Sub-Project on Composition or Quality in Rice

Working Period : 2007 - 2012
Participating Countries : Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Rice is one of three major cereals as well as the staple food in Asia. All participating countries have great interest in it and "Sub-Project on Composition or Quality in Rice" was started in 2007 following sub-project for sorghum & soybean, orchid and banana.

This sub-project focused on modification of amylose content as a common theme as well as respective breeding objectives in participating countries, such as high yield and environmental tolerance including salinity tolerance. For the effective study, analyzing methods are shared and irradiation facility is utilized together.

Various mutant lines obtained in Indonesia Ciherang is parent.

[  Amylose in Rice  ]
Main component of rice seeds is starch (about 75%). The starch deposited in rice endosperms consists of amylose and amylopectin. The content of these two components is closely related to cooking and eating quality and a very important character in rice. The lower amylose and higher amylopectin content make moist and sticky rice. Amylose content of Koshihikari, famous japonica variety is about 17% and glutinous rice is 0%. On the contrary, higher amylose and lower amylopectin content make dry and not sticky rice, like indica varieties.

In the first workshop for this sub-project, an agreement for general rules and methodologies of component analysis, standard varieties and exchange of breeding material was made to start the activity. ("Agreement of Sub-Project on Rice")

One of the activities of this sub-project, utilization of ion beam started in 2009. "Workshop on Cooperation in Ion Beam Irradiation for Rice Breeding Program" was held in Japan, January, 2009 hosted by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), and rice seeds from member counties were irradiated with ion beams by TIARA, ion beam facility of JAEA.

Almost all countries have proceeded their investigations and establishments of promising mutants matched with their demands, by ion beam and gamma ray. The activity of this sub-project was terminated in 2012, successfully.

Furthermore, the outcome of research activity, "Achievement of Sub-Project on Composition or Quality in Rice", was published in March 2013. (Achievement of Sub-Project on Composition or Quality in Rice)

Workshop on Cooperation in Ion Beam Irradiation for Rice Breeding Program (Japan, 2009)