Evaluations of cooking, eating and nutritional qualities of indica rice cultivars introduced from Sri Lanka

Objective The cooking, eating and nutritional qualities of rice cultivars introduced from Sri Lanka were analyzed so as to screen the suitable materials for rice production and breeding.

Method Single factor randomized block design was applied in 2014, and 65 rice cultivars introduced from Sri Lanka were planted under conventional cultivation. After harvest, rice samples from each cultivar were collected for cooking, eating and nutritional analysis.

Result Amylose contents were between 21.35%-29.34% across all cultivars and there were no significant differences. Protein contents were 5.24%-9.17% and significantly differed among cultivars. Essential and non-essential amino acids accounted for 33.80%-36.30% and 63.70%-66.20% of total contents of amino acids, respectively. Based on correlation and principal analysis, the nutritional factor (amino acids) contributed 53.447% to the rice qualities. Higher contents of amino acids were associated with lower amylose contents, and lower cooking and eating qualities. All 65 rice cultivars were classified into 4 types through clustering analysis, and each of them exhibited different characteristics.

Conclusion The introduced rice cultivars show different characteristics and can be used as raw materials for future rice production and breeding.