Multiple measurements of physical properties of cooked rice grains with different nitrogenous fertilizers

In the present study, we applied the multiple measurements of physical prop erties of individual cooked rice grains to the rice samples with different protein contents, Japonica rice cultivars (Hinohikari, Reiho, Yumehikari) w ere cultivated in the six experimental plots with different nitrogenous fer tilizer application. The subject of our study was to establish a method bas ed on the physical properties to discriminate clearly the effects of nitrog enous fertilizer on the protein contents and the palatability, Three kinds of compression. tests were carried out as multiple measurements. The overal l hardness based on the high compression test (compression ratio:90%) was s hown to differ with the rice cultivar rather than with the fertilizer condi tion. On the other hand, the surface hardness based on the low compression test (25%) was shown to have a positive correlation with the protein conten ts. The surface hardness could distinguish the difference of protein conten ts among the rice samples of the same cultivar, With the increase of total quantity of the nitrogen fertilizer applied, the surface hardness increased and the "overall evaluation" by the sensory test decreased. The ratio of s tickiness and hardness on the middle compression test (45%) had a higher co rrelation with the "overall evaluation" than the protein contents. Therefor e, it was clarified that the method based on the physical properties could discriminate the effect of the nitrogenous fertilizer on the protein conten ts and the palatability.