The Korean Journal of Crop Science ISSN:0252-9777(Print) 2287-8432(Online) 한국작물학회지

Rice quality should be considered as a primary consumer requirement. Regarding marketing, characteristics such as appearance, physicochemical properties, and palatability of brand rice are of high economic importance. Therefore, this study was conducted to select the optimal rice cultivars representing the commercial rice brands of Gyeongsangbuk-do province in Korea. Various rice grain quality components, grain appearance, several physicochemical properties of rice grain, and texture or palatability of cooked rice grains of ten cultivars (namely ‘top quality rice’) cultivated at three different locations, such as inland mountainous and southern plain areas of Gyeongsangbuk-do province in 2013~2014, were evaluated, and the obtained data was analyzed. ‘Hiami’ showed slightly higher protein contents and lower palatability of cooked rice than the other rice cultivars. Rice production and head rice yield produced at Gumi were the highest. The protein content of milled rice produced at Andong, an inland mountainous region, was approximately 0.3% point lower than that from other locations, whereas the amylose content of milled rice was approximately 1% point higher than those from the other plain regions, Daegu and Gumi. We evaluated the texture, Glossiness value determined using a Toyo teste meter and palatability of cooked rice of ten cultivars. The hardness of cooked rice produced in Andong was slightly lower than that produced in Daegu and Gumi, and additionally, the palatability of cooked rice produced in Andong was the best, followed by that producted in Gumi and Daegu. Considering rice yield and grain quality in the major rice cultivation areas of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, the rice cultivars that may be suitable for each region could be recommended mid-late maturation: ‘Younghojinmi’ and ‘Mipum’ in Daegu, ‘Daebo’, ‘Samgwang’, Chilbo’ and ‘Younghojinmi’ in Gumi, ‘Samgwang’, ‘Jinsumi’ and ‘Sukwang’ in Andong. These results obtained in this study imply that the selected cultivars with high yield and quality could be recommended with high priority to rice farmers in the regions.