How Many Documented Varieties of Basmati Rice are Grown in India

Introduction

There are 27 documented varieties of Basmati Rice cultivated in India. As we know the essential food crop in the world is Cereals. Cereals are grown for food, feed and alcohol production and are considered very important raw materials for various industries. In developing countries like Africa and Asia, all the cultivated cereal crops are used for human nutrition. Commonly cultivated cereals in Africa are maize(also called Zea mays), pearl millet (also called Pennisetum glaucum), Rice (Oryza sativa) and Sorghum (Sorghum inbicolour). Among all the different cereals cultivated in the world, Rice is an important staple food. It is the seed of the grass species Oryza Sativa (Asian rice) or called Oryza glaberrima.

Rice

Rice is one of the world’s most important food crops, a staple food and a primary source for a large population of the world that is more than half of the world’s population. For example, Asia has produced and consumed more than 90% of the world’s rice. It is estimated that demand for rice production will continue to rise and as a result, 25% more rice needs to be produced. One of the important needs for the production of rice is the availability of water. It is estimated that about 70% of water is used for rice cultivation.

India is considered as world’s second-largest producer of rice and also the largest exporter of rice. Rice is considered the chief grain of India. It is the dominant crop of the country. It is generally grown in hot and humid climates where there is heavy rainfall. It requires a temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius and above and rainfall of more than 100 cm. It is the staple food of Eastern and Southern parts of India.

How Rice is Cultivated

There are various ways of cultivating rice. But in India, for harvesting rice, traditional methods are still used.

Let's learn the steps for the cultivation of rice:

• At first, fields are ploughed and fertilisers are applied which typically consist of cow dung.

• After applying the fertilisers, the field is smoothened.

• The seeds are shown by hand and then through proper irrigation, the seeds are cultivated.

• They are a variety of soils on which rice can grow like silts, looms and gravels.

• During its growing years, proper care has to be taken as this crop thrives if the solid remains wet and is underwater.

• Finally, The final step in growing rice is milling.

• In the mill, the “rough rice" passes through sheller machines to remove the inedible hulls.

• Thus we obtain brown rice which can be used as it is or can be further milled by machines that rub the grains together under pressure.

• And then we finally obtain the white rice or polished rice.

• As some of the nutrients are lost during milling so white rice is enriched with a thin coating of vitamins.

Documented Varieties of Basmati Rice

The word Basmati means “Queen of Fragrance”. It is a long-grain rice which is very popular for its fragrance and delicate flavour. Basmati rice is popular in India since the 19th century, although it is named differently. It is also named Oryza Sativa. In the year 2018-19, India has 65% of the foreign trade of Basmati rice, while the rest 35% is accounted for by Pakistan.

There are 27 varieties known of Basmati rice in India. These varieties are known for their excellent cooking, flavour, aroma and eating qualities. Some of the traditional Indian norms include basmati 385, basmati 370, and basmati Ranbir Singh Pura (R.S.Pura), and Gujjar Chack in the province of Jammu, located at the Indian-Pakistani border in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

List of Varieties of Basmati Rice in India

Basmati 217, Basmati 370, Type 3 (Dehraduni Basmati) Punjab Basmati 1 (Bauni Basmati), Pusa Basmati 1, Kasturi, Haryana Basmati 1, Mahi Sugandha, Taraori Basmati (HBC 19 / Karnal Local), Ranbir Basmati, Basmati 386, Improved Pusa Basmati 1 (Pusa 1460), Pusa Basmati 1121 (After amendment), Vallabh Basmati 22, Pusa Basmati 6 (Pusa 1401), Punjab Basmati 2, Basmati CSR 30 (After amendment), Malviya Basmati Dhan 10-9 (IET 21669), Vallabh Basmati 21 (IET 19493), Pusa Basmati 1509 (IET 21960), Basmati 564, Vallabh Basmati 23, Vallabh Basmati 24, Pusa Basmati 1609, Pant Basmati 1 (IET 21665), Pant Basmati 2 (IET 21953), Punjab Basmati 3, Pusa Basmati 1637, Pusa Basmati 1728, Pusa Basmati 1718, Punjab Basmati 4, Punjab Basmati 5, Haryana Basmati 2 and Pusa Basmati 1692.

Conclusion

Following points we had learnt:

• Rice is one of the most important food crops and staple food across the world.

• Rice is popular for its flavour, aroma and eating qualities.

• India is in the second position in the production of rice in the world.

• It is considered as chief grain, in fact, the dominant crop in India.

• Asia has produced and consumed more than 90% of the world’s rice.

• Basmati rice is one of the best quality rice known for its “quality of fragrance”.

• India has more than 65% of the foreign trade of Basmati rice.

• Basmati rice is long-gain rice and is also named Oryza sativa.

• There are 27 known documented varieties of Basmati rice in India.