Rice Variety Profile for Calhikari-202

Early maturing, semidwarf, rough hulled (pubescent), premium quality short-grain.

RES Rice Varieties

Variety: Calhikari-202

  • Former ID: 04Y177
  • Year: 2012
Introduction

Calhikari-202 is an early maturing, semidwarf, rough hulled (pubescent), premium quality short-grain cultivar.  It was developed by the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, Inc. (CCRRF) at the Rice Experiment Station (RES), Biggs, CA and released to growers in April 2012. Calhikari-202 is protected under the US Plant Protection Act, Title 5 (to only be sold as a class of certified seed) as well as an US Plant Utility Patent.

Pedigree and Breeding

Calhikari-202 is an early selection from a cross of a sister line of Calhikari-201 with Hitomebore and has the pedigree Koshihikari*2/S-101//Koshihikari/S-101/3/Hitomebore. Koshihikari is more than half-century old, tall, late maturing, lodging susceptible, pubescent Japanese premium short grain famous for its quality. Hitomebore is a short-statured, early maturing, pubescent, lodging susceptible, premium short grain also from Japan. S-101 is very early, pubescent semidwarf variety developed at the Rice Experiment Station and is no longer in production today. The experimental designation was 04Y177. Calhikari-202 was developed as an alternative to Calhikari-201 and for the premium short grain market in California.

Agronomic Characteristics

Calhikari-202 seedling vigor, based on seedling vigor scores is below Calhikari-201 and California medium grains. No marked difference in sensitivity to standard rice herbicides from the parent varieties has been observed, however commercial experience is limited. Calhikari-202 maturity as measured at days to 50% heading averages about 3 days earlier than Calhikari-201. Lodging is a highly variable trait to measure, but testing shows Calhikari-202 is more susceptible than Calhikari-201 and much more susceptible than M-206. UCCE 2008-11 plot yields averaged 8480, 8810, and 9580 lbs/acre for Calhikari-201, Calhikari-202, and M-206, respectively. In 2010-12, Calhikari-202 gave higher yields that Calhikari-201 in 20 of 31 tests and averaged 8620 and 8220 lbs/acre, respectively.

Calhikari-202 consistently gave lower stem rot scores than very susceptible Calhkari-201. Growers are still recommended to bleach treat seed for Bakanae. Calhikari-202 is susceptible to the race of blast disease found in California, however the field resistance of Calhikari-202 to blast is not known.

Milling and Quality

Calhikari-202 has given higher milling yields than Calhikari-201 in studies at RES. Optimum head rice yields were achieved at 21-22% harvest moisture and can decline rapidly below 18%. M-206 by contrast shows a lower optimum harvest moisture and more stable response. Japanese varieties are often harvested at higher moistures to minimize kernel fissures. Kernels of Calhikari-202 are smaller than Calhikari-201 and Koshihikari.

Physicochemical cooking quality tests values for % protein content, % apparent amylose and alkali spreading value are closer to Koshihikari than Calhikari-201 ranking by as follows:Koshihikari>Calhikari-202>Calhikari-201. In several years of testing at RES, Calhikari-202 topped Calhikari-201 in quality parameters. However, the level of cooking and eating quality is slightly below the level of Koshihikari quality.

Area of Adaptation

The performance data collected at RES and by UCCE indicates that because of its susceptibility to low temperature blanking Calhikari-202, like Calhikari-201, is not recommended for production in cold growing locations and late planting situations. Seed growers in 2012-13 reported that it performed well for a premium quality short grain variety.

Fact Sheet Series PDF
United States Patent PDF
Variety Photos

  • River-Sage Tucker

    Plant Breeder Assistant

    River is a plant breeder assistant for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF). He received his BS in History from the Drury University and MS in Education from the Carthage College.

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  • Matthew Morgan

    Maintenance and Operator

    Matthew is a maintenance and operator of California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • Justin Valencia

    Maintenance and Operator

    Justin is a maintenance and operator of California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • Randy Jones

    Field Supervisor

    Randy is the field supervisor of California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • Joe Martin

    Plant Breeder Assistant

    Joe is a plant breeder assistant for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF). His primary focus at CCRRF is to assist in the short grain breeding program. He received his BS in Plant Biology from the University of California Davis. He is currently enrolled in the Plant Breeding Academy at UC Davis to help further his knowledge in plant breeding.

