Basmati-370 is one of the most preferred aromatic fine quality rice in the world market. It has a pleasant aroma, extra fine grain and a characteristic elongation after cooking, but it is susceptible to some pathotypes of Pyricularia grisea in Brazil. The objective of the present investigation was to assess the degree of blast resistance and some agronomic characteristics in the advanced generations of its somaclones. The evaluations were carried out in R5 to R9 generations, in field trials, in rice blast nursery and greenhouse. Significant variations in grain quality and other agronomic characteristics were not observed. However, some of the somaclones showed higher degree of blast resistance. Nineteen somaclones were registered in the Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Arroz e Feijão as new aromatic rice sources. Two somaclones, SCBAS04 and SBAS16, exhibited a high degree of partial resistance to blast, and were found to be superior to cv. Basmati-370 in aromatic grain characteristic.
Oryza sativa; Pyricularia grisea; tissue culture; somaclonal variation; disease resistance
