Unlocking Genetic Variability in Rice: Enhancing Rice Bran Oil and Quality Traits

The unpolished white rice with bran is more nutritious than milled or polished white rice. The edible,Rice-bran oil (RBO) is extracted from rice bran, which contains 12 to 23% lipid, and the quantity of oilextracted is influenced by factors, viz., Variety of seed, extent of milling, extraction technique, andagro climatic conditions. It is rich in antioxidants and improves the shelf life of RBO. This studyassessed genetic variability and trait associations in rice genotypes to identify those with superiorRBO content and quality traits. Significant differences were observed among genotypes for all studiedtraits. Bran oil percentage ranged from 12.3% to 20.2%, with the highest levels in varieties ADT54and Kichadi Samba, and the lowest in Boothakali Karupan, Moota Kuruva, and Kallan Samba. Highphenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficients of variation were noted for the number ofproductive tillers, flag leaf length, total spikelets per panicle, thousand-grain weight, and grain yieldper plant. Heritability estimates ranged from 73.68% to 99.49%, with high heritability coupled with highgenetic advance as a percentage of mean (GAM) for key traits indicating additive gene action. Branoil percentage showed positive significance and correlation with brown rice recovery, productivetillers, and milling percentage. Path analysis revealed that flag leaf width, grain yield per plant, headrice recovery, and brown rice positively affected bran oil percentage. In conclusion, the genotypesADT54, Kichadi Samba, and CR 1009 demonstrated high potential for RBO content. These findingsprovide valuable insights for breeding programs focused on enhancing rice bran oil yield and quality, highlighting the potential of genetic selection to meet the increasing demand for RBO and improverice quality traits.