Breeding of a new rice variety ""Ginginga"" suitable for sake brewing

A new rice variety ""Ginginga' suitable for sake brewing was developed from a cross between ""Yamagata-Sake 49"" and ""Akita-Sake 49"" at the Kennan branch, Iwate Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station (the current Quality Rice Breeding & Cultivation Research Section, Crops & Techniques Department, Iwate Agricultural Research Center). This variety was developed with the intent of breeding a middle-maturing variety suitable for Sake brewing, good grain quality and high lodging resistance. Breeding was conducted, using the ""bulk method"", in its early generations. After individual selection in the F sub4 generation, line selections, yield trials and tests of specific character were conducted. Also, tests to evaluate suitability for sake brewing were conducted by Iwate Industrial Research Institute and Iwate Prefecture Sake Brewing Association. As the results, ""Iwanan-Sake 13"" was selected from the F sub7 generation. ""Iwanan-Sake 13"" was released in Iwate prefecture as a recommended variety suitable for sake brewing and named ""Ginginga"" in 1999. The major characteristics of ""Ginginga"" are as follows. (1) It belongs to the medium maturity group, and its date of heading and maturity are same as or slightly later than ""Miyamanishiki"" which is a leading variety for sake brewing in Iwate. (2) It is panicle weight type with long culm and the panicle number is fewer than ""Miyamanishiki"". (3) The lodging resistance is superior to that of ""Miyamanishiki"". (4) It seems to have true resistance gene of Pi a and has moderate field resistance for leaf blast, and it is slightly susceptible for panicle blast. (5) It has high tolerance to sterility caused by low temperature before heading, superior to that of ""Miyamanishiki"". (6) The yielding ablity is almost same or slightly higher than ""Miyamanishiki"". (7) The quality of grain is better than that of ""Miyamanishiki"". (8) The weight of 1000 grains are heavier and amount of water absorption over 20 minutes are higher than for ""Miyamanishiki"". Crude protein content of 70% milled rice is less than that of ""Miyamanishiki"", and the suitability for sake brewing of ""Ginginga"" was juged to be supreior to that of ""Miyamanishiki"".