Background:
Micronutrients are essential for human growth and health. Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients for enhancing human health and reducing the possibility of malnutrition. Zinc is required for enzymatic activity, tissue growth and development, protection against infectious diseases, cognitive function and immunity. Rice is the major staple food crop for more than half of the global population. People prefer to consume polished rice which causes loss of Zinc content thereby affecting health of human beings leading to hidden hunger. The popularly grown HYVs of rice possess a basal level of 12-16ppm Zinc which is not enough to meet the average daily requirement of Zn (7-13 mg per day) for adults. Among the potential biofortification options to rectify Zn deficiency, Zinc biofortification is a sustainable option to alleviate malnutrition compared to other options ie., nutritional diversification, food fortification and supplementation:
Technology Details:
DRR Dhan 63 (RP 5115-111-24-3-1-1) is a semi-dwarf, Zinc rich (24.2 ppm), high yielding (5t/ha) mid-early duration variety (127 to 130 days) and could improve Zn micronutrient status of the mankind. The Zn content of polished rice of DRR Dhan 63 is estimated to be 11 to 14% higher than that of checks, BPT 5204 and IR64. It has recorded yield superiority of 18.5% over IR 64 and 9.1% over BPT 5204:
It is suitable for growing in both kharif and rabi seasons under irrigated ecosystem. It possesses distinguished morphological traits such as thick and strong culm, erect flag leaf; non- lodging; partly exerted, semi-erect and long panicles; non-shattering and short bold grains. It is moderately resistant to leaf and neck blast, bacterial leaf blight and planthoppers.:
Apart from high nutritional quality, DRR Dhan 63 is bestowed with excellent grain and cooking quality characteristics with high milling recovery (70%), high head rice recovery (59.3%), intermediate amylose (24.5%), intermediate ASV (4), soft GC (23 mm) with very occasionally chalky.