Cereal Chem 66:79-80   |  VIEW ARTICLE

The Use of Gamma Irradiation for Inducing High-Protein Rice.

A. El-Shirbeeny and R. Mitkees. Copyright 1989 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

This study investigated the possibility of using gamma irradiation to improve protein content in the rice breeding program in Egypt. Brown rice samples from M2 and M3 mutants of three varieties, Giza 172, Ratna, and IR480, were irradiated at three doses of cobalt 60 gamma rays. Protein content of the irradiated samples was compared with an unradiated control. Coefficients of variation were compared to elucidate which varieties might contain genetic material capable of increasing protein content. The results indicated that considerable improvement in protein content could be achieved by breeding selections of Giza 172; in M3 it reached 13.31% protein after irradiation at 10,000 roentgen, an increase of 47% over the control. Materials from IR480 showed the least variability, and hence, least potential for improvement.