For my own reading – uploaded to upload a document from scribd archive

http://beta.irri.org/news/index.php/front-page/irri-bred-rice-varieties-for-the-philippines.html

IRRI-bred rice varieties for the Philippines Saturday, 06 June 2009

Three new rice varieties designed to help Filipino farmers grow more rice in difficult conditions have been officially recommended for approval for release in the Philippines. Developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), one variety is flood-tolerant variety, one is drought-tolerant, and one is salt-tolerant.

Three new rice varieties designed to help Filipino farmers grow more rice in difficult conditions have been officially recommended for approval for release in the Philippines. Developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), one variety is flood-tolerant variety, one is drought-tolerant, and one is salt-tolerant. 

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has already started distributing small amounts of seed of the new varieties to farmers for further adaptation tests. Seed increase of breeder and foundation seeds is now being done by IRRI and PhilRice. When officially approved, basic seed will be available to seed growers and selected farmers that can cater to other farmers.  It is also expected that seed exchange among farmers in the target areas will be active with the new technologies. 

Each variety has been tested in field conditions and evaluated through the National Cooperative Testing program of PhilRice. The Rice Technical Working Group will now recommend the varieties for official release to the Technical Secretariat and then the Council Secretariat of the National Seed Industry Council will officially approve the varieties, which is expected to occur sometime in late 2009.

Salt-tolerant rice

In the Philippines, around 400,000 hectares of coastal rice-growing land is affected by salinity from sea water. Farmers often don’t plant this region because of the risk of crop failure, but, with the new salt-tolerant variety IR63307-4B-4-3, they can now use this land to grow rice.  

Under high salt stress, high-yielding Philippine rice varieties typically produce less than a ton of rice per hectare. Under the same conditions, IR63307-4B-4-3 can produce 2.5 to 3.5 tons of rice per hectare. However, in the absence of salinity, this salt-tolerant variety can yield 6.5 to 7.0 tons per hectare. 

In addition to the salt-tolerance trait built into IR63307-4B-4-3, proper crop management is essential to achieving high grain yield in salt-affected soils. This includes water management through strong and effective levies to check sea-water ingression, planting of older seedlings (to avoid salt damage when the plants are young and at a sensitive stage), and suitable nutrient

management. The extra costs of these practices are readily offset by the value of the overall increase in productivity.

The total potential of increased rice production from salt-affected areas in the Philippines could be 0.8 to 1.0 million tons per annum and the new rice variety, IR63307-4B-4-3, could contribute substantially if grown across all of the Philippines’ salt-prone lands. In Bangladesh, the same variety was released in 2007 as BRRI dhan 47 and it has been widely adopted by farmers, who are undertaking large-scale seed production to fulfill demand as word spreads about its yield advantages. 

IRRI’s rice research on salt-tolerance is financially supported by the Federal Government of Germany and the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme. It is done in collaboration with national partners especially from South and Southeast Asia.

ContactDr. Rakesh Kumar SinghRice Breeder (salt-affected areas)Email:  r.k.singh@cgiar.orgTel.: +63 2 580 5600 (2759)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429002000321

Development of the first salt-tolerant rice cultivar through indica/indica anther culture

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References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

D. Senadhiraa, F. J. Zapata-Ariasb, G. B. Gregorio , , a, M. S. Alejara, H. C. de la Cruzc, T. F. Padolinac and A. M. Galvezc

a Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biochemistry Division, International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines

b Joint FAO/IAEA Programme, Plant Breeding Unit, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria

c Plant Breeding Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Available online 22 March 2002.

