Basmati Rice in the Indian Subcontinent: Strategies to Boost Production and Quality Traits

Basmati rice has long been popular in Asia due to its distinctive natural aroma and characteristic elongation of grains after cooking. Demand for Basmati is increasing worldwide, especially in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Basmati rice from India and Pakistan earns almost three-times the price of high quality non-Basmati rice in the domestic and the international markets. Despite this, the development of high-yielding Basmati rice varieties has not kept pace with indica rice because of its incompatibility with improved indica, resulting in highly sterile crosses of indica x Basmati. Polygenic control over some of the quality traits in Basmati rice is another limitation, complicating attempts to combine desirable traits such as high yield, superior cooking quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this article, an attempt has been made to review the historical development of Basmati quality and aroma traits in the Indian subcontinent under different environmental and agronomic conditions. Special emphasis is given to the problems and prospects of Basmati rice breeding, with reference to trade, policy, marketing, and future research programs.