Grain Quality Aspect Indicates Hybrid Rice Development Concern to Indigenous Inbred Varieties

R in Pakistan is a monsoon crop but the introduction of hybrid varieties in recent years has influenced the dates for sowing and transplanting of rice. Cultivation of rice by virtue of river Indus basin made Pakistan historically famous for producing and exporting relatively high quality indigenous rice Basmati, Giraud (2013). Besides basmati, coarse grain or IRRI type rice and Japonica or short grain type quality rice also existed side by side (Figure 1). Masood et al. (2013); Siddiqui et al. (2007a; 2007b; 2010) has reported pronounced differences in quality characteristics and diversity from many aspects in the Abstract | Milling, physical and cooking quality of candidate hybrid varieties of fine and coarse rice category, were tested for their performance against the respective standards. In hybrid category, 58% candidates milling quality found excellent or good (head rice yield– HRY 51-70%), 23% marginal (HRY 40 – 50%) and 18% below limit (< 40%). Physically, 60% samples were extra-long size, slender shape and coarse type. Nineteen percent samples were long or medium size but slender shape and coarse type as well. Whereas, 21% sample were short or medium size only. Regarding cooking quality, 60% samples were excellent or good and 30% were OK (poor quality). The cooking quality of 10% sample was very poor. Overall 50% candidate varieties were excellent or good and 16% were OK whereas only 23% were below standard limit. In fine category, milling quality of only 6% candidates was excellent or good. Both fine and coarse candidates showed 13% and 7%poor milling, while 80% and 69% were under limit respectively. Physically, 19% candidates’ from fine category were long size (length 6.1-7.0 mm), considered good and 63% OK. However, 19% candidates were medium size (length 5.0-6.0 mm) below the respective standard (≥ 6.1 mm). Cooking quality of fine category was OK. Overall grain quality of 6% samples graded excellent, 19% well or OK and 56% candidates were below standard. Physically, 7% candidates from coarse category were extra-long size, ranked well and 43% OK while15% was below the standard. Cooking quality of coarse candidates was OK however overall, 21% samples showed poor milling, and physical and cooking quality and 36% did not meet the standard. Ratio of hybrid, fine and coarse candidates obtained for onward protocol was 43%, 24% and 0% respectively. The overwhelming of hybrid candidates with good quality indicates that they have common source, origin and or different brands of the same company. Rauf Ahmad1, Karam Ahad2 and Aziz Ullah Shah3

indigenous germplasm. Since time immemorial, Punjab province is producing more than 90% of the country basmati rice, Ashraf (2001). Overall, 92% of rice covered area concentrates in the two different packets of Punjab and Sind provinces. Out of 92%, 61% concentrates on the indigenous germplasm of Basmati and extra-long grain varieties mainly in Punjab while 31% (Sind province) cultivates long grain exotic germplasm IRRI origin and mostly Chinese originated hybrid rice varieties. Further, categorical cultivation of varieties has been exclusive and in patches throughout the country and production development has been both horizontal and vertical as well. Area and yield or contribution of both together has been significant in the annual production of rice in one or more perspectives irrespective of rice category. Putting aside high fluctuations during the early years of new millennium, production still grew by 2.9% due to % contribution of area and yield 1.7, 1.2 respectively. However, during 1990s and onwards 2000s yield became stagnant and one of the lowest in the world in the range 1-2% change (3200-3500 Kg/acre) due to lack of meaningful technologies, Rauf and Majid (2015); Pervez (2007); Khursheed et al. (1993). Besides this, trade share of Pakistan's Basmati rice has declined from 40% to less than 20% in the past 15 years instead of expansion in the global trade of Basmati grown from 1 to more than 4 million tons captured alone by India, Mohanty (2012). Average price per unit metric ton (MT) of Pakistan basmati has also decreased over a decade of years by more than 25% which speculates no longer guarantee to premium price due to unique quality of basmati, Rauf et al. (2013). On the other hand, China increased its national average yield 3500Kg/acre -6200Kg/acre within a short span of 5-6 years by promoting hy-brid rice. Considering the possibilities of 2-3 times increase in production through high yielding varieties (HYV), government introduced hybrid rice some years before and allowed private sector to freely import HYV seed to counter yield gap and enhance rice farmers income. In this perspective, ministry for National Food Security and Agricultural Research under the umbrella of PARC-Islamabad, also initiated two mega projects namely IHSPT (Indigenous Hybrid Seed Development) and Pak-China Agricultural Research Collaboration, indulging private sector as well. Introduction of hybrid varieties GNY 50 and GNY 53 through Sind province in 2008-09 is by virtue of private company Guard ® Rice Lahore, Khushik et al, (2011). However tremendous pouring of hybrid varieties during 2012-16 seems surprising. According to government Federal Seed department, 105 hybrid varieties have been approved so far and still a large number is to be listed. During 2016, fourteen hybrids of 12 companies have been recommended by the varietal evaluation committee. Others are in the process of adaptability trials. On average nine HYV are approved yearly for commercial cultivation. Further, 6000 MT seed of 60-70 hybrid rice varieties has been imported to replace the open pollinated rice cultivation on more than 0.25 million hectares. Independent of category or source, a candidate rice variety goes through national uniform rice yield trial (NURYT) before its final approval for commercial cultivation. NURYT is the only worldwide standard operating procedure (SOP) for adaptability trails including the grain quality testing as the decisive step in finalizing the recommendation. Following NURYTSOP for grain quality, seventy hybrid rice candidates' varieties, fifteen basmati and nine coarse rice candidates produced during crop season 2014 through national uniform rice yield trial was tested. Quality testing with respect to their respective check variety leaded recommendation of the candidates varieties in the respective category and way forward for HYV seed import measures and control.

