Evaluation of Grain Quality of Kalanamak varieties/lines cultivated in Uttar Pradesh

India possesses an immense wealth of Basmati and non Basmati aromatic rice varieties and land races exhibiting a wide variability in their grain quality and cooking characteristics. Among non basmati aromatic rices, Kalanamak is an important and popular scented rice variety grown in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. This variety is famous for its taste and aroma. In eastern India it is cooked in honour of guest or given as gift. Although Kalanamak is fast going out of cultivation, it is one indigenous aromatic rice variety if it is promoted properly, offers a great promise not only in domestic market but also as an export commodity. It can be boon for farmers of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Tarai area of Bihar. In present study 40 lines/varieties of Kalanamak, collected from different parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh were evaluated on the basis of grain quality for pure line selections and further improvement to attract more and more farmers for its cultivation again. In our study aroma ranged from very low to strong. Three variety/lines showed very low aroma, while low aroma was shown by 11 variety/lines, Moderate aroma was reported for 12 variety/lines & the remaining 14 variety/lines showed strong aroma. The gelatinizing temperature of most of varieties/ lines under study was low (33), remaining were grouped in intermediate (06) and High (01) gelatinizing temperature Category. This was decided by Alkali Digestion Score which ranged from 2.0 (Kalanamak 3120 SN) to 7.0 (Kalanamak 3259 SN, 3131 CH, 3219 SN,3214 CH,3216 N,3222 N,3216-1 SN, 3125 CH, 3128 N,3129 CH, 3121 N, 3329 N, 3256 CH,3089 CH, 3129 CH,3121-1 SN, 3122 CH, 3278 SN &3131-1 SN ). Cooked kernel length was recorded from 8.3 ( 3257 CH ) to 10.90 mm (3214 CH ), while cooked kernel breadth ranged between 2.4 mm (3219 N, 3214 CH, 3216 N, 3222 N, 3216-1 SN, 3128 N, 3256 CH,3119-2 SN & 3114-1 N) to 3.0 mm (3278 SN ). Elongation ratio was recorded from 1.60 (Kalanamak 3257 CH) to 2.33 (Kalanamak 3319-2 SN). Most of the parameters of these varieties/lines were compared to premium Dehradun basmati 3020. Based on this study it was revealed that besides Basmati rice other non Basmati aromatic rice varieties like Kalanamak should also promoted by scientists and adopted by more and more farmers & traders so the consumers can get better aromatic rice at lower cost and simultaneously we can maintain our traditional non basmati aromatic rice germ plasm.