# Taiwan Unveils Blast-Resistant Hualien 27 Rice Variety

- Published: 2026-11-08 00:21 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Agritech & food
- Tags: Hualien 27, rice variety, rice blast resistance, crop breeding, agricultural yield
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-f8e2116d4817a79ada9afb7c_taiwan_unveils_blast/

**Researchers bred a rice variety that withstands blast disease and heat, showing increased grain mass and yield in field trials.**

![Taiwan Unveils Blast-Resistant Hualien 27 Rice Variety](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/3717219d041feb81.webp)
*ua.news*

The Ministry of Agriculture has presented Hualien 27, a new rice variety resistant to rice blast disease and elevated temperatures, ua.news reported citing the Taipei Times [1]. The variety was bred by the ministry's Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station through the hybridization of the local variety Taiken No. 16 with the Japanese variety Koshihikari. Field trials conducted across Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung counties confirmed the culture's stability against heat stress and pathogens, alongside suitability for organic and conventional agriculture.

## Grain Characteristics and Milling Quality

According to station director Yang Daji, the variety produces larger grains with low chalkiness and exhibits resistance to breakage during the milling phase [1]. This mechanical durability facilitates compliance with CNS Grade 2 quality metrics. In laboratory measurements, the weight of 1,000 milled grains reached 21.3 grams, compared to 19.4 grams for Taiken No. 16 and 19 grams for Koshihikari. Agronomists noted its culinary suitability for main dishes, seasoned mixtures, and sushi.

## Taste Profiles and Agronomic Metrics

Organoleptic testing directly after cooking yielded an evaluation of 85.5 points for Hualien 27, whereas Taiken No. 16 scored 84 points and Koshihikari scored 82.8 points [1]. Following 12 hours in a thermal container, the score was 83.5 points, while the comparison cultivars achieved 82 points and 79.8 points respectively. Field evaluations demonstrated an average yield of 6,368 kg per hectare, representing a 13.5% increase over the 5,612 kg per hectare recorded for Taiken No. 16 under identical conditions. The cultivated area spans 40 hectares.

## Sources

1. [ua.news](https://ua.news/en/dovkolo-svitu/ministerstvo-predstavilo-sort-risu-khualian-27-stiikii-do-pirikuliariozu-taipei-times)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-f8e2116d4817a79ada9afb7c_taiwan_unveils_blast/