U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2002





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 New Rice Line Could Benefit Malnourished Populations By Jim CoreSeptember 13, 2002 Rice grains with less phytic acid could mean improved nutrition for the world's malnourished, more nutritious animal feed and less potential for water pollution from manure. The human body rarely lacks phosphorus, but people in developing nations with primarily grain-based diets sometimes have mineral deficiencies. Cereals like rice store most phosphorus in the grain as phytic acid, which can't be digested by one-stomached animals like fish, chickens, pigs and humans. It binds to minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc in the slightly acidic conditions in the intestines. Because phytic acid is poorly digested and utilized, these bound minerals are less available in the body. It can also lead to environmental problems because undigested phosphorus expelled in manure can pollute lakes and streams. J. Neil Rutger, director and supervisory research geneticist at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Center in Stuttgart, Ark., has bred new stock--what scientists call germplasm--for creating improved varieties with less phytic acid. He worked with research geneticist Victor Raboy--world-renowned for a patented technique that yielded lines of corn, barley and soybean with lower amounts of phytic acid, commonly known as phytate. Raboy is with the Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit in Aberdeen, Idaho. This is the first time Raboy's technique was used to produce low-phytate rice. This rice has only half the phytic acid content of its parent and an increased amount of more easily digested phosphorus. Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency, and the University of Arkansas released the new rice to breeders and researchers earlier this year. Rutger and research chemist Rolfe J. Bryant analyzed the new line and other varieties. Bryant found that the total phytic acid concentration in the brown rice (with outer bran layer intact) of the new line was 49 percent lower than that of its parent--a characteristic improved through breeding. More information on this research can be found in the September 2002 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov