MSc.

“Quality evaluation of organic rice” was a study undertaken to determine the quality aspects of rice varieties cultivated under organic and conventional practices of crop production. The study was taken up as factorial CRD experiment with three factors. The factors studied were varieties, system of cultivation and method of processing. The varieties selected were Uma and Aishwarya. The systems of cultivation practiced were organic and conventional and the methods of processing employed were raw milling and parboiled milling. The processed rice samples were stored in air tight containers for laboratory studies..
The quality parameters tested were physical characteristics, cooking characteristics, nutritional composition, visualizing techniques, organoleptic qualities and pesticide residue analysis.
Physical characteristics revealed that both varieties were red in colour, bold and medium in shape. The grain length of Uma was shorter when compared to Aishwarya. Rice varieties under conventional system recorded higher breadth and thousand grain weight when compared to varieties cultivated under organic system. Rice varieties cultivated organically recorded higher bulk density and swelling index than the conventional system.
Conventional produce required more cooking time than organic produce. Organic produce recorded higher elongation ratio, water uptake and amylopectin content, whereas, cooked weight, amylose content and amylose- amylopectin ratio were recorded highest in conventional produce.
Consumers prefer varieties of higher nutritional quality. Comparing between organically and conventionally cultivated varieties, organic produce have higher starch, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and iron. However, protein, calorie and zinc content were found higher in convention produce.
Organoleptic qualities studied were appearance, colour, flavour, texture, taste and overall acceptability. The data revealed that the overall acceptability of the two rice samples was not significantly different. However, among all the rice samples, overall acceptability was found to be better in Aishwarya (both organically and conventionally cultivated).
The holistic analysis or visualizing techniques of rice samples were carried out to visualize the quality and it was found that organic product had more vitality and better quality. Parboiled rice also showed good quality traits.
The rice samples were tested for pesticide residue analysis. The pesticides tested were organochlorines, organophosphorus and synthetic pyrethroids. The results revealed that the pesticide residues were below the minimum limit of quantification in all the samples tested.
It can be concluded that organic system of cultivation are of better than conventional system in terms of mineral contents. The study also revealed that parboiled rice cultivated under conventional system also showed good quality traits with respect to overall acceptability, nutrient composition and cooking qualities.