Enhancing aroma and eating quality of Chongqing aromatic rice via flavor-boosting cultivation

Abstract

This study systematically analyzed the effects of different cultivation treatments, including flavor-enhancing cultivation (T1: conventional fertilization, T2: flavor-enhancing cultivation technology, T3: quality-maintaining cultivation technology 1, T4: quality-maintaining cultivation technology 2, T5: nitrogen-free control), on the aroma components and eating quality of Chongqing aromatic rice. The results indicated that different treatments significantly affected the physicochemical properties, aroma profile, and eating quality of rice. Aroma component analysis showed that T2 treatment significantly increased the content of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) (206.66 ± 11.00 μg/kg), resulting in a stronger popcorn-like aroma in the cooked rice, while T5 treatment significantly increased the accumulation of advanced aldehydes such as nonanal and decanal, enhancing the overall aroma complexity. Regarding eating quality, the T3 and T4 treatments resulted in lower hardness (395.33 ± 171.74 g and 330.56 ± 39.68 g) and adhesiveness (198.21 ± 87.88 g and 128.68 ± 30.15 g), contributing to a softer and more palatable texture, whereas T2 treatment led to relatively higher protein and amylose content. Cooking quality tests indicated that the T2 treatment achieved the highest swelling and water absorption rates, demonstrating good cooking performance. These findings have important implications for improving the aroma and texture quality of aromatic rice in Chongqing, which could help increase market competitiveness and provide practical guidance for optimizing regional agricultural practices. Comprehensive analysis suggests that the flavor-enhancing cultivation technology (T2) has great potential in improving the aroma and eating quality of aromatic rice, providing a scientific basis for optimizing the cultivation management of aromatic rice.