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  • Davinder Singh

    Plant Breeder Assistant

    Davinder is a plant breeder assistant for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF). His primary focus at CCRRF is to assist in the long grain breeding program.

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  • Ravinder Gakhal

    Senior Plant Breeder Assistant

    Ravinder is a senior plant breeder assistant for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF). His primary focus at CCRRF is to assist in the medium grain breeding program.

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  • Baldish Deol

    Senior Plant Breeder Assistant

    Baldish is a senior plant breeder assistant for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • George Yeltatzie

    Genetics Lab Technician

    George is the genetics lab technician for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • Frank Maulana, Ph.D.

    Short Grain Breeder

    Dr. Frank Maulana is a rice breeder for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF). He is leading a short grain breeding program to develop improved short grain rice varieties for five market classes, including conventional or regular, low amylose, sweet or waxy, premium quality and arborio or bold grain. The objectives of the program include developing rice varieties with high and stable yield, high milling grain yield, seedling vigor, cold tolerance, lodging resistance, and disease resistance. He received a BS in Crop Science from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Malawi. Then, he worked as a plant breeder at the Agricultural Research and Extension Trust (ARET) for five years. He then went on to obtain PhD and MS in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS. Before joining CCRRF, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter-Rice Breeding program. His research project at LSU focused on implementation of genomic selection in an applied rice breeding program.

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  • Gretchen Zaunbrecher, Ph.D.

    Genetics Lab Director

    Dr. Zaunbrecher is the Genetics Lab Director for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF).  The Genetics Lab utilizes marker assisted analysis to provide valuable genetic information to assist the breeders in rice varietal improvement.  In addition, through traditional mutational breeding as well as gene editing, we hope to develop new varieties of rice with enhanced yield, herbicide, and disease resistance, and other agronomically valuable traits.

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  • Nirmal Sharma, Ph.D.

    Long Grain Breeder

    Dr. Nirmal Sharma is a plant breeder for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF), leading the long grain breeding project and incorporating disease resistance, high milling yield, seedling vigor, cold tolerance, and herbicide resistance into future rice varieties. He received his BS in Agriculture and MS in Biotechnology from Bangladesh Agricultural University. Then, he worked as a breeder in the Plant Breeding Division of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) for several years. Next, he moved to the United States to pursue his PhD in crop sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Upon completing his degree, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Noble Research Institute before joining CCRRF.

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  • Teresa B. De Leon, Ph.D.

    Medium Grain Breeder

    Dr. Teresa B. De Leon is currently leading the improvement and variety development of CCRRF medium grain project. She previously led the short grain breeding project from 2018-2021. Prior to her employment at the station, she worked as Plant Geneticist to University of California Davis for identification, origin, and prevention of weedy red rice. She developed pre-breeding and introgression lines of Louisiana rice with improved salinity tolerance for Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. As Assistant Scientist and Research Scholar, she has also worked at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and University of the Philippines at Los Banos on disease resistance of rice and other crops. With several years of experience in rice research and development, Dr. De Leon is integrating the use of conventional and molecular tools in breeding for medium grains with high yield potential, high grain quality, wide adaptation, cold tolerance, disease and herbicide resistance, and most importantly, a rice with excellent cooking and taste quality for consumers.

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  • Emily Schaaf

    Executive Assistant

    Emily is the executive assistant of California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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  • Dustin Harrell, Ph.D.

    Director

    Dr. Dustin Harrell has been the Director of the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation Rice Experiment Station since November of 2021. Prior to his current leadership position, he held positions as the Resident Coordinator of the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station, the Extension Rice Specialist for the state of Louisiana, and the project leader for the Rice Fertility and Agronomy Project at the LSU Rice Experiment Station.

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  • Kirk Troughton

    Maintenance and Operator

    Kirk is a maintenance and operator of California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation.

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