The Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology – CCMB in association with the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) has developed an Improved Samba Masuri (ISM) variety rice with low Glycemic Index. Rice with low Glycemic Index is considered suitable for people with diabetics.
The new variety is also resistant to bacteria blight. CCMB Director Dr Rakesh Kumar Mishra along with the team of Scientists announced this in Hyderabad last evening. Dr Mishra said the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has done extensive human trials on the new variety and concluded that the ISM has lowest Glycemic Index of 50.99 against the normal 53 to 70 in several rice varieties.
The scientists said the ISM has shown better yield and fine grain type enhancing its market potential and profit for farmers. The scientists further said the new variety is not a transgenic one and they did molecular breeding in CCMB and traditional rice breeding at the rice research institute. The ISM has been grown in 1.3 lakh hectares in 7 states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The scientist exuded confidence that they will come out with a new variety of rice which will have high yield and also resistant to 3 different pests in two-three years.
