Evaluation of Hybrids for Milling and Eating Quality Traits Under Varying Environments in Rice
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out on three notified rice hybrids namely, Hybrid 6201, Hybrid 6444 and Hybrid KRH 2 and one high yielding variety IR 64 during kharif 2006 and kharif 2007 at two locations i.e. Simbhaoli (U.P.) and Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) to compare the physical (milling and head rice recovery) and chemical characteristics ( amylase content, gelatinization temperature and aroma) of these hybrids and inbred variety IR 64. The results showed that the mean performance for milling recovery and head rice recovery were higher at Hyderabad during both the seasons. Amylose content and gelatinization temperature showed milar values at both the locations. Further, the milling and head rice recovery of V3 (Hybrid 6444) was more as compared to IR 64. Aroma of V3 (Hybrid 6444) lost after ageing of three and six months. Further, milling recovery and head rice recovery increased with increase in ageing from one month to six months. It can be recommended that if hybrids are planted at the density of 33 plants per hill with two seedlings planted per hill and the harvest is aged for six months before milling, high head rice yields can be obtained.
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Introduction
Rice is the second most important food crop of the world. Feeding more than one half of the world’s population, over 90% of rice is produced and consumed in Asia. There is hardly any crop plant that grows under as diverse agro-climatic conditions as rice does. Nevertheless, conditions relatively optimal for high productivity and normal growth are deep non-injurious soils, enough water, high temperature and ample solar radiation throughout the growing season. Although hybrids have proved to be higher yielder than many of the inbred varieties, but it is still facing a tough challenge in terms of acceptance from the farmer owing to the perception of poor grain quality specially the head rice recovery nullifying the advantage of hybrids that have in grain yield. The yield and other grain quality characters are genetically controlled, but they are also affected by environmental and agronomic factors like time of harvest, moisture percent, ageing and milling conditions (Virmani, 1994). The different cultivation package in hybrid rice production could be a cause for the differential grain maturity and grain moisture content at harvest, leading to low head rice yield during milling. The present study has been designed to study the effect of ageing on milling and other quality characters in three hybrids and one inbred variety under two locations during two years.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it can be concluded that the mean performance for milling recovery and head rice recovery were higher at Hyderabad in both the seasons. Amylose content and gelatinization temperature showed similar values at both the locations. Further, the milling and head rice recovery of V3 (Hybrid 6444) was more as compared to IR 64. The present study also bring into light that hybrids have physical grain quality characters equal or even higher than the popular inbred variety IR 64. Thus, it can be recommended that if hybrids are planted at the density of 33 plants per m2 with two seedlings planted per hill and the harvest is aged for six months before milling, high head rice yields can be obtained.