Material and Methods
All of the seventy hybrid candidates including the check hailed to private companies. According to policy matter, each company is allowed one or maximum three candidates in the NURYT adaptability trials for two consecutive crop seasons. The candidates of inbred rice both fine and coarse category mostly hails to public sectors. Agronomic adaptability trail is conducted at pre specified 9-12 locations throughout the country in the four zones of rice ecology. Usually, crop produced on the rice experimental plot using the RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) following good agricultural practices (GAP) at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) -Islamabad, is taken for grain quality testing.

Samples preparation
Produce was manually harvested and threshed to get rough rice one Kg. Samples were brought to Grain Quality Testing Lab-NARC, and stored for processing to get white rice. Samples processing Rough rice was cleaned and graded to top quality paddy through electrical paddy cleaner in the milling lab. Tempering was carried out in lab oven at 40 0 C till moisture contents came to ≤ 12%. Standard mills of 'SATAKE ® was used to process each sample 300g to get the milled rice by Champagne et al. (1999) method. Broken rice fraction was separated by grading milled rice usingTRG05 SATAKE ® grader (Rauf et al., 2013).
Physical and cooking parameters determination Quality testing parameters including the milling parameters head rice recovery (HR%), broken fraction (%), husk (%), bran (%); physical characteristics kernel length (mm), breadth (mm), thickness (mm), shape ( length breadth ratio LBR), color, appearance, quality index; cooking characteristics cooked kernel length (mm), elongation ration (ratio of post cooked kernel length to pre-cooked kernel length), cooking time, bursting %, stickiness(%), water uptake were determined for each lot basmati, coarse and hybrid category separately. Generally, a good quality rice should have a high percentage of whole unbroken grains, little or no chalk, translucent appearance, uniform coloration and good for the purpose for which it has been produced (white for raw-milled rice and with a yellowish tinge for parboiled rice), shape (length and length-width ratio) should be right for the variety type, excellent cooking properties -should satisfy the consumers' preference for cooked rice for the particular kind of food preparation (Anonymous, 2014). Keeping in view these points, moisture was determined using Kett ® moisture testing meter PB ID2 after calibration through moisture testing standard plate PB ID2 Tester 15±0.1 accompanied with the instrument. Length (l), breadth (b), thickness (t), length breadth ratio-lbr(shape), and type-quality index (lbr/t) average for randomly selected 1000 or more grains of replicate was measured on the office table glass of known length (cm) by placing kernels in end to end or side to side arrangement for length and width respectively. Steel scale 30cm long was used to measure width of the kernels placed in queue on the office table glass. Grain shape tester was used to determine the kernel thickness (Dela-Cruz and Khush, 2000). Cooking of the sample hailing to different rice category was carried out as described by Bhonsle and Krishnan (2010); Yadav et al. (2007); Khatoon and Prakash, (2006).

