Enhancement of Breeding for Jasmine-Type Aromatic Rice Varieties for the United States
A significant amount of Jasmine rice is imported from Thailand each year. This specialty rice can only be grown in a specific area in Thailand and is popular due to its aromatic qualities. It is also more expensive than regular rice. This project developed a Jasmine-type rice variety for the U.S. rice industry, with similar aromatic and other specialty properties, which is now on the market and allows the U.S. industry to compete with Thai imports. Researchers also developed a simple and reliable aroma detection method that can handle a large number of small samples efficiently.
New Knowledge and Improved Methods to Increase Breeders’ Ability to Develop Rice Varieties with Enhanced Fissure Resistance
Rice kernels can develop cracks due to weather issues. These cracks are inside the hull and can’t be seen. During milling, these weakened kernels often break. Broken kernels have ½ to ¾ the market value of whole kernels, resulting in profit losses for millers and producers. Traditional methods for evaluating field fissure resistance involve monitoring samples over multiple, sequential harvests. This study developed a new laboratory test for fissure resistance in the first breeding generation with only 50 rice kernels. As a result, breeders will be able to develop new and improved fissure resistant rice varieties faster and more successfully.