Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important crop in the Mekong delta, which produces the highest yields of indica long-grain rice in Vietnam with large farms and high inputs. There have been numerous studies evaluating the variability of various quality parameters and relationships among quality properties in rice (Matthews & Spadaro, 1976; Calingacion et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2021), however, studies focusing on the relationship between quality parameters and comprehensive taste quality have not been seen. In addition, most of these studies were published in Vietnamese journals, which are less accessible to foreign researchers. So a data set of 140 selected rice varieties from regional registration testing in the Mekong delta with four rice registration groups was studied for quality properties and correlations between each quality parameter and comprehensive taste quality in this paper. Differences in rice quality among the four registration groups and three taste categories were identified.
The three maturity groups of A0, A1, and A2 could be divided into fairly good and medium taste categories only whereas the aromatic group could be divided into three taste categories.
In the A0, A1, and A2 groups, the amylose content values of the fairly good taste category were lower than those of the medium taste category in the three groups, by 5.91%, 4.38%, and 6.38%, respectively (P <0.05). However, the gel consistency values of the fairly good taste category were higher than those of the medium one, by 25.79mm, 16.53mm, and 26.66mm, respectively. In the aromatic group, the hulling percentage and milling percentage of the good taste category were lower than that of the medium one, respectively. The grain length, length/width ratio, smell, and taste of the high-taste quality category rice were higher than those of the medium taste category rice, however, the amylose content was non-significantly different among the three taste quality categories (P <0.05). The smell and tenderness were found to be highly positively correlated with the comprehensive taste quality, but the amylose content was highly negatively correlated with the comprehensive taste quality in all groups (P <0.01).
The results from this study can be valuable references for researchers and breeders to set priorities for developing better lines or varieties. Promising lines for the aromatic group should be further screened in the laboratory for traits such as long or extra-long grain and slender shape, low chalkiness, and low amylose content to enhance selection efficiency for specialty markets that have emerged in the Mekong region in recent years.
Please access the full paper here on Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences (ISSN 2588-1299).
References
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