A Waxy Black Giant Embryo Earley Maturing Rice Variety ‘Nunkeunheugchal’

Nunkeunheugchal (registration No. 01-0001-2014-4), a black waxy giant embryo rice cultivar, was developed by the rice breeding team of National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA in 2012. This cultivar was derived from the cross between ge and Josaengheugchal in 2004/2005 winter season, and selected by a promising line, YR25277-B-B-314-2, was selected and designated as the line of Milyang263 in 2009. The local adaptability test of Milyang263 was carried out at four locations from 2010 to 2012 and it was named as Nunkeunheugchal. This variety is a early maturity cultivar. It has 65 cm in culm length and 72 spikelets per panicle, and 1,000 grain-weight of brown rice is 17.8 g which is less than that of Josaengheugchal. This variety is resistant to leaf blast, but susceptible to bacterial blight, neck blast, virus disease and insect pest. The yield potential of Nunkeunheugchal was about 3.54 MT/ha as brown rice at ordinary fertilizer level in local adaptability test for three years. Nunkeunheugchal possesses benefits to rice consumers because of high amounts of GABA, anthocyanin, calcium and iron. This variety would be adaptable to the paddy field of middle and southern plain region of Korea.