Lably
Skip to content

Aromatic rice

Type of rice

  • 1 min read
  • 1 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Rice, Taste and Dominance (genetics)

Aromatic rice produces more 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline than usual due to a loss-of-function mutation in the BADH2 gene. The BADH2 mutation can be transferred by conventional breeding; it is a recessive trait. Gene editing can be used to induce a similar mutation in ordinary rice, turning them aromatic without affecting other traits.

The aromatic cultivar group originated in the Indian subcontinent about 2400–4000 years ago, from an admixture of the newly-introduced japonica rice (carrying the BADH2 mutation) and the local aus rice. Not all members of the cultivar group are fragrant. The aromatic group is considered part of the japonica subspecies.

More in Plants