Abstract

Seventy-nine di-haploid lines were produced in rice through anther culture of the cross of two indica breeding lines (IR5657-33-2×IR4630-22-2-5-1-3). The cross was designed to combine the high-yielding ability of IR5657-33-2 with the salinity tolerance of IR4630-22-2-5-1-3. The anther culture (AC)-derived lines were evaluated in the greenhouse, field, and salinity affected areas. Several lines showed desirable traits such as high yield, salinity tolerance, early maturity, good plant type, and resistance to pests and diseases. IR51500-AC9-7 and IR51500-AC11-1 selected from evaluations were included in the National Cooperative Trials (NCT) for saline-prone areas conducted by the Rice Varietal Improvement Group (RVIG) of the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) of the Philippines. Trials conducted from the 1990 wet season to 1994 dry season at nine sites revealed that IR51500-AC11-1 performed better than other cultivars grown in saline-prone lands. In 1995, the NSIC named IR51500-AC11-1 as PSBRc50 “Bicol” and recommended it for commercial cultivation in salt-affected rice lands. This is the first F1 AC-derived line from an indica/indica cross to be released as a cultivar for cultivation in saline-prone areas.

http://www.tropentag.de/2003/abstracts/full/277.pdf

SALT TOLERANCE OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.) VARIETIES FROM MYANMAR Ni Ni Tun1, Burkhard Heiligtag2, Andrea Kleeberg2 and Christian Richter2

1 Land Use Division, Myanma Agriculture Service (MAS), Yangon, Myanmar 2 University of Kassel, Institute of Crop Science (INK), Witzenhausen, Germany

http://eproceedings.worldscinet.com/9789812814319/9789812814319_0002.html

Title:Advances in breeding salt-tolerant rice varieties DOI No:10.1142/9789812814319_0002 Source:ADVANCES IN RICE GENETICS (pp 5-7) Author(s):B. Mishra

Division of Crop Improvement, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal 132 001, India R. K. Singh

Division of Crop Improvement, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal 132 001, India D. Senadhira Former senior rice breeder, IRRI, Philippines

Abstract:Major progress has been made in breeding salt-tolerant high-yielding rice varieties for various inland saline, coastal saline, and alkaline soils of fragile ecosystems. Of 32 salt-tolerant rice varieties developed by the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), CSR10 was the first dwarf high-

yielding salt-tolerant early-maturing rice variety released. Varieties CSR10 and CSR11 are popular as biological amendments for resource-poor farmers. CSR13 is a fine-grain salt-tolerant rice variety adapted to alkaline and inland saline soils and CSR27 possesses dual tolerance of coastal salinity and sodicity. Both varieties have been released across India. CSR27 possesses high tissue tolerance and high K+ and phosphorus-mining ability. We have successfully induced basmati qualities along with salt tolerance in CSR30, the first export-quality basmati rice. It has long slender, highly scented grains with good head rice recovery, high kernel elongation on cooking, intermediate gelatinizing temperature, and intermediate amylose content. A wide spectrum of rice germplasm (indigenous and exotic) has been evaluated and categorized for tissue tolerance, Na+ exclusion, K+ and P uptake, and reproductive-stage tolerance. We have combined different physiological mechanisms into one genetic background and these progenies show increased mining of P, K, and Zn and enhanced salt tolerance. However, no single physiological mechanism was found to be responsible for absolute salt tolerance. No correlation was observed for vegetative-stage salinity score with reproductive-stage salinity score and grain yield. Both additive and nonadditive gene effects for salinity tolerance, K+, and Na+/K+ ratio have been detected. Varieties CSR10, CSR1, CSR13, and CSR27 were the best combiners for salinity and alkalinity tolerance and related traits.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-20/chennai/28351611_1_salt-tolerant-rice-varieties-ponni

Scientists focus on salt-tolerant riceTNN Jan 20, 2011, 04.49am IST

CHENNAI: Swedish plant physiologist Sylvia Lindberg from University of Stockholm University has offered to share her expertise with Indian scientists working on transgenic salt tolerant rice varieties. The research holds great significance to Tamil Nadu, which has a 1,056-km coastline.

Plant scientists across the country have been working on developing salt-tolerant rice varieties because of salt water incursion into land and inconsistent monsoons.

