Basmati Research Articles

Mild Hydrothermal Treatment for Improving Outturn of Basmati Rice

Hydrothermal treatment of rice, called “Parboiling”, is an ancient traditional process in Asian countries. It consists of soaking rough rice in water and steaming it, and it both reduces the level of grain breakage and increases head yield of rice during milling. However, parboiling of rice is associated with some drawbacks regarding consumer preferences: the loss of its aroma, reduced rice-kernel whiteness and increased kernel hardness. This research study was carried out to develop a mild hydrothermal treatment that could be applied to basmati paddy by controlling hydrothermal treatment, i.e., soaking water temperature, steaming pressure and time. The Basmati 370 paddy variety was used for this study. The results revealed that, by soaking the paddy in hot water (70 ± 2 °C) for 75 min and steaming the soaked paddy for 20 min with non-pressurized steam at atmospheric pressure, and soaking the paddy for 120 min in hot water (70 ± 2 °C) and steaming the soaked paddy for 4 min with pressurized steam (4 kg/cm2), the optimum treatments are achieved. These optimum hydrothermal treatments were able to produce high head rice yield and preserve the basmati aroma, colour, hardness and palatability characteristics similar to non-parboiled basmati rice. Further, nutritional values such as vitamin B and protein content were also significantly preserved by these mild hydrothermal treatments. These optimized treatment combinations achieved minimized grain breakage while increasing head rice yield during milling and, at the same time, preserved basmati aroma, kernel whiteness, cooking and palatability characteristics similar to non-parboiled rice.

Dynamics of physico-chemical properties towards understanding the optimum ageing of basmati and non-basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) for consumer preferences

Ageing is a complex and useful method of post-harvest improvement in rice grain quality. Till date, limited information is available for longer period (up to 24 months) of rice ageing. This is the first comprehensive study to provide optimum period of rice ageing based on dynamics of nutritional, textural, cooking, pasting, and sensory properties of highly consumed and exported mega Indian varieties of basmati (PB-1121, PB-1509) as compared to non-basmati (BPT-5204, Swarna) rice. No significant differences in starch, protein, and lipid contents were observed, whereas amylose content and resistant starch showed an increasing trend during ageing in all varieties. Hardness and stickiness showed a negative correlation with the significant coefficient (R2) of −0.73, −0.74, −0.71 and −0.54 for PB-1121, PB-1509, BPT-5204 and Swarna respectively. Regression analysis between elongation ratio and water use efficiency for all varieties was found highly significant (0.89–0.99). Based on pasting profiles, eating-cooking quality traits, amylose content, and resistant starch content, 12–18 months aged basmati rice is recommended for rice eaters depending on their choice of fluffiness and grain length and 18–24 months aged non-basmati rice is good for food industries to use them for crispiness of products. Future research is needed to study the effect of storage on rice digestibility for a better understanding of ageing phenomenon.

Arsenic speciation as well as toxic and nutrient elements in pantavat (overnight steeped rice)

This study assessed the effect of soaking on the retention and removal of arsenic (As) along with other toxic elements and nutrients in three types of soaked rice or overnight steeped rice (pantavat), as this food dish was highlighted on the Australian MasterChef program in 2021 as a popular recipe. Results showed that brown rice contained twice as much As as basmati and kalijira rice. Cooking with As-free tap water using a rice cooker removed up to 30% of As from basmati rice. Around 21–29% removal of total As was observed in soaked basmati, brown, and kalijira rice. However, while 13% of inorganic As was removed from basmati and brown rice, no changes were noted in the kalijira rice. Regarding nutrient elements, both cooking and soaking rice caused significant enrichment of calcium (Ca) whereas potassium (K), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se) were reduced substantially for the tested rice varieties. The nutrients like magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), sulfur (S) and phosphorus (P) did not significantly change. The results indicated that soaking can minimize up to 30% As and soaked rice reduced few nutrients like K, Mo and Se. Data in this study highlights the retention and/or loss of toxic and beneficial nutrient elements in pantavat when As-free water is used to prepare this food.

