IRRI cites SL-8H hybrid rice variety

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the world’s leading international rice research and training center based in Los Baños, Laguna, has cited the performance of SL Agritech Corp.’s SL-8H hybrid rice seed variety "in terms of grains yield and other physiological characteristics."

In a letter to Henry Lim, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of SL Agritech Corp., Estela M. Pasuquin, assistant scientists, Crop, Soil and Water Science Division of IRRI, said that for several planting seasons, her group has continuously monitored the performance of SL-8H and "our result consistently showed a very good performance in terms of grain yield and other physiological characteristics."

"One observation from our studies supporting this performance is that the architecture of SL-8H was better than other genotypes and yielded more grain in direct seeding condition compared to transplanted ones," Pasuquin said.

The China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Centre has also cited Lim for his "successful development and commercialization of the SL Series of hybrid rice varieties in the Philippines." He personally received the citation from Prof. Yuan Longping, the director of the Centre who is dubbed China’s "Father of Hybrid Rice."