Selection of Standard Rice Cultivars for Evaluating Tolerance to Rice Kernel Cracking in the Western Region of Japan

Abstract

To select standard rice cultivars for evaluating tolerance to kernel cracking, we investigated cracking tolerance at 2 breeding stations of Japan in 2015 to 2018. Based on the percentage of cracking rice determined by using the late harvesting method, we selected 8 new standard cultivars from ‘tolerant’ to ‘weak’ in medium and medium-to-late heading groups in the western region and regarded “Yamadawara” as a ‘tolerant’ standard cultivar. All 8 new standard cultivars could also be evaluated by the soaking method using unhulled brown rice and the moisture absorption method using brown rice harvested at the proper time. These methods were considered to be useful as alternatives to the late harvesting method.