Interplay between nano zinc oxide-coated urea and summer green manuring in basmati rice under basmati rice-wheat cropping system: implications on yield response, nutrient acquisition and grain fortification

Identifying appropriate nutrient management options is crucial for reversing the yield plateau and enhancing the nutritional status of basmati rice under the basmati rice-wheat cropping system of the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP). Alternative to the conventional chemical fertilizer, ZnO nanoparticles as carrier material for the micronutrient Zn has shown promise in reducing the bulkiness of fertilizer use in the soil–plant environment. But whether its integration and interaction with an organic source such as green manuring could enrich basmati rice grain with micronutrients and promote protein nutrition is not well investigated. Therefore, we conducted a field experiment during the summer and rainy seasons (April–October) of 2020 and 2021 at the research farm of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in a split-plot design with two summer green manuring (SGM) options (Sesbania and cowpea, along with fallow) as main plots and six fertilization strategies as subplots: 5 kg Zn ha−1 as bulk ZnO, N at 120 kg N ha−1 as prilled urea (PU), N at 120 kg N ha−1 as PU + 5 kg Zn ha−1 as bulk ZnO, 1% bulk ZnO-coated PU, 0.1% nano ZnO coated PU and 0.2% nano ZnO coated PU replicated thrice. On average, SGM increased basmati rice grain yield by 13.2 and 12.3% during 2020 and 2021, respectively compared to fallow. Integrated application of zinc with urea significantly (p < 0.05) increased the grain yield of basmati rice by 9.56% and by 10.5% relative to urea without zinc and by 33.7 and 33.8% than the sole application of 5 kg Zn ha−1 through ZnO, respectively during 2020 and 2021. On average, SGM boosted Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe content in milled rice by 25, 22.38, 20.0, and 18.85% during 2020 and 23.75, 21.4, 19.6, and 13.3% during 2021, respectively compared to fallow. Relative to sole urea application, zinc, and urea together improved the Zn and Fe content in milled rice by 2.99 mg kg−1 and 2.62 mg kg–1, respectively during the first year and by 2.83 mg kg−1 and 2.6 mg kg−1, respectively during the second year of study. The highest protein content in basmati rice grain was observed when it was grown after Sesbania aculeata residue incorporated plot during both the years and it decreased in the order: Sesbania aculeata > Vigna unguiculata > summer fallow. Our findings revealed that with the application of 1% bulk ZnO coated PU with Sesbania; the yield response, micronutrient acquisition, and protein accumulation in milled rice was higher than in other plant fertilization methods. However, in plots treated with Sesbania, along with 0.2% nano ZnO-coated PU exhibited statistically equivalent yield and micronutrient loading in edible tissues. Hence, this study unveils the critical role of nano ZnO-coated urea and summer green manuring in elevating micronutrient and protein bioavailability in basmati rice and concurrently reducing Zn dose by 20%, making it a profitable option for farmers.

Physiology and growth of newly bred Basmati rice lines in response to vegetative-stage drought stress.

Basmati rice is inherently sensitive to various environmental stresses. Abrupt changes in climatic patterns and freshwater scarcity are escalating the issues associated with premium-quality rice production. However, few screening studies have selected Basmati rice genotypes suitable for drought-prone areas. This study investigated 19 physio-morphological and growth responses of 15 Super Basmati (SB) introgressed recombinants (SBIRs) and their parents (SB and IR554190-04) under drought stress to elucidate drought-tolerance traits and identify promising lines. After two weeks of drought stress, several physiological and growth performance traits significantly varied between the SBIRs (p ≤ 0.05) and were less affected in the SBIRs and the donor (SB and IR554190-04) than SB. The total drought response indices (TDRI) identified three superior lines (SBIR-153-146-13, SBIR-127-105-12, SBIR-62-79-8) and three on par with the donor and drought-tolerant check (SBIR-17-21-3, SBIR-31-43-4, SBIR-103-98-10) in adapting to drought conditions. Another three lines (SBIR-48-56-5, SBIR-52-60-6, SBIR-58-60-7) had moderate drought tolerance, while six lines (SBIR-7-18-1, SBIR-16-21-2, SBIR-76-83-9, SBIR-118-104-11, SBIR-170-258-14, SBIR-175-369-15) had low drought tolerance. Furthermore, the tolerant lines exhibited mechanisms associated with improved shoot biomass maintenance under drought by adjusting resource allocation to roots and shoots. Hence, the identified tolerant lines could be used as potential donors in drought-tolerant rice breeding programs, administered for subsequent varietal development, and studied to identify the genes underlying drought tolerance. Moreover, this study improved our understanding of the physiological basis of drought tolerance in SBIRs.

