Study on the breeding of japonical gelatinous rice mutant variety Zhenuo 36 with high yield and good grain quality

The dry seeds of F2, which came from the crossing of japonical rice Bing 92-124 x japonical gelatinous rice Shaonuoxuan (SNX), was induced by 200 Gy 60Co γ-irradiation. A japonical gelatinous rice mutant ZH206 with high yield, large grain size and good grain quality was obtained through several generation selections. It was demonstrated that the average yield was 9.4% higher than controls in two regional tests in successive two years. Its grain size was obviously large as compared with its original parents, 1000-grain weight was above 30 g, 4.1 g and 3.6 g higher than Bing 92-124 and SNX, respectively. Gelatinous characteristic of its rice was better than control Xianghu 84 and also much better than SNX. In 2003, the mutant was denominated as 'Zhenuo 36' by Crop Variety Identification Committee of Zhejiang Province. As an excellent japonical gelatinous variety, Zhenuo 36 had both the largest rate of increasing yield and the highest grain weight in Zhejiang provincial regional tests of japonical rice during last 20 years. The successful breeding of the variety showed that irradiation induction is an effective method to simultaneously improve some characteristics in rice. (authors)