Research on rice-like seed

By Sujiva Edirisinghe

Research is to be conducted into the seed taken from the root of the Chinodorus plant to determine whether it can be made use of as a staple food, Botanical Gardens Department Director U. Dhanasekera said recently. This is a sequel to villagers in Berawila in Aranayake discovering a rice-like seed being produced in some plants growing in fish tanks and reported to be as good as our staple food rice.

These plants are said to have sprung up in one I.W.Kularatne’s fish pond located in the Berawila colony. On spotting the rice-like seed Mr. Kularatne had dried the seeds and on finding it tasted like rice when cooked, had informed some agricultural institutes about it.

As the officials had cold-shouldered the matter he had contacted another official who had forwarded specimens of the seed to the Batalagoda Agro Research Institute. According to Mr. Kularatne the seeds, which can be a good substitute for rice, grow in their hundreds on a single plant.