Application of Market Information System for Major Agricultural Commodities in Haryana (India)

The study on “Application of Market Information System of Major Agricultural Commodities in Haryana” was carried out in Karnal, Ambala, Mahendergarh, Bhiwani and Sirsa districts of Haryana, selected purposively based on the highest area under the major agricultural commodities. Two blocks from each district i.e., from Karnal (Karnal and Assandh), Ambala (Naraingarh and Sahazadpur), Mahendergarh (Mahendergarh and Kanina), Bhiwani (Siwani and Tosham) and Sirsa (Dabwali and Baragudha) were selected purposively. From each district, four regulated markets were selected based on maximum arrival i.e., Basmati Rice from Karnal (Karnal, Gharaunda, Assandh and Taraori), maize from Ambala (Sahazadpur, Mullana, Naraingarh and Ambala city), mustard from Mahendergarh (Mahendergarh, Ateli, Kanina and Narnaul), gram from Bhiwani (Siwani, Charkhi Dadri, Tosham and Bhiwani) and cotton from Sirsa (Dabwali, Ellenabad, Sirsa and Kalanwali) under the major agricultural commodities. The total sample size consisted of 300 farmers, 200 traders and 20 market committees were surveyed. Out of the expectations of farmers on quality, prices in potential markets, price projections; only arrivals and prices were documented and disseminated with traditional/modern approach. Forecasting of prices showed that the prices of Basmati rice, maize, mustard, gram, and cotton in Karnal, Ambala, Mahendergarh, Bhiwani and Sirsa districts, respectively were moving in same trend as predicted.

The Battle for Geographical Indication Protection of Basmati Rice: A View from Nepal

This article is a contribution to the debate on geographical indication (GI) protection for basmati rice, stressing its relevance to Nepal. After providing an overview of Nepal’s intellectual property regime, this article gives a detailed account of justifications for Nepal to oppose India’s European Union GI registration of basmati rice. The analysis, which highlights the connection between basmati rice and Nepalese society, focuses on the social and cultural values of basmati rice in local communities. The basmati rice controversy provides an opportunity for Nepal to brand its local product in order to penetrate both national and international markets. The GI system may be an auxiliary agent in achieving these goals.

Quantification of Resistant starch, Non-Resistant Starch and Total Starch Content of Some Processed Foods Sold in Enugu Metropolis

Resistant starch, which is produced by the interaction between starch, lipids and proteins, is an important part of diet due to its ability to escape digestion in the gut, thus reducing the blood glucose concentration. Resistant starch contents of some processed food products sold in Enugu Metropolis were quantified using Megazyme resistant starch kit (Megazyme Bray, Ireland). The processed foods were grouped into cereals (Oatmeal flours, basmati rice flours), Legumes (beans flour), Fruits (Unripe plantain flours) and Tubers (yam flours and potato starch flours). Mean values were determined with MegaCalc and data were expressed as percentage weight per weight. Among the processed food samples analyzed, plantain flour (82.314% Ayoola foods plantain flour, 82.757 % for naked amala plantain flour and 65.648% for deluxe plantain flour) contains the highest concentration of resistant starch. In descending order of resistant starch concentration is as follows; rice samples (lamis basmati rice, 43.427%, TBR basmati rice (39.268%). The resistant starch content of yam samples was 38.769% (Ayo ola poundo yam flour) and 28.354% for Ola ola yam flour respectively. The least resistant starch content was detected in beans sample; deluxe bean flour (~6.788%), Ayo ola bean flour (~3.481 %) and tasty pot bean flour (~4.345 %) and oat flour; lecker white oat 1.503%), health-wise oat meal (3.497%) and elkaris swallow oat (1.325%) respectively. Plantain and rice flours should be considered most for consumption, due to the high resistant starch content that confer many of health benefits.

