BPT Rice 2841- A Lysine Rich Black Rice Variety Suitable for Raw Rice

BPT rice 2841 is a black pericarp coloured rice variety developed through a three-way cross involving MTU 7029 (Swarna), IRGC 18195 and MTU 1081. BPT rice 2841 is an improved high-yielding, non-lodging, semi-dwarf variety with a duration of 130-135 days. It exhibits a robust plant structure with green foliage, moderate tillering, dense panicle and straw glume with medium slender grains. The variety has moderate resistance to prevalent biotic stresses such as leaf blast, neck blast, gall midge, white backed planthopper, and brown planthopper. Distinctively, BPT rice 2841 possessed intermediate amylose content and alkali spreading value ensuring its grains cook to a soft and flaky consistency, suitable for raw rice applications also and can be included in daily diet consumption. Its black pericarp endows it with potent antioxidant activity and high phenol content which contributes to neutralizing free radicals and bolstering human immunity. Notably, the unpolished BPT rice 2841 rice contains 24.3 ppm of zinc, 15.6 ppm of iron, and 11.2 % protein, making it nutritionally superior to white rice and aiding in addressing malnutrition concerns.