2002)

Summary

Introduction

Aromatic rice is an important commercial commodity. The Indian sub continent is a home for aromatic rice diversity. The quality of aroma quality in scented rice germplasm is a crucial component in the international market (Nayak et al, 2002). Long slender aromatic rice of superfine quality is preferred by the consumers all over the world because of its scent and palatability. There is an enormous variation in the grain and kernel morphological features among the aromatic rice varieties. Scented rice has played an important role in many regional economies.

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Conclusion