Rice grown for seed rice was the focus of a yearlong investigation by the Arkansas Rice Processing Program using X-ray imaging to determine the impact of higher drying temperatures.
While quality defects like opacity and small cracks, called fissures, are key measures for rice grown to eat, rice saved for seed is evaluated on two critical factors: germination potential and seed vigor.
Germination potential measures what percentage of rice seed will germinate and sprout, according to Griffiths Atungulu, director of the Rice Processing Program for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Seed vigor indicates how fast it will germinate and whether the seedling will develop into a healthy plant…