"I have been investigating methods to make rice crop tolerant to salt for which I am looking at initial reactions caused by salt, anoxia and chilling stress in plants, sensitive and tolerant to these types of stress. The aim is to clarify the mechanisms behind the primary reactions and how the plant can recognize different types of stress," said Lindberg while detailing the technical aspects of her study at a programme organised at Queen Mary's College on Wednesday.

"We have to stop sodium uptake by plants that are under stress from the presence of salt in water. But we do not know how to do that. This aspect has to be developed further," she said. Lindberg has investigated the behaviour of a variety of rice called Pokkalai' and field trials are due.

Indian Journal of Science and Technology editor Natarajan Gajendran said we have to make popular rice varieties like Ponni and IR8 while developing salt-tolerant ones. The idea is to help farmers cultivate such varieties in not so fresh water and do that quickly. In the earlier days, we had varieties of rice crops that were salt-tolerant. But, they were ignored when the focus turned to mass produce crops that are popular in the market. The best way is to add genes of salt resistant plants into rice."

The technique is safe because no pathogen is not involved like in the case of some genetically modified varieties of crops. "The experiments are being conducted because there is a forecast that yield may fall in the coming years because of salt water contamination and changing culture of labour in villages. The state has a long coastline and such crop can be cultivated along the coast."

MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) is working on an indigenous technology to develop transgenic rice that is ideal for saline and drought conditions. The foundation's scientists have identified genes of mangroves for the purpose.

http://tc.iaea.org/tcweb/publications/projectprofiles/ASIA-AGR-PakistanRice.pdf

riceResearch2.pdf

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/r4d/SearchResearchDatabase.asp?ProjectID=1282

The Development of Salt Tolerant Rice Varieties by Shuttle Breeding Involving Pyramiding of Genes Specific to Physiological TraitsStart Date: 01/04/1996

End Date: 10/04/2000

R Number: R6413(H)

DFID Programme: CGIAR Competitive Research Facility and Holdback Funds

Funding Department: Central Research Department (now Research and Evidence Division)

Managing Institute: Rural Livelihoods Department, Department for International Development (UK) (RLD)

Lead Institutes: University of Surrey; University of Sussex

Collaborating Institute: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Regions: Asia

Objectives: The general objective is to enhance salt tolerance in rice by pyramiding the different tolerance mechanisms.To identify donors for the breeding programme.

To generate breeding materials, select and evaluate them in target environments, and identify adapted advanced lines possessing salt tolerance mechanisms and a good yield potential.To test the applicability of the F1 anther culture technique for reducing breeding cycle.To enter elite lines into National (India) and global test programmes.

Background:

The increase in human population remains a threat to food security in Asia. Rice is in the staple food of more than 40 per cent of the world population, and more than 90 per cent of world rice production comes from Asia. Increasing the area cultvated as well as increasing the production per unit are is essential to meet the future demand for rice. In this context, the abandonment of once productive agricultural land has to be avoided. In the past, salt-affected ricelands were regarded as maringinal because the term referred mainly to coastal areas where other factors kept them as low production systems. Salinity is affecting the high production systems of inland irrigated areas. Salinisation and alkalinisation have turned high potential ricelands into wastelands. Two million ha of such land is seriously affected in India and Pakistan alone and this is expanding rapidly.

Intended Outputs:

Validation of gene pyramiding concept for enhanced salt tolerance.

High yielding salt tolerant elite lines for India and for global distribution, through the IRRI-co-ordinated International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER).

Knowledge of the pyramiding concept benefiting breeders, geneticists, and physiologists working on salinity tolerance in rice.

