The revival of aromatic Adamchini rice variety has brought a sigh of relief for many farmers in the easters districts of Uttar Pradesh. The revival of the aromatic black rice variety, Adamchini through an initiative led by agricultural scientists at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has recently achieved significant breakthroughs in improving the variety’s resilience and productivity.
The revival of Adamchini rice is like a dream come true for farmers involved in organic rice farming as the rice variety is known for its sugar-crystal-like grains, pleasant aroma and superior cooking qualities, has long faced challenges due to its tall stature and slow maturation. Historically, its height, reaching up to 165 cm, made it vulnerable to lodging in adverse weather, damaging the texture and yield.
Additionally, the rice’s long maturity period (155 days) and low yields (20-23 quintals per hectare) discouraged farmers from scaling up production, despite strong market demand, particularly from Australia and New Zealand. To bring back this aromatic Uttar Pradesh rice on the global stage, BHU’s Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding have spent over 14 years researching ways to enhance Adamchini without compromising its core qualities. Scientists got the result by reducing the size using the technique of mutagenesis which further shortened its maturity period and increased its yield, all while retaining the signature aroma and grain type. The revival will further boost sustainable rice farming also as the improvements have made the rice more suitable for mass production while retaining its coveted fragrance, which is said to surpass that of popular Basmati.
These advancements have been particularly welcomed by farmers in the eastern foothills of the Vindhya mountain ranges, spanning districts like Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and parts of Varanasi. The state government has since branded Adamchini rice as “Vindhya Black Rice”.
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