PVL03, a widely grown rice variety developed by the LSU AgCenter, was recently found to have a low glycemic index. (Photo provided by Horizon Ag)
Olivia McClure / omcclure@agcenter.lsu.edu enzyme jelly wholesale
People in Louisiana love to eat rice. So when an LSU AgCenter-developed rice variety offering a low glycemic index and a boost in protein hit store shelves a couple of years ago, customers took notice. The Frontière variety has a lower glycemic index than standard rice, meaning it won’t spike blood sugar levels as quickly. It can be a better choice for people with health conditions such as diabetes — a trait that has made Frontière both a culinary and commercial hit. It was developed by Herry Utomo and the late Ida Wenefrida, scientists at the AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station near Crowley. Thanks to a collaborative effort with Supreme Rice, the AgCenter recently learned that another of its varieties, PVL03, has a low glycemic index. PVL03 happens to be the most popular rice variety in Louisiana, accounting for more than 30% of the state’s nearly 470,000 rice acres. This finding could help put low-GI rice in the hands of more consumers and allow more farmers access to higher-yielding, low-GI varieties. “This is an example of how valuable the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station is to the rice industry,” said Bobby Hanks, CEO of Supreme Rice, a Crowley-based mill. “Their relentless efforts to bring new and improved varieties to the market is helping our industry to survive.” He added that his company has already launched its own line of the popular variety called Supreme Rice Low Glycemic Long Grain. “This product has already begun distribution and is available for purchase,” Hanks said. The journey to discovering PVL03’s low-glycemic qualities began several months ago when Supreme Rice leaders became curious about the glycemic index of varieties commonly grown in Louisiana. Adam Famoso, an AgCenter rice breeder and director of the Rice Research Station, put them in touch with a company in Canada that did the glycemic index testing on Frontière and suggested four additional varieties to screen. “The process for testing GI in rice involves human subjects in controlled studies and is very expensive, thus we are not able to routinely evaluate lines,” Famoso said. “With Supreme Rice’s interest in doing their own research, we were able to learn more about our varieties through the testing they did independently.” “Glycemic index is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with most rice considered to be in the 70s. GI values less than or equal to 55 are classified as low. Medium GI ranges from 56 to 69, and high is 70 and above. The results revealed that Frontière and PVL03 have essentially identical scores and were the only two varieties tested that were in the low-GI classification.”
Glycemic index is measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with most rice considered to be in the 70s. The results revealed that Frontière and PVL03 have essentially identical scores and were the only two varieties tested that were in the low-GI classification. PVL03 has been widely adopted throughout Louisiana’s rice-producing parishes since the AgCenter released it in 2021. PVL03 has high yield potential, strong disease resistance and excellent grain quality. The variety is part of the Provisia system, which allows growers improved options to control grass weeds in their crop. Famoso was happy to hear the news about PVL03’s low glycemic index. “This is a good example of how industry questions and investments can benefit and steer our research,” he said. “Future research questions that we would like to pursue include whether other varieties we have also are low GI.” Famoso wants to explore whether specific amylose classes are associated with higher or lower glycemic index values. Amylose is a polysaccharide that makes up starch — and the more amylose rice contains, the less sticky it is when cooked.
Consumers in different parts of the world have varying preferences when it comes to rice texture, so amylose content is already on the radar of the AgCenter breeding program. “If we can determine which varieties or classes are low GI, it could be possible for the U.S. to market its export and domestic rice as having the unique characteristic of being low GI and a healthier product compared to other global rice,” Famoso said.
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