Breeding the Best Rice (Oryza sativa L) Variety of the World

A blessing from Lord Buddha some 3,000 years ago, and now a heritage rice of Uttar Pradesh, India, is valued for its aroma, taste and nutritive quality. Its cultivation declined from 50,000 ha to less than 2,000 ha and was at the verge of extinction. No attention was paid for improving Kalanamak and it survived as landrace due to the mercy of the farmers. This study was started with the aim of “Saving Kalanamak Rice” from extinction and promote further for the welfare for humanity. PRDF collected, catalogued [36] and conserved 250 accessions of Kalanamak, and the best one, through Pureline selection, was released in 2007 and notified in 2010 as KN 3. Mutation breeding [59] using gamma rays and EMS gave many academically interesting mutants but no high yielding dwarfs. Hybridization of KN 3 with Swarna Sub1 and Improved Sambha Mahsuri yielded varieties like Bauna Kalanamak 101, Bauna Kalanamak 102 and Kalanamak Kiran with shorter duration and 50% higher yield, released and notified in years 2016, 2017 and 2019 respectively. Protocol for organic production with higher yield was developed and certification under PGS arranged. Kalanamak is sugar-free with 49 to 52% Glycemic Index, 11% protein, 3 times higher Iron and 4 times higher Zinc. It is unique rice to have Vitamin A in form of Beta Carotene. Kalanamak is backed by Geographical Indication and PPV&FRA, and selling at four to five times higher price of common rice tripling farmers’ income [12]. Summarily, compared to Rs. 35,500 / ha net profit from common HYV rice, Kalanamak KN3 will give Rs. 56,875, Bauna Kalanamak (Bauna Kalanamak 101, Bauna Kalanamak 102 and Kalanamak Kiran) Rs. 88,750 and Organic Bauna Kalanamak Rs.1,10,000 net profits per hectare. With the PRDF arranged contract growing, by involving farmers and marketing companies from Kharif 2018, tripling the net profit of the farmers is assured sustainably. Nutritionally, Kalanamak has double amount of protein (11%), triple iron, quadruple Zinc compared to common rice. It is rarest of the rare rice variety to have Vitamin A in form of Beta Carotene. With 49 to 52% Glycemic Index, it is “Sugar Free”, hence suitable even for diabetics. No single variety of rice excels Kalanamak Kiran in the grain and nutritional quality. Thus it can easily be called as the “Best Rice of the World”. Besides the local market, its export is catching fast from 2% to 7% of the total production and soon to have its status as the “Specialty Rice”.