Ongoing projects under the Rice ISP include the development of low glycemic index rice through induced-mutation and marker-assisted selection by PhilRice – Batac. The project aims to contribute to addressing the problem of increasing the incidence of diabetes in the country. Glycemic index is a measurement carried out on carbohydrate-rich foods based on their tendency to increase blood glucose. Low glycemic index rice is considered beneficial to individuals who have diabetes. Gamma irradiation and chemical mutagens are being used in the trial to elicit mutation, and use molecular markers to expedite the process of selecting potential mutant rice with a low glycemic index.
