A new rice cultivar "Yumeohmi"

A new rice cultivar "Yumeohmi" was developed from a cross between "Etsunan 135" and "Jikei 51" conducted in 1985 at the Shiga Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station. "Etsunan 135" is a line with high yield and lodging resistance. "Jikei 51" is a line with excellent grain appearance and fine eating quality. The selected line from the progenies of the cross has been tested for its plant type and grain quality since 1989. The line was named "Daiiku 850", and tested for its yield, disease resistance and eating quality since 1991. Its adaptability to each region of the prefecture has been examined since 1992."Daiiku 850" was re-named "Shiga 60" in 1994. As the result of extensive testing, it was confirmed as a line with fine characteristics, and was re-named Yumeohmi in 1998. The main characteristics of Yumeohmi are as follows: 1) The heading date of "Yumeohmi" is approximately four days earlier, and maturing date is approximately five days earlier than those of "Nipponbare". "Yumeohmi" is classified as a medium-early maturing cultivar. The culm length of "Yumeohmi" is 12cm shorter and its panicle length and panicle number is approximately similar to "Nipponbare". "Yumeohmi" is a non-glutinous and intermediate plant type cultivar. 2) In performance tests at the breeding station and each region of the prefecture, the yield of "Yumeohmi" was found to be higher than that of both "Nipponbare" and "Kokorozukushi". Its appearance grade as brown rice is superior to that of "Kokorozukushi", and the same level as that of "Nipponbare". Its 1000 grain weight as brown rice was heavier than that of "Nipponbare". Its eating quality as cooked rice is superior to that of both "Nipponbare" and "Kokorozukushi". 3) The field resistance of "Yumeohmi" to blast disease is superior to that of "Nipponbare" and "Kokorozukushi". Its field resistance to bacterial leaf blight is however inferior to that of "Nipponbare" and "Kokorozukushi"