Cooking and Eating Quality of Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Resistant Rice Mutants: Its Implications for Future Breeding Work

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the cooking and eating quality of mutant lines obtained from irradiating a local cultivar, Supa. Five early maturing mutant lines plus two controls, IR! 53234-27-1 and Supa were evaluated for their physical grain characteristics including length and shape of grain kernel, translucence and chalkiness of the endosperm. Cooking qualities of the tested genotypes were evaluated in terms of percent amylose content and gelatinization temperature. To determine the eating quality, a taste panel comprising of extension officers and the staff of the Kilimaryaro Agricultural Training Centre, Moshi, Tanzania was used. The panel was required to taste the cooked rice of the seven genotypes and to record the aroma, stickiness, softness, taste and general acceptability of the cooked rice. Regression analysis was also performed on selected parameters in order to isolate those that have more irifluence on the inherent variety quality. The results showed that all the rice genotypes tested had grain appearance that was accepted by the taste panel. The taste panelists, however, generally rated supa parent variety as very good and SSD 7 as normal. The results revealed that significant differences were observed for all the characters tasted except the taste of the cooked rice. Regression analysis showed that of the six parameters of quality, aroma significantly contributed to the isolation of the rice quality, while soJtness of cooked rice and aroma determined the general acceptance by the panelists. These parameters could be useJul as selection criteria in evaluationJor rice grain quality.

Keywords: Rice, Grain quality, Mutants, Sup a Variety

Tanzania J.Agric.Sc. (2007) Vol. 8 No.2, 193 -202