COOKING AND EATING CHARACTERISTICS IN UPLAND AND IRRIGATED RICE VARIETIES

Twenty-eight Brazilian rice cultivars proceeding from the Germplasm Ce nter of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), were tested as to the grain quality characteristics. Amylose contents gelatinizati on temperature and gel consistency were analyzed and discussed. The pe rcentage of amylose content ranged from 15.0 to 27.0% by the simplifie d hand method and from 16.0 to 26.0% on the autoanalysis method. The a lkali test values ranged from 2.0 to 7.0 for spreading. By the gel con sistency method, the length ranged from 27.0 to 98.0 mm. The evaluated cultivars showed gel consistency which encompassed from hard, medium, mediumly soft and soft. The cultivars IAC 47, Lageado, EEA 201, Paga Divida, EEPG 261, Vermelho Pernambuco, Dourado Agulha, IAC 416, Canela de Ferro and EEPG 269 were selected with excellent cooking and eating characteristics which will be able to serve as gene sources in the ri ce breeding program for grain quality.