Biotech Updates

New Rice Varieties Offer Benefits to U.S. Growers

November 4, 2011

Scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service have developed new rice varieties that offer new choices for U.S. growers and could expand market opportunities for the U.S. rice industry. The varieties were developed with the help of scientists from other institutions such as the Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas, Clemson University, and the International Rice Research Institute.

One of the new varieties is called JES. It is an aromatic, soft-cooking, long-grain rice which is suited for the market that depends on imports. JES is a jasmine-style rice, but has higher yields and matures a week earlier than Jasmine 85.

Charleston Gold, the other new variety, is an improvement of the Carolina Gold and contains genetic material coming from cultivars in the Philippines and India. It is high yielding, disease resistant, and has good cooking quality.

Read more information about these new varieties at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct11/food1011.htm.