30 June, 2015, Bajo: RDC Bajo conducted an organo-leptic testing of a new rice variety, IR 28, on 30 of June 2015. Organo-leptic testing is an analysis of the properties of food products by means of the sense organs. Organo-leptic testing is usually done by tasters on the basis of taste, odour, colour, texture and appearance. It is generally used worldwide to evaluate the quality of wines, tea, tobacco, chesse, butter and canned food. RDC Bajo used the method to determine the cooking and eating quality of IR 28 rice variety. The eating quality of rice has a direct relation with the consumer preference and therefore, it is important to test the acceptability of a new variety. It is also a crucial variety trait which determines the spread and adoption of new varieties by the farmers.
The organo-leptic test assessed the cooking and eating quality of IR 28 (an improved rice variety from IRRI due for release after extensively evaluated by RDC Bajo in Wangdue-Punakha valley) against IR 64 which is currently one of the best improved varieties grown in the mid-altitude regions of the country. Staff and ESPs of RDC Bajo participated in the rice quality test and ratings from 30 random samples were taken. The test ratings were based on basic rice quality traits such as taste, texture, flufiness, softness (when cooked/cooled), aroma, colour and general appearance. The result showed that 60% of the respondants reported IR 28 as ‘better than IR 64’, while 27% rated as ‘similar to IR 64’ and only 13% rated ‘not better than IR 64”. Overall, IR 28 outscored IR 64 in terms of cooking and eating quality, thus paving way for possible release next year. Among the hundreds of improved rice germplasm evaluated at RDC Bajo in the last 6 years, IR 28 has consistently performed well in the mid altitude zone.
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