Evaluation of integrated crop management, organic management and natural farming in basmati rice-wheat system under Upper Indo-Gangetic Plains

Field experimentation was conducted to evaluate the comparative performance of integrated crop management, organic management and natural farming on crop growth, productivity, profitability and soil health under basmati rice-wheat system in Upper Indo-Gangetic Plains. Treatments comprised of different management practices viz. integrated crop management (ICM), organic management, natural farming (NF) and control (no nutrient) were used in experimentation. Plant height, number of effective tillers, SPAD meter reading, panicle weight, filled grains/panicle, fertility percentage and 1000-grains weight of basmati rice and wheat were observed highest under ICM followed by organic management. A significant reduction in growth and yield attributes was recorded under NF as compared to ICM and organic management. Grain yield of basmati rice was reduced by 15.2%, 51.2% and 53.9% under organic management, NF and control as compared to ICM, respectively. Similarly, 49.5%, 58.6%, and 63.8% reduction in grain yield of wheat was recorded under organic management, NF and control as compared to ICM, respectively. In comparison to ICM, system rice equivalent yield (REY) was reduced by 32.6%, 55.0%, and 59.0% under organic management, NF and control, respectively. Further, net return was 44.1% and 67.2% lower under organic management and NF as compared to ICM, respectively. Highest soil organic carbon (0.60%), available N, P, and K were found in organic management. Significantly highest soil microbial population, glomalin content and different soil enzyme activities were recorded under organic management. Overall, the integrated crop management provided balanced and continuous supply of the nutrient that resulted in higher productivity and profitability of basmati rice-wheat system.

Production Function and Farmers’ Risk Aversion: A Certainty Equivalent-adjusted Production Function

AbstractFaced with risky yields and returns, risk-averse farmers require a premium to take risks. In this paper, we estimate individual farmers’ degrees of risk aversion to adjust for the risk premium in returns and to replace the farmers’ realized returns with their certainty equivalent returns in the production function. In that way, the effect of the inputs on returns will automatically be risk-adjusted, i.e., we obtain risk-adjusted marginal effects of inputs, which can be used in decision-making support of farmers’ input choices in production. Using farm-level data from organic basmati rice smallholders in India, we illustrate this method using nonparametric production functions. The results show that the input elasticities and returns-to-scale estimates change when the farmers’ degree of risk aversion is taken into consideration.

Production and Certification of Toxic Metal-Induced Basmati Rice: An Indigenous Cultivated Rice CRM/BND

Production and Certification of Toxic Metal-Induced Basmati Rice: An Indigenous Cultivated Rice CRM/BND