Data analysis
Mean (X -), standard deviation (STD), coefficient of variability (STD/X -X100) of three replicates samples was calculated for milling recovery, kernel physical dimensions including cooked grain length (CGL) following basic statistics.
Fine and Coarse group both rough rice samples quality was poor and under threshed, therefore samples were repeatedly cleaned on Electrical paddy cleaner Testing Winnower PS, OHYA TANZO Engineers, Co. Ltd, and were graded to get seed quality paddy sample before milling in three replicates each weight 80-300g. Moisture contents of samples were also beyond range of the moisture testing instrument Kett (R) PB ID2 (maximum measurable limit 20%). Therefore, samples were tampered till moisture contents ≤ 12%.
In the Coarse group, CR01-FR09 including IR-6 as standard, samples have very low head rice recovery (HR% < 40%) and are fail, except sample CR03 and CR05-CR06 have head rice recovery (HR% 40-49) but still poor. Regarding physical characteristics, sample CR08 kernel has extra-long size and is considered  Candidates' varieties participatory fractions 69, 15, 9, excluding the respective check, hail to Hybrid, Fine quality rice basmati and the IRRI type or coarse respectively, indicated HYV challenge to high quality indigenous inbred basmati and the coarse varieties (Tables 2 and 3). Accordingly, the successful candidates' percent fraction hailing to Hybrid, Fine and Coarse category for varietal evaluation committee (VEC) consideration was 43%, 24% and 0%, respectively. Overwhelming percent of hybrid varieties with the equally good quality characteristics implicate most candidates in the same category have common source or origin and seems different brands of the same company. Most probably, this is due to government will to promote private sector in agricultural research through seminar and meetings contrary to lack of investment in the public and private sectors to encourage and promote indigenous rice varietal development on regular basis. Hybrid rice introduction aimed to increase production 2-3 times seems counter affected by quality resulting loss of public sector interest to serve farmers through indigenous germplasm improvement. Low quality produce would further deteriorate the average price per unit metric ton (MT) as it once happened in Thailand, Rauf et al. (2013). Nutshell will bulk produce for the bulk sale. Most

Non-basmati varieties ( *stands six months July-December)
Volume million-MT  Table 4). Year 2008-09 has been peak year of export when country earned USD 1.02 million against basmati rice export 924358 tons at the average unit record peak price USD 1102 per ton and value USD 1.03 million from 2.0 million MT of non-basmati export with average unit record peak price USD 511 per ton (Table 3). After that, slow down both in total of worth of rice export and average price value per unit MT particularly of basmati category can be seen in the Table 4. Besides higher yield perspective, there seems a holocaust change from other aspects including the habits of rice buying, cooking and eating in modem recipes and cuisines. Majority consumers are nontraditional street population whose number is far greater than the traditional rice consumers. Cooking quality of non-basmati rice even by traditional ways is at par or better than the Fine quality basmati rice when especial skill is applied. Presently, bulk cooking is more common. Cooking of basmati rice in alkaline phase -addition of enough fresh lemon or dried plum has enough implications imparting spiciness, fluffiness, shining, reduced cooking time, and increased retro gradation. On the other hand, investment on basmati development has been ignored. Varietal development in indigenous basmati is marginal due to its photosensitive ecology Ashraf, (2001). Consumers normally do not score aroma as thought in the past. Differential acidic (sweet) taste of basmati is also meaningless to nontraditional consumers. In addition to this, basmati market is limited mostly to polished grain, traditional and highly competitive. Rice other types products market include par boil rice, brown or cargo rice and extra-long grain etc are mostly non-basmati. Therefore, indigenous basmati rice has to compromise on its declining average price value per unit MT otherwise it could not sustain as food or ingredient in food. Most popular technology Super basmati is degenerating itself due to blight susceptible. If standard for extra-long grain are revised (l ≥ 7.5 mm) then the variety (length =7.49 mm) would lose the scale where Indian brands has size even greater than 8.45 mm with yield 5000Kg/ha as shown in Table 4.

Conclusion
Chinese brands HVY are replacing the indigenous coarse varieties and Indian brands extra-long varieties are replacing the indigenous fine quality basmati varieties. Overwhelming majority of hybrid varieties with the same good quality characteristics implicate most candidates' varieties have common source, origin and seems different brands of the same company.

Authors Contribution
RA conceived the idea and collected data. KA entered data in SPSS and analyzed it, wrote some parts f the manuscript and provided technical support. AS wrote the manuscript.