Progress and Impact:

Advance lines have been developed using various breeding techniques. Preparation for testing and evaluation of new lines is in progress and would constitute the bulk of carry-over activities with the termination of the project. The CSSRI-IRRI country network is being used for the testing and evaluation stage of these varieties. Likewise, different tools have also been used and tested in the project to faciltate more rapid incorporation of physiological traits for tissue tolerance in breeding programmes. Promising tools have been identified that would cut shorter the trait incorporation process in the future.

http://irri.org/partnerships/networks/strasa/stresses/salt-tolerant-rice

Salinity limits rice productivity in many irrigated and rainfed rice areas of SA and SSA. Salinity is particularly a major problem in tropical coastal regions with predominant rice-based farming systems, because of the intrusion of brackish water during the dry season through tidal movements and capillary rise from shallow saline groundwater. Salinity

continues to be high at the start of the wet season during and after rice transplanting, until sufficient rain washes it off the soil.   

The problem: Salt stress (both salinity and alkalinity/sodicity) is also a worsening problem in inland areas such as in Mali, Ethiopia, and Burundi because of the buildup of salt as a consequence of the excessive use of irrigation water with improper drainage, coupled with the use of poor-quality irrigation water or sodic soils developed from salt-bearing rocks. Over 20 million hectares of land suited to rice production in Asia are currently either underexploited or unexploited because of excess salt and other related soil problems, and in India and Bangladesh alone, productivity of more than 7 million hectares of rice land is adversely affected by salt stress. Salt-affected areas are predominantly inhabited by impoverished communities with fewer opportunities for food security and livelihood options. Rice is suitable for rehabilitating these soils because of its ability to grow under flooding and its high potential for genetic improvement. Rice productivity in salt-affected areas is very low, <1.5 t/ha, but can reasonably be raised by at least 2 t/ha (Ponnamperuma 1994), providing food for more than 10 million of the poorest people living off these lands. Salt-tolerant rice varieties also offer great potential to grow rice in marginal lands, which are usually left fallow particularly during the dry season because of high salinity. The area under this type of land is quite substantial—approximately 0.83 million hectares in Bangladesh and over 6.7 million ha in India. In West Africa, an estimated 1.5 million hectares of cultivable mangrove swamps are affected by salinity (Jones 1986).

Phase 2 Objective: Identify the best sources of tolerance for salt, elucidate the genetic control, and develop and test improved tolerant varieties under farmers’ and improved management practices.

 

 Phase 1 research accomplishments/progress

• Refine phenotyping of rice breeding lines for salinity tolerance

Phenotyping of rice breeding lines for seedling-stage salinity tolerance has been made more stringent to avoid selecting intolerant lines. Rice breeding lines were screened in comparison with tolerant (FL478) and sensitive (IR29) checks on the 1–9 scale of the standard evaluation system (SES) of IRRI.

Salt-affected soils

 

Coastal saline soils

 

Inland sodic soils

NARES institutions such as the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), India, and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh, also developed their screening systems, for both the seedling and reproductive stages, using the protocol of IRRI but under ambient conditions. The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, has developed a new facility for evaluating rice genotypes for salinity tolerance up to the adult plant stage while CRRI is doubling its capacity for seedling- and reproductive-stage screening by constructing additional concrete screening tanks. Salt-tolerance screening at WARDA has been standardized with the IRRI approach, notably through the introduction of a rapid screening method at the seedling stage in the screenhouse. Furthermore, the salinity in on-station trials has increased from 3.5 to 6 dS m–1 and similar tolerant (Pokkali, Nona Bokra, I Kong Pao) and sensitive (IR29, IR31785) checks were included in the set for screening. Some 200 entries were screened under these conditions at Ndiaye, Senegal, and postharvest operations are under way.

Germplasm evaluation for salinity tolerance

• List of PVS network sites, suitable germplasm, and management packages for each selected NARES site

Five key sites in India and two in Bangladesh were established for the large-scale testing of salinity-tolerant rice varieties and advanced breeding lines, along with appropriate management practices under participatory varietal selection (PVS). Within each site, a number of locations and villages as well as farmers within villages were selected for trials in 2008. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and baseline surveys are ongoing at nine sites in India and at two sites in Bangladesh. Our NARES partners from Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU)-Patna, Assam Agricultural University (AAU)-Assam, Mau and Ballia-NEFORD sites, Rice Research Station (RRS)-Chinsurah, CRRI, and CSSRI-Canningtown, India, have submitted some of the completely filled-out survey forms to IRRI headquarters.

