Rice Genomics and Genetics 2015, Vol.6, No.4, 1-5
1
Research Report Open Access
Variability Studies for Quality Traits in Rice with High Iron and Zinc Content in
Segregating Population
Sala. M
1
, C.R. Ananda Kumar
2
, S. Geetha
3
1. Agricultural College and Research Institute, TamilNadu Agricultural University, Madurai
2. Centre for Plant Breeding &Genetics, TamilNadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
3. Anbil Dharmalingam, Agricultural College &Research Institute, Trichy
Corresponding author email:
Rice Genomics and Genetics, 2015, Vol.6, No.4 doi: 10.5376/rgg.2015.06.0004
Received: 25 Mar., 2015
Accepted: 30 Apr., 2015
Published: 07 May, 2015
Copyright
©
2015
Sala et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Sala et al., 2015, Variability Studies for Quality Traits in Rice with High Iron and Zinc Content in Segregating Population, Rice Genomics and Genetics, Vol.6,
No.4 1
-
5 (doi:
10.5376/rgg.2015.06.0004
)
Abstract
More than half of the world’s population, especially women and children in the developing countries suffer from
micronutrient malnutrition especially deficiency in iron and zinc. Micronutrient malnutrition problems increased the interest of
researchers to increase the mineral contents (Fe and Zn) in cereals to ensure adequate attainment of dietary minerals. A lot of
variability does exist for micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Vitamin A, etc.) content and bioavailability in many crops including rice. The
current study was conducted to assess the variability for iron and zinc content along with quality traits in dehusked rice grains to
identify mineral-rich families. This study was conducted with the major objectives of analysis of genetic variability for quality traits
for grain iron and zinc content. Based on mean, GCV & PCV, heritability and genetic advance, it was understood that the progenies
of ADT 37 x IR68144-3B-2-2-3 would be more useful for improving grain iron content with the desirable quality traits viz., kernel
length, kernel breadth after cooking. Similarly TRY (R) 2 x Mapillaisamba segregants could be used for improving the grain zinc
content and breadth wise expansion ratio.
Keywords
Variability; Heritability; Genetic advance; Iron and zinc content; Rice
Introduction
Rice is the life and the prince among cereals as this
unique grain helps to sustain two thirds of the world’s
population. Asia is the biggest rice producer,
accounting for 90 per cent of the world’s production
and consumption of rice (Anonymous, 2007). It is
considered as the main staple food for more than 50
per cent of the world’s population. Rice provides 75
per cent of the calories and 55 per cent of the protein
in the average daily diet of the people although it has
an incomplete amino acid profile and comprises
confined amount of essential micronutrients (Bhuiyan
et al., 2002). The per capita consumption of rice is
very high ranging from 62 to 190 kg/year (Graham et
al., 1999). To be healthy, human beings require more
than 20 mineral elements and more than 40 nutrients,
particularly vitamins and essential amino acids, all of
which can be supplied by an appropriate diet (Philip
and Martin, 2005). However, human diets often lack
one or more of essential nutrients and cause
micronutrient malnutrition. Micronutrient malnutrition
is recognized as a massive and rapidly growing public
health issue especially among poor people living on
an unbalanced diet dominated by a single staple grain
such as rice. Among the major micronutrient
deficiencies common in rice consuming countries ,
iron and zinc deficiencies (the so called “hidden
hunger”), affect over three billion people worldwide,
mostly in developing countries (Welch and Graham,
2004). Plant breeding to enhance the nutrient quality
of staple food crops holds promise for a low cost and
sustainable approach to alleviate the problem of
micronutrient malnutrition among the poorest
segments of the population of developing countries.
This approach has been called biofortification.
Biofortification reduces malnutrition by breeding
essential micronutrients into staple crops. This
approach bridges the fields of human nutrition, crop
science and public health to develop a set of highly
sustainable nutrition interventions in a cost-effective
manner. Exploiting the genetic variation in crop plants
for micronutrient content is one of the most powerful
tools to change the nutrient balance of a given diet on
a large scale.
