This study was conducted to determine the acceptability of locally accepted japonica rice varieties among 53 farmers in Bohol and 38 farmers in Nueva Ecija, who were further classified into adopters and non-adopters of the GUVA japonica rice variety. Snowball sampling was made on farmer adopters/cooperators of a high-quality seed multiplication and dissemination project in the said provinces. The farmer respondents were mostly male whose ages ranged from 30 to 80 years and with farm sizes from 0.5 to 16 hectares. The farmers’ rice variety and usage were assessed by comparing the GUVA japonica rice variety with their commonly planted indica rice variety based on its agronomic characteristics, yield and income potential, and seed purity concerns. The barriers/hesitations to adoption of the GUVA japonica rice variety, namely seed availability, varietal information, and market potential, must be complemented with the suggested improvements on the variety together with factors that convince the farmers for committed use of this variety. Researchers together with partner agencies must put a lot of thought on how to integrate and synchronize these concerns so that the farmers can adopt GUVA japonica rice. Interest check on the usage of GUVA japonica rice variety in rice production as well as suggested improvements were solicited as the basis for continuous R&D pursuits that would eventually promote and adopt the GUVA japonica rice variety from these provinces.

To determine the acceptability of Grain Utilization Value Added (GUVA) Japonica rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and South Korea’s Rural Development Authority (RDA), home use tests were conducted in n=69 businesses that were using Japonica rice. In general, they were satisfied with the Japonica brands, because they provided them with the particulars needed in their Japanese and Korean dishes. According to them, the value and quality of the Japonica rice justify the price. However, the GUVA Japonica Rice variety’s positive ratings were significantly lower compared to the brands they were used to. This applied to both their overall and attributespecific evaluations. Among the attributes, size, shape, aroma, and stickiness received significantly lower ratings compared to the other Japonica varieties. For them, it was too small, too round, less aromatic, and less sticky which may lead to challenges in preparation consequently affecting the commercial acceptability of the dishes they offer. Even with this experience and perception, they were still willing to consider the GUVA Japonica Rice when it was available in the market. Using the Van Westendorp pricing model, GUVA Japonica yielded a price of PHP 51.00 (1.01 USD) which was competitive. These findings provide recommendations for measures that should be put in place so that value chain players can preserve and maintain quality until the rice reach the business market.

‘Roko 20’ is high-yielding, medium-maturity japonica rice variety adaptable to Romania and Turkey. It was developed and registered (Registration Nr. 6578 in ISTIS, Romania) from a cross between ‘Haedamssal’ and the salt resistant Romanian cultivar ‘Polizesti 28’ in 2021. The vegetation period of ‘Roko 20’ was 121 days in Turkey and 136 days in Romania. The culm length of ‘Roko 20’ was 80 cm, and the 1,000-grain weight of paddy rice was 31.0 g. The ripening ratio was similar to that of the control cultivar ‘Polizesti 28’ at 81%, and the proportion of amylose content of brown rice was 18.5%, which was slightly lower than that of the control cultivar ‘Polizesti 28’ (20.2%). The paddy rice yield was 18% higher than that of the control cultivar with 8,535 kg/ha. The proportion of brown rice and milled rice recovery was 81.6% and 65%, respectively. However, the head rice was slightly lower (44% in Turkey and 49% in Romania) than that in ‘Polizesti 28’ (52%).

‘Hyeonpum’ is a new japonica rice variety developed by a cross breeding between Iksan469 having a good canopy architecture and Sindongjin and Musashino 7 having a good eating-quality with a view to develop a new variety having high quality of grain and palatability by the rice breeding team of Rice Breeding and Cultivation Research Division, Department of Rice and Winter Cereal Crop, NICS, RDA in 2012. The heading date of this variety is August 18 and later than that of check variety, Nampyeongbyeo, by four days. ‘Hyeonpum’ has 74cm of culm length and 101 spikelets per panicle. This variety showed resistance to bacterial leaf blight and rice stripe virus, but susceptible to leaf blast and planthoppers. The milled rice of this variety exhibits translucent and very clear non-glutinous endosperm. ‘Hyeonpum’ has much better palatability of cooked rice than that of Nampyeongbyeo. The whole grain rate of milled rice and milled rice recovery of ‘Hyeonpum’ are slightly higher than those of Nampyeongbyeo as 91.8% and 75.2% respectively. The yield of ‘Hyeonpum’ is 5.6 MT/ha in milled rice. ‘Hyeonpum’ could be adaptable to the southern part plain area of Pyeongtaek and southwestern costal areas in Korea.

‘한설’은 1997년 고품질 극조숙 안전 다수성 품종을 육성할 목적으로 양질 극조숙인 ‘진부24호’를 모본으로 초형이 좋고 극조숙 내냉 다수성 계통인 ‘진부25호(운두벼)’를 부본으로 인공교배하여 2009년 육성한 극조숙 고품질 내냉성 벼 품종으로 주요 특성과 수량성을 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 출수기는 7월 25일로 ‘진부벼’보다 4일 정도 빠른 극조생종이며, 간장은 65 cm로 ‘진부벼’보다 약간 작고, 주당 이삭수는 12개, 이삭당 벼알수는 99

‘미광’은 1997년 중부지역 적응 고품질 품종을 육성할 목적으로 양질 다수성 계통인 SR15926-10-2-3-3-3와 익산431호를 인공 교배하여 계통육종법에 따라 육성하였다. 교배 후대에서 선발하여 육성된 우량계통에 대해 2년간(2005~2006) 생산력 검정시험을 실시한 결과, 중생종이고 도열병 및 흰잎마름병에 저항성이면서 도정특성과 쌀 외관 및 밥맛이 양호한 SR23725-55-3-2-3-2 계통을 선발하여 ‘수원514호’로 계통명을 부여하였다

청안은 중부지역에 적응하는 중생 고품질 벼를 육성할 목적으로 1997년 하계에 SR15225-B-22-1-2-1 계통과 익산431호를 인공교배하여 SR23698의 교배번호를 부여하고 F1 수식 이미지 22 개체를 양성한 후 화분배양을 통하여 육성한 품종이다. 2개년간 생산력검정시험에서 SR23698-HB2049-110-2 계통이 농업형질 및 수량성 등이 우수하여 "수원503호"로 계통명을 부여한 후 '05~'07년 3개년 간 지역적응시험을 실시

1970년대 이후 육성된 우리나라 벼품종들에 대하여 벼흰잎마름병 레이스 K1, K2, K3 및 K3a에 대한 반응을 검토한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 통일형인 51품종의 저항성 정도를 검정한 결과, 레이스 K1에 저항성 13품종, 레이스 K1과 K2에 저항성 9품종, 레이스 K1, K2, 및 K3에 저항성 1품종, 레이스 K1, K2, K3 및 K3a모두에 저항성을 보인 것은 14품종이었다. 2. 자포니카형인 158품종의 저항성 반응을 살펴 본 결과, 레이스 K1 저항성 31품종, 레이스 K1과 K2에 저항성 1품종, 레이스 K1, K2 및 K3에 저항성 28품종, 레이스 K1, K2, K3 및 K3a모두에 저항성 1품종이었다. 3. 레이스 K1, K2, K3 및 K3a에 저항성인 품종은 통일형 품종이 자포니카형 품종 보다 훨씬 많았다