A MEASURE OF QUALITY AND IDENTIFY THE BREED OF RICE GRAIN

Rice is the most consuming food all over the world and the market for rice is always high. In rice manufacturing industries the market demand is always centred on quality of rice. The analysis of grain type, grading, and quality criteria are still determined by skilled persons manually. Because it depends on a number of variables, including human factors, working conditions, cleaning and salvage recovery rates, this process is complex. Deep learning and image processing methods may be used to overcome this. In the food business, quality testing is becoming more significant for grading and classifying grains. In deep learning-based testing, we take into account both physical (grain form and size) and chemical (amylose content, gel consistency) features. The quality and grading of rice grains were examined using this proposed algorithm's average values for the features that were taken out of the network Since grain quality directly affects human health, it is very important for people. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate grain quality and spot low-quality components. The mix of physical and chemical properties makes up rice quality. Two physical traits are grain size and shape. Using canny edge detection, the derived physical characteristics are used to classify the rice grains. This essay offers a solution to the issue of quality analysis in the rice sector. Compared to conventional human-based inspection methods, computer vision-based inspection offers an option that is quick, accurate, convenient, and safe. This article offers a technique for determining the rice grain's quality and categorising it according to various breed types. In this we are going to use three types of rice grains: - 1. Basmati Rice 2. Sonamasoori Rice 3. jhilli Rice Key words: Image processing, CNN, Rice Grading.

Impact of FYM and Micronutrients on Nutrient Content, Uptake, Yield and Economic Attributes of Direct Seeded Basmati Rice

Impact of FYM and Micronutrients on Nutrient Content, Uptake, Yield and Economic Attributes of Direct Seeded Basmati Rice

Novel quantitative trait loci for yield and yield related traits identified in Basmati rice (Oryza sativa)

AbstractIncreasing crop productivity is one of the prime goals of crop breeding research. Rice grain yield is a complex quantitative trait governed by polygenes. Although several QTLs governing grain yield traits have been reported and limited attempts have been made to map QTLs for grain yield parameters in Basmati rice. A population from the cross Sonasal and Pusa Basmati 1121 comprising 352 RILs was generated through the single seed descent method. A total of 12 QTLs governing yield and yield‐related traits were mapped on six chromosomes, namely, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, of which five QTLs were novel. We identified a novel and robust epistatic QTL (qPH1.1 and qPL1.1) governing plant height and panicle length, flanked by the markers RM5336‐RM1 on chromosome 1. The gene encoding brassinosteroid insensitive 1‐associated receptor kinase 1 precursor is the putative candidate gene underlying this epistatic QTL. Another novel QTL, qNT3.1, governing tiller number was bracketed to a region of .77 Mb between the markers RM15247 and RM15281 on chromosome 3. Of the 57 annotated gene models, Os03g0437600 encoding alpha/beta‐fold hydrolase, a homologous to AtKai2 is a putative candidate gene underlying the novel QTL qNT3.1. The other QTLs such as qDFF1.1 governing days to 50% flowering co‐localizes with the gene Ghd7, QTL for plant height qPH1.2 co‐localizes with the gene sd1, the QTLs for panicle length co‐localizes with FUWA and DEP2, the QTL for tiller number co‐localizes with OsRLCK57 and QTLs for thousand‐grain weight co‐localize with the major gene GS3. The QTLs identified in the current study can be effectively used in marker‐assisted selection for developing Basmati rice varieties with a higher yield.

Ethnic Variability in Glucose and Insulin Response to Rice Among Healthy Overweight Adults: A Randomized Cross-Over Study.

The influence of ethnicity on postprandial glucose and insulin responses has been reported earlier and rice is a major contributor to the overall glycaemic load of Asian and Arab diets. This study aims to compare postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to rice among healthy overweight Asian, Arab and European participants. In a randomized crossover design, 47 healthy overweight participants (23 Asian, 16 Arab, and 8 European) consumed 75 grams of glucose beverage or ate 270 grams of cooked basmati rice (75 g of available carbohydrate) on two separate occasions, separated by a one 1-week washout period. Blood glucose and insulin levels were determined at fasting 0 (fasting), 30, 60, and 120 minutes and used to determine the incremental area under the curve (iAUC). The three groups were matched on body mass index and gender. Although no differences were noted statistically in most clinical features, a wide range of variation was noted in age, systolic, diastolic blood pressure. The fasting blood glucose and insulin levels were highest among Asians, followed by Arabs and Europeans (p < 0.01). According to the HOMA-IR test and the Matsuda index, Asians have a higher insulin resistance than Arabs or Europeans when consuming a glucose beverage (p < 0.001) and rice (p < 0.01). Postprandial glucose and insulin responses to glucose beverage did not differ between ethnic groups (p = 0.28; p = 0.10). Based on an unadjusted regression model, European participants had significantly lower iAUC-glucose (p = 0.02) and iAUC-insulin (p = 0.01) after rice consumption than Asian participants. In the adjusted model, the difference between the two groups remained for iAUC-insulin (p = 0.04) but not for iAUC-glucose (p = 0.07). Our study found that ethnic differences exist among healthy overweight adults in terms of insulin resistance, glycaemic response and insulinaemic response to rice. As a result of their high insulin resistance, Asian participants had a higher postprandial insulin spike than Europeans after eating rice. These findings could have substantial implications for nutrition recommendations based on ethnicity, particularly for Asians.

