Studies on quality attributes of basmati rice

The objective of the study was to analyse the physical properties of basmati PS 4. The physical parameters such as length (l), breadth (b), and thickness (t) of the shelled paddy kernels were measured by digital vernier caliper. Each time, three replications were carried out and average of them was recorded. The paddy was procured from the department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, India. The gravimetric properties such as thousand grain weight of each sample were determined by randomly selecting and counting thousand grain kernels from the lot and weighing it by the digital balance (least count 0.001). The bulk density and true density were determined by placing the sample in measuring cylinder and calculated by volume displacement method. The size, shape, sphericity, porosity was also calculated. All these parameters play an important role during milling and storage of the grains. The study showed that the average length of the kernel was found to be 9.44 mm with width 2.02 mm and thickness of 1.64 mm with average L/B ratio of 4.67 resembling it as a superfine variety of rice. The average size and sphericity of the kernels were calculated as 3.15 and 33.36% respectively. The average bulk density, true density and porosity of the kernels were found to be 481.68 kg/mm3, 1097.16 kg/mm3, and 56.1% respectively. The husk content was recorded to be 24.4%. The test weight was found 28.4 g.