Odisha is the genetic paradise of short bold and medium grain local scented rice. More than 100 such land races are available in Odisha (India). Many of these land races are in verge of extinction owing to preference for large scale cultivation of high yielding varieties. Therefore, maintenance and genotyping of scented rice land races are indispensable. In the present pursuit, a set of fourty eight elite scented rice land races including two recently released genotypes (Nuakalajeera and Acharmati) were genotyped following SDS-PAGE of total seed storage protein."Barikunja" was identified to have highest protein content (14.98%) followed by Deulabhog, Dhobaluchi, Badshabhog, Nuadhusura-2, Chatianaki and Kalajauban. The SDS-PAGE of total seed storage protein revealed altogether 23 scorable polypeptide bands with molecular weights ranging from 10.0 to 116.0kD. Polypeptide bands at 93.0, 67.3, 60.0, 57.0, 53.0, 47.0 and 37.0kD were found to be monomorphic and rest of the bands had shown polymorphism to the extent of 69.56% among the test genotypes. Basumati-1, Basmatibhog, Chatianaki and Kalikati-1had shown maximum 23 polypeptide bands while Kukudajata revealed as low as 13 bands only.
In the present investigation, Kukudajata can be identified from rest of the test genotypes by absence of polypeptide band at 116.0kD and 70.0kD. Similarly, Heerakani had unique absence of 108.0kD band. Besides, 51.2kD and 39.0kD polypeptide bands were specifically absent in Ganjeikali and the low mol. wt. 13.0kD prolamin band was absent in Ganjeikali and Seetabhog as compared to other test genotypes. Such a genotype specific fingerprint is of immense value for varietal identification. Nuadhusura-2 and Kukudajata were identified to have medium amylose content based on the staining intensity of the protein marker at 60kD. Ganjeikali and Seetabhog were identified to be qualitatively superior for high lysine content owing to lack of the 13.0kD prolamin polypeptide band.
The dendrogram constructed based on UPGMA analysis revealed seven genetic clusters at 76% phenon level. Altogether 38 protein types including seven common protein types were identified among the present set of 48 local scented rice genotypes, Kukudajata, Nuadhusura-1, Gangabali, Dhanaprasa, Dangar Basmati, Khosakani, Bishnubhog, Dhobaluchi and Ganjeikali have been identified as highly divergent genotypes for seed storage protein expression. Besides, the genotype-specific seed protein fingerprints revealed in this pursuit is of immense value for varietal identification.