Effect of Long-Term Organic Cropping Systems on Physico-Chemical Properties of the Soils of Indian Punjab

Organic farming is gaining momentum because of awareness among consumers for quality food. The long term effects of organic cropping systems on soil quality yet not have been studies in details. Therefore the present study the long term effect of five cropping systems viz. Poplar (Populus deltoids) + turmeric (Curcuma longa), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn )+ bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) - broccoli (Brassica oleracea), basmati rice (Oryza sativa) - wheat (Triticum aestivum), sugarcane fodder and maize (Zea mays) + summer moong (Vigna radiate) - wheat on soil physico-chemical properties was studied at Bhagat Puran Singh Natural Agriculture Farm and Research Centre, Amritsar, Punjab (31.5730 N, 75.0660 E). The depth wise soil samples from these cropping systems were collected after rabi (2018-19) and kharif (2019) seasons. Poplar + turmeric cropping system has significantly higher soil organic carbon(SOC), soil carbon stock(SOCS), soil aggregate associated carbon(AAC), water stable soil aggregates (WSA) and mean weight diameter(MWD) of soil than other cropping systems. Sugarcane fodder cropping system has significantly higher soil pH than other cropping systems while basmati rice - wheat cropping system has significantly lower electrical conductivity (EC) and higher soil bulk density (BD) compared to other cropping systems. In the top soil (0-7.5 and 7.5-15 cm depths) SOC, SOCS, AAS, EC, WSA and MWD were significantly higher than subsurface layers (15-22.5 cm and 22.5-30 cm depth) whereas soil pH and BD were significantly lower in surface soil than subsurface soil.

Seed biopriming with potential bioagents influences physiological processes and plant defense enzymes to ameliorate sheath blight induced yield loss in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Disease management with the use of conventional pesticides has emerged as a major threat to the environment and human health. Moreover, the increasing cost of pesticides and their use in staple crops such as rice is not economically sustainable. The present study utilized a combination of two commercial powder formulations of biocontrol agents, Trichoderma harzianum (Th38) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf28) to induce resistance against sheath blight disease via seed biopriming in basmati rice variety Vasumati and compared the performance with systemic fungicide carbendazim. Sheath blight infection significantly increased the levels of stress indicators such as proline (0.8 to 4.25 folds), hydrogen peroxide (0.89 to 1.61 folds), and lipid peroxidation (2.4 to 2.6 folds) in the infected tissues as compared to the healthy control. On the contrary, biopriming with biocontrol formulation (BCF) significantly reduced the level of stress markers, and substantially enhanced the levels of defense enzymes such as peroxidase (1.04 to 1.18 folds), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (1.02 to 1.17 folds), lipoxygenase (1.2 to 1.6 folds), and total phenolics (74% to 83%) as compared to the infected control. Besides, improved photosynthesis (48% to 59%) and nitrate reductase activity (21% to 42%) showed a positive effect on yield and biomass, which compensated disease induced losses in bio-primed plants. Conversely, the comparative analysis of the efficacy levels of BCF with carbendazim revealed BCF as a potential and eco-friendly alternative for reducing disease impact and maintaining higher yield in rice under sheath blight infection.

