RICE BEYOND YIELD: REDISCOVERING NUTRITION FOR HUMAN HEALTH (COMPLETE DIET)

Rice, a staple food in many parts of the world, has historically been valued primarily for its role in providing energy. As a cereal, it is directly consumed after cooking and also serves as the base ingredient for a variety of traditional recipes, particularly in Central India, where it is transformed into an array of snacks. Beyond its widespread consumption, rice exhibits remarkable genetic diversity, spanning various traits such as yield potential, duration of maturity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, pigmentation, taste, and end-use applications. Some varieties are fine and long-grained, others are short-grained, aromatic, or bold-grained, specifically suited for making dishes such as poha. However, despite this vast genetic variability, much of the diversity was either lost or neglected with the onset of the Green Revolution. During this period, research and cultivation focused predominantly on the development of high-yielding rice varieties, prioritizing productivity over other characteristics. While this led to a significant boost in food availability, it came at a cost—namely, a decline in nutritional value and the disappearance of many important commercial traits. The focus on yield alone led to the reduction of essential micronutrient levels in rice, making it less nutritious than its traditional counterparts.