Rice varieties that can withstand drought, floods being developed

MANILA, Philippines - Faced with the threat of climate change to the country’s crop production, Filipino scientists are developing rice varieties that can withstand drought and floods to ensure adequate supply of the staple.

Researchers from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), UC-Davis, Nagoya University and University of the Philippines-Los Baños, are developing seed varieties that can withstand drought or floods.

Reports said climate change threatens to affect rice production worldwide, adding that poorer countries in the tropics — many of them reliant on rice to keep their populations from hunger — would be worst affected.

PhilRice’s Dr. Antonio Alfonso said they are developing the new rice varieties from existing strains.

He said rice is such a crucial food item for the country since 86 percent of the entire population depends on it and it accounts for 35 percent of consumers’ daily caloric intake.

Alfonso, a plant breeder and biotechnologist, stressed such varieties would help to increase income for 2.4 million rice farmers with an average of six household members. A farmer tills an average of 1.14 hectares, he said.

“In the process of developing the best variety, PhilRice scientists will work on various combinations and permutations, testing the strains as to output, ease and timeliness in production and adaptability to both climatic and agronomic conditions,” Alfonso said.

He said the major aspects of the research and development efforts in rice are increased yield, resistance to pests, better physical and milling qualities, abiotic stress tolerance, and good quality for consumption.

Alfonso said these varieties must also be acceptable to farmers, millers and consumers, must show stability of traits, adaptable to all weather conditions and must grow quicker.

Other considerations are the number of productive litters, increased number of grains per panicle, grain weight, weed competitiveness, resistance to lodging, adaptability to crop establishment and management practices and genetic diversity.

“The target growing environment is important in setting the breeding objectives and this covers irrigated lowlands, areas for transplanting, direct-seeded irrigated lowland, wet-seeded, dry-seeded and even flood-prone areas,” Alfonso said.

He said the varieties must also grow in rainfed upland areas, cool elevated land, saline-prone zones and other types of soil.

The Department of Agriculture earlier reported that rice production this year is expected to meet, if not surpass, the target of 17.48 million metric tons (MT).

Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Jess Paras had said that based on current planting reports, certified seeds have already exceeded the 2008 wet season performance and significant production gains are expected in Western Visayas, thus high-yield increment is expected.

The total area planted to rice this season is 2.66 million hectares, higher than the 1.95-million hectares that yielded 7.4 million MT during the dry season in the first half of the year.