Trade Directions of Indian Basmati Rice Export- Markov Chain Approach

"This study aimed to measure the changes in the export direction of Indian basmati rice from 2009-10 to 2021-22 using the Markov chain approach. The data used in the study was obtained from APEDA as secondary time series data. The study found that the export of Indian basmati rice increased in quantity over the study period due to strong demand in the international market, comfortable domestic production, and favorable government policies. Iran and Iraq showed the highest growth rate in both quantity and value of export, while UAE had higher instability in both terms. The study also revealed that UAE and Saudi Arabia were the most stable and reliable markets for Indian basmati Rice, with a probability retention of 76.17 percent and 55.64 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the UK was an unstable market with zero probability of retention. The projected share of different importing countries up to 2027-28 indicated that Iraq and Iran would likely lose their share in the coming years, while UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are expected to increase their share in the future. Additionally, the study showed that the export of basmati rice increased over the study period and is a competitive export product. To have a competitive advantage in the export of basmati rice, the government should focus on improving processing facilities, transportation facilities, handling and loading facilities at ports, and quality maintenance to facilitate the export of Indian basmati rice."

Long-term impact of biofertilization on soil health and nutritional quality of organic basmati rice in a typic ustchrept soil of India

Healthy soils are the foundation for producing healthy food and creating a healthy environment. Therefore, we assessed the changes in the physical and chemical properties of soil, and their long-term impact on yield, quality, and nutritional status of rice grains in an organic basmati rice-based cropping system in a typic Ustchrept Soil of India. The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design with three replications. The vertical strips consisted of two rice-based cropping systems, namely, basmati rice-wheat-mung bean (RWM) and basmati rice-wheat-sesbania (RWS), whereas seven combinations of different organic materials and biofertilizers (BF) were assigned to horizontal strips, viz., control (no manure application), farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), FYM + crop residues (CR), VC + CR, FYM + CR + BF, and VC + CR + BF. The results revealed that soil moisture content (SMC), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total N, and soil available P, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu were significantly higher under the RWS system than in RWM. The application of organic manures either alone or in conjunction with CR and BF significantly lowered the soil pH (∼3.0%), EC (43.1%–45.8%), and BD (3.3%–9.2%) as compared to the control. Water holding capacity (WHC), SMC, and SOC were increased by 5.7%–14.7%, 8.7%–49.3%, and 35.3%–76.5%, respectively under single or co-application of FYM/VC with CRs and BFs as compared to control. Similarly, sole or conjoint application of organic manures, CR, and BF significantly enhanced the soil available macro (N, P, and K) and micro (Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) nutrients over the control. Grain yield, protein content, N uptake, and cooking quality parameters were significantly higher under the RWS system than under RWM. However, the Zn concentration and its uptake by grains were significantly higher under the RWM system over RWS. The grain yield was significantly increased by 25.8%–49.2% under different organic nutrient management options over control. The single or conjoint application of FYM/VC with CR and BF increased the hulling, milling, head rice recovery, and protein concentration in grain by 9.4%–9.8%, 23.2%–28.4%, 22.7%–25.5%, and 9.6%–10.7%, respectively over control. The concentration of N, P, K, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu was significantly improved by 9.7%–11.3%, 45.5%–63.6%, 16.7%–20.8%, 66.9%–74.1%, 72.9%–81.9%, 87.1%–97.0%, and 48.9%–67.2%, respectively under co-application of FYM/VC with CR and BF compared to control. Thus, our results indicate that improved soil properties could significantly increase the physical and nutritional quality of basmati rice grain. Therefore, adopting basmati rice-based cropping systems with different organic nutrient sources can sustain soil health, end global hunger, produce nutritious food, and create a healthy environment.

Application of electromyography (EMG) for textural evaluation of raw, steamed and parboiled Basmati rice cultivars (Pusa 1121 and Pusa 1509)

Application of electromyography (EMG) for textural evaluation of raw, steamed and parboiled Basmati rice cultivars (Pusa 1121 and Pusa 1509)