Researcher-managed on-farm PVS trial for salinity-tolerant germplasm suitable for coastal saline soils

CSSRI – Regional Research Station, Canningtown, West Bengal, India

NZFDO, West Bengal

 

Researcher-managed PVS trials in farmers’ fields (Mataria site) for salt-tolerant germplasm suitable for sodic and inland saline soils

CSSRI – Regional Research Station, Lucknow, UP, India

• Crosses made among genotypes differing for predominant physiological and biochemical mechanisms responsible for salinity tolerance and improved lines advanced to PVS trials

Seventy-four single crosses and 257 backcrosses and multiple crosses were made during the 2008 dry season (DS) involving contrasting parents (Na excluder, high K uptake, tissue-tolerant, high initial vigor) and donors in various combinations to develop superior genotypes for salinity tolerance and Fe-toxicity tolerance. An additional 243 single and double crosses involving diverse donor parents were successfully made during the 2008 wet season (WS). Ten lines (varieties/breeding lines) at CSSRI-RRS, Lucknow; 10 at Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad; 16 at CRRI, Cuttack; 13 at CSSRI-RRS, Canningtown; and 8 at BRRI and 10 at BINA, Bangladesh, were included in the researcher-managed PVS trials in the 2008 wet season.

 

Developing salt-tolerant varieties by marker-assisted backcrossing

• MAB target: Pokkali allele at Saltol QTL on chromosome 1• Goal: to use MAB to rapidly transfer seedling-stage salt tolerance to popular varieties

Target environments:

• Inland and coastal saline areas needing seedling-stage tolerance

Varieties in progress:

• BRRI dhan 28 • IR64• BR11 • Swarna

Strategies for released varieties

• Buildup of network of partners for out-scaling of seed production, demonstration, and adoption • Up-scaling of quality seed production (BS/FS/CS/TLS)• Creation of awareness and demand for seed of stress-tolerant varieties• Development of effective and efficient mode of diffusion of seed from producer to farmers• Capacity building in quality seed production and preservation

Strategies for promising lines

• Simultaneous evaluation and prerelease awareness, generation, and seed multiplication• Policy intervention for fast-track release of MAS-generated lines, particularly in background of mega-varieties • Quality seed production and rapid diffusion to stress-prone areas

http://irri.org/partnerships/country-relations/asia-oceania/philippines/research-and-capacity-building-in-the-philippines?print=1&tmpl=component

Current Research Biotechnology, varietal development and use – among the projects IRRI

and Philrice collaborated on are the developemt of high-yielding and pest and disease resistant varieties suitable to the Philippines ecosystem. In April 2009, new varieites suitable to difficult conditions were released in the Philippines. The IRRI-developed varieties are flood-tolerant IRRI-147 or Submarino1 (NSICRc194); drought-tolerant IRRI 148 or Sahold Ulan 1 (NSICRc 192); and salt-tolerant RC 147 or Salinas 1 (NSICRc 182).  IRRI and its partners are also working with Philippine partners in testing and evaluating of Golden Rice to help address Vitamin A deficiency in the country. 

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/services/pbn/pbn-211.htm#a109

1.09  PhilRice promotes new rice varieties for adverse environments

 

Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, The Philippines

30 March 2010

PhilRice advances the use of newly-developed varieties for adverse environments during the Institute’s field day, which was recently participated by more than 1,500 farmers and agriculture college students.

 “[Adverse environments] and climate change have direct effects on rice production. Decrease in yield is expected when sea level increases, temperature intensifies, and rainfall patterns become erratic,” said Thelma F. Padolina, head of PhilRice Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division.

