Broken basmati rice, a by-product of the rice milling industry, has potential for value addition through its incorporation into food products. The present study was undertaken to develop pancakes from broken basmati rice flour using different sweetening agents and to evaluate their physical, proximate, microbiological and storage characteristics. Six formulations were prepared using sugar, honey, jaggery and their combinations, along with popped amaranthus seeds. The developed pancakes were evaluated for physical characteristics and proximate composition, and their changes were monitored during 90 days of refrigerated storage at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days. Significant differences were observed among the formulations for the evaluated physical and chemical parameters. The honey + jaggery formulation (T6) recorded the highest mean crude protein content (11.50%), while the honey formulation (T2) recorded the highest mean crude fat content (5.48%). The jaggery formulation (T3) recorded the highest mean ash (2.01%) and crude fibre (2.41%) contents. Among the physical characteristics, T3 recorded the highest mean weight (58.56 g), whereas T4 (sugar + honey) recorded the lowest (55.71 g). During storage, mean moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash and crude fibre contents decreased from 38.09 to 30.71 per cent, 11.43 to 11.07 per cent, 5.58 to 5.19 per cent, 2.15 to 1.66 per cent and 2.47 to 2.25 per cent, respectively. Available carbohydrate and calculated total energy increased from 40.26 to 49.21per cent and 262.75 to 292.38 kcal 100 g-1, respectively. Since available carbohydrate was determined by difference and total energy was calculated from proximate composition values, these increases represent calculated changes rather than actual formation of carbohydrate or energy during storage. Total microbial count increased progressively during storage, from non-detectable levels at day 0 to a mean value of 2.04 × 104 CFU g-1 at 90 days. The study demonstrates the potential of broken basmati rice flour as a value-added ingredient for pancake preparation and provides information on the physicochemical and microbiological changes occurring during refrigerated storage.
Neck blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a destructive phase of rice blast disease, leading to severe yield losses under favourable conditions. Reliable artificial inoculation is essential for screening rice genotypes against neck blast under controlled conditions. The present study was conducted to standardize an effective inoculation method for inducing neck blast disease in rice. Four inoculation methods, viz., injection, smearing, spraying and tying of inoculum bits, were evaluated along with an uninoculated control. Disease severity was recorded as Per cent Disease Index (PDI) at 5, 10 and 15 days after inoculation (DAI), and disease progress was estimated using Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). Among the methods tested, injection recorded the highest PDI of 16.67, 36.67 and 68.89 per cent at 5, 10 and 15 DAI, respectively, with the highest AUDPC value of 439. Tying of inoculum bits was next effective, recording 53.33 per cent PDI at 15 DAI and an AUDPC of 347. Smearing showed moderate infection, while spraying recorded the lowest disease development. Thus, injection was identified as the most reliable method for artificial neck blast induction.
Rice blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is one of the most destructive diseases causing substantial yield losses worldwide, necessitating the development of sustainable management strategies. The present study evaluated the efficacy of different organic amendments in managing leaf and neck blast of rice in two susceptible varieties, Pusa Basmati 1121 and CSR 30, under field conditions over two consecutive years. Ghanajeevamrit @ 200 kg ha-1 was the most effective treatment, recording the lowest leaf blast severity (30.86% in Pusa Basmati 1121 and 25.28% in CSR 30) and neck blast incidence (30.10% in Pusa Basmati 1121 and 29.46% in CSR 30). Ghanajeevamrit @ 200 kg ha-1 also resulted in the highest grain yield in both varieties, indicating its potential for both disease suppression and yield enhancement. Beejamrit (seed bio-priming agent) applied @ 100 ml kg-1 seed was the second most effective treatment, for controlling both leaf and neck blast. In contrast, desi cow manure @ 5000 kg ha-1 was comparatively less effective in suppressing both leaf and neck blast. The observed reduction in disease severity and enhancement of grain yield demonstrate the potential of Ghanajeevamrit and Beejamrit as sustainable alternatives for rice blast management. These findings highlight the potential of such eco-friendly inputs as effective components of integrated disease management strategies for sustainable rice production.
Increasing water scarcity and erratic rainfall pose major challenges to rice productivity, particularly during critical growth stages. Soil amendments that improve soil water availability and plant water relations may help sustain crop productivity under moisture stress. A pot culture study was conducted at the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala, to evaluate the effectiveness of soil amendments in mitigating moisture stress and improving rice productivity. The experiment was conducted in a factorial completely randomized design with three replications, comprising five soil amendments and three moisture regimes. The amendments included silica @ 100 kg ha-1, biochar @ 5 t ha-1 (rice hull ash), hydrogel @ 2.5 kg ha-1 (Pusa hydrogel), 25% additional potassium over the recommended dose (45 kg ha-1) applied in two splits, and an unamended control. The moisture regimes were 50% field capacity (FC) throughout crop growth, moisture stress at maximum tillering and panicle initiation, and no moisture stress. Soil amendments significantly influenced growth, physiological responses and grain yield. Under 50% FC, silica application resulted in higher plant height, fresh shoot weight and dry matter production, while hydrogel improved relative water content and chlorophyll content. Under no moisture stress, 25% additional potassium recorded the highest grain yield (27.13 g plant-1). Under 50% FC and stress at maximum tillering and panicle initiation, silica @ 100 kg ha-1 recorded the highest grain yield, followed by biochar @ 5 t ha-1. The findings indicate that appropriate soil amendments can help sustain rice productivity under moisture stress, with their effectiveness varying according to the moisture regime.
Integrated nutrient management approaches that substitute part of inorganic fertilizer inputs with organic and biostimulant sources have the potential to enhance nutrient-use efficiency and sustain crop productivity. A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2025 at the Agronomy Research Farm of Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India, to evaluate the effects of humic acid and vermicompost in combination with reduced rates of recommended fertilizer dose (RDF) on the growth, productivity and profitability of transplanted rice. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with eight treatments, each replicated three times. Among the treatments, application of 75% RDF + 5 kg ha-1 humic acid at tillering + 2.5 t ha-1 vermicompost (T6) recorded the highest plant height (106.50 cm), tiller density (468.62 m-2), dry matter accumulation (1046.79 g m-2) and leaf area index (4.87), and was statistically comparable with 75% RDF + 2.5 kg ha-1 humic acid + 2.5 t ha-1 vermicompost (T4) for most growth and yield attributes. Treatment T6 also produced the highest grain yield (5621 kg ha-1) and net return (Rs.73,403 ha-1), whereas the maximum benefit ratio (1.35) was obtained with 75% RDF + 5 kg ha-1 humic acid (T5), primarily due to its lower cost of cultivation. Overall, the results demonstrate that integrating humic acid and vermicompost with 75% RDF can enhance rice growth and productivity while improving economic returns, offering a promising approach for reducing dependence on full rates of inorganic fertilizers.