 With the theme, Addressing Climate Change thru Rice Science, the field day highlighted varieties recommended for environments prone to saline, drought, and flood.

 The saline-resistant varieties for irrigated lowland include NSIC Rc182 (Salinas 1), Rc184 (Salinas 2), Rc186 (Salinas 3), Rc188 (SalinaS 4), and Rc190 (Salinas 5). The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed Salinas 1 while PhilRice bred the other four varieties. The varieties have shown good milling recovery and good eating quality. To achieve maximum yield ranging from 3.8 to 6.3 t/ha, proper cultural management are needed. However, the breeders cautioned that these varieties are susceptible to tungro.

 For rainfed lowland drought-prone areas, PhilRice recommends NSIC Rc192 (Sahod Ulan 1). An IRRI-bred variety, it has a maximum yield potential of 5.5 t/ha and matures at 106 days. The variety could be planted using the following methods: dry seeding, wet dry-seeding, and transplanting.

 For submergence-prone areas, PhilRice promotes the cultivation of NSIC Rc194 (Submarino 1). A cross of IR64 and an Indian variety with Sub1 gene, Submarino 1 can tolerate 10 days of complete submergence.

 Meanwhile, Dr. Josie A. Valdez, president of Bulacan Agricultural State College, encouraged farmers to try the aerobic rice technology, which involves cultural management practices to produce more rice with less water.

 According to Valdez, the aerobic rice technology can yield 5 t/ha during the dry season and 4 t/ha during the wet season. He further said that the technology reduces water use for the cropping seasons by 30 to 50 percent, without reducing yield.

 Encouraging farmers to be more progressive, Ruben B. Miranda, PhilRice deputy executive director for development, urged participants to consider varieties that respond to specific environment conditions.

 “Certified seeds of a recommended variety contribute to 10 percent increase in yield. As such, [I encourage] you to try other varieties that could be better than the varieties that you’re using now,” he said.

 DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and –controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

http://irri.org/knowledge/publications/rice-today/features/features-asia/bangladesh-combats-the-white-plague?print=1&tmpl=component

Salt as a seasoning goes well with rice— especially in developing countries, where the poor use salt as a dish to accompany their boiled rice. But, in rice cultivation, salt has a negative effect. Once salt gets to the roots, it becomes detrimental to the whole plant.. Photos: Isagani Serrano

Each year, during the boro season (November-May), salinity is so high that a white film of salt covers paddy fields in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. For Bangladeshi farmers, this white color on top of their soil is a warning sign that their land is “sick.” Salinity is even dubbed the “white plague” in Australia’s newspapers and magazines, which indicates the seriousness of the problem when it strikes.

Salinity affects around 1 million hectares in Bangladesh. Some climate experts say that sea-level rise will cause the country’s landscape to become “sicker.”

No other country in South Asia is more vulnerable to sea-level rise than densely populated Bangladesh.1 With higher sea level, more areas would be affected by cyclonic surges; inland

freshwater lakes, ponds, and aquifers could also be affected by saline-water and brackish-water intrusion according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Md. Lutfor Rahman, a 62-year-old farmer in Satkhira, is not an alien to salinity. “Everything is lost to salinity,” Mr. Rahman said with a sigh. He was referring to the 10,000 taka (US$135) and the labor he had invested in his 0.2 hectare of land. Now, his family is left with nothing but a cow. “These rice stalks will be used as her feed,” said Mr. Rahman.

His next step is to find a job as a laborer and earn a daily wage of 150 to 200 taka ($2–3). “But, only God knows how soon that will be,” he added.

The salty challengeSalt as a seasoning goes well with rice—especially in developing countries, where the poor use salt as a dish to accompany their boiled rice. But, in rice cultivation, salt has a negative effect. Once salt gets to the roots, it becomes detrimental to the whole plant.

According to Dr. R.K. Singh, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) plant breeder who is now based in Africa, there are two ways to combat the problem of salinity—either change the plant’s growing environment (make it normal) or change its genetic architecture so that it can grow in such areas.

“The first approach requires major engineering processes to improve soil quality, which are often expensive for small and marginal farmers,” Dr. Singh said. “The second approach, which is breeding crop varieties with built-in salinity tolerance, is the most promising. It needs fewer resources, is economical, and is socially acceptable.”

For IRRI, making plants tolerate salt stress, up to an extent, is the way to go. The Institute has invested its resources for many years to develop varieties that can solve farmers’ problems in saline-prone areas.

Farmers’ defenseIt has been more than a decade now since the discovery of Saltol—a gene that confers salinity tolerance (see Less salt, please). Glenn Gregorio, an IRRI plant breeder, credited most of salinity tolerance to the development of IR66946-3R-178-1-1, popularly known as FL478. The Saltol gene had been incorporated into this variety, and had shown significant tolerance of salinity.

Since then, through molecular-assisted breeding, the IRRI multidisciplinary team on salinity tolerance composed of physiologist Abdelbagi Ismail, molecular biologist Mike Thomson, Dr. R.K. Singh, and Dr. Gregorio as well as country partners in Asia and Africa were able to introgress Saltol into popular rice varieties.

One of these varieties is BRRI dhan47, which was released in Bangladesh in 2007. It is an IRRI-bred variety, labeled as IR63307-4B-4-3, which was evaluated and released by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in collaboration with the IRRI team for salinity tolerance now headed by Dr. Gregorio.

“The development of BRRI dhan47 is one of the best results of a strong collaboration between IRRI and BRRI,” said Dr. Md. Abdul Mannan, BRRI director general. “The transfer of materials from IRRI that can perform in stress conditions and the Institute’s assistance in our  manpower development through both short- and long-term training have played a key role in this project.”

“Now, BRRI dhan47 is creating enthusiasm among Bangladeshi farmers in coastal areas because it is helping them alleviate their poverty and secure their food for the whole year,” said Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam, principal plant breeder on salinity tolerance at BRRI.

Just a bund away from Mr. Rahman’s farm, a 0.4-hectare rice field is teeming with ripening rice grains. It is owned by Sirajul Islam, 50. Just like Mr. Rahman, he experimented by planting different kinds of varieties each season, hoping that one could survive the land’s salinity.

The only difference between them is that Mr. Islam tried BRRI dhan47.

“With the way my rice is growing now, I am expecting a good harvest,” Mr. Islam said. “BRRI dhan47 is better,” Mr. Rahman readily agreed. Another farmer in Satkhira, Abu Abdullah, 35, was also enthusiastic. He had good reasons. Three years ago, he could not harvest anything because his fields had become too “salty” for his regular variety. During those lean years, he borrowed money even at a very high interest rate of 2% per week.

He said that he wa s more than happy to see that rice could once again grow on his “salty” land. And, he is expecting to harvest 4 to 5 tons at the end of the boro season. Now, Mr. Abdullah hopes to start repaying his loans. “I may not be able to write off all my debts immediately, but, at least, I can program my payments in 2 years,” he said.

Just like most farmers in the world, Bangladeshi farmers are mostly subsistence farmers. They cultivate rice on a piece of land for their food.

“When salinity strikes, they can no longer grow food and they can’t afford to buy food,” explained Dr. Islam. “For these people, there is no option. For them, the difference of having salinitytolerant varieties is between nothing and something.”

And, this “difference” could eventually have an impact nationwide.

“Our food security depends entirely on rice production,” said Dr. Md. Khairul Bashar, BRRI director for research. “Even if salinity-tolerant varieties cover only half a million hectares that are affected by salinity, the effect will be tremendous,” he added.

Dr. Gregorio is also happy to see this positive result because to make rice withstand salinity is the heart of his team’s job at IRRI. “Seeing our work in the field gives us this great feeling of fulfillment,” he shared

http://growthrevolutionmag.wordpress.com/tag/philippine-rice-research-institute/

Climate Change   Rice

November 24, 2009

Climate Change Rice Report

Climate Change Rice

By Melody M. Aguiba

Saline-Tolerant Rice.  With flooding goes the submergence of low land areas in saline or salty water, specially those in coastal areas.  Among PHilrice’s outstanding saline-tolerant rice varities are PSB Rc 90 or Buguey, a top variety in Masbate yielding up to 4.2 MT per hectare.

It is estimated that there are about 70,000 hectares of rice land in Bicol and Cagayan Valley that may be affected by saline water intrusion.  But more lands may be affected by sea water rice as reported by IRRI.

IRRI estimated this coastal rice-growing areas to be at around 400,000 hectares that is affected by salinity from sea water. Farmers often don’t plant this region because of the risk of crop failure, but, with the new salt-tolerant variety IR63307-4B-4-3, they can now use this land to grow rice,” IRRI said.  

“Under high salt stress, high-yielding Philippine rice varieties typically produce less than a ton of rice per hectare. Under the same conditions, IR63307-4B-4-3 can produce 2.5 to 3.5 tons of rice per hectare. However, in the absence of salinity, this salt-tolerant variety can yield 6.5 to 7.0 tons per hectare.”

Salt-tolerant rice variety can raise rice production in the country by a big one million MT yearly.

http://maidon.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=629&Itemid=866

PSB Rc 90 (Bugsey). First salt salt-tolerant rice variety in Region II

http://store.philrice.gov.ph/product.php?id_product=24

PSB Rc90 (BUGUEY) average yield is 3.4 t/ha and maximum yield is 4.2 t/ha. Matures 124 days after seeding. Height is 86 cm and tiller number is 16. Intermediate reactions (nasa gitna ng matibay at mahina) to blast. Moderate susceptible (medyo mahina) to green leafhopper and brown planhopper. Susceptible (mahina) to tungro and bacterial leaf blight. Moderately tender when cooked (Medyo malambot ito kapag naluto).

http://cagayandeoro.da.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=454:new-rice-varieties-head-on-to-cope-with-changing-climate&catid=40:news&Itemid=18

‘Submergence’ rice

 While some areas are suffering from lack of water for palay production, in contrary, one site in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, is testing how to manage rice soaked in much water for a longer period of time.

 Project Leader Berly Tatoy reported that under normal condition, rice can survive under water for a maximum of 3 days. But beyond this period, this condition threatens the crop with severe injury, and worst, fatality.

 “It is good that varietal advancements are available that can tolerate submergence even to up to 12-14 days. This would help farmers cope in flood prone areas,” Tatoy said.

 Lines/varieties under testing for this condition include PR 37435-30-1, Nc 109, PSB Rc 82 sub1, PSB Rc 82, PSB Rc 68, Ciherang sub1, BR 11 sub1, Swarna sub1, Rc 18, PR 3741-6-18-1, NSIC Rc 194.

 ‘Salt’ rice

 Meanwhile, farmers in Opol town, Misamis Oriental have more saline-tolerant varieties to combat production problems in salty soil.

 Barangay Tabok, located in the Misamis Oriental coastal belt, is a current test area for saline tolerant varieties. These rice varieties/lines: the NSIC Rc 182, NSIC Rc 184, NSIC Rc 186, NSIC Rc 188, NSIC Rc 190, PSB Rc 88, PSB Rc 90, NSIC Rc 106, NSIC Rc 108, IR58443-6B-10-3, PR28377-AC-97-54 and Angelika were recently graded by farmers in terms of over-all crop stand and vigor.

 Agricultural Technician Sarah Abella said the farmers, guided by a predefined protocol and concepts of rice production were ushered to conducting an agro-ecosystems analysis in a participatory learning approach from which they generated their own observations and findings on the different performances of the lines presented.

 In their report, farmers mostly favored the NSIC Rc 190 variety with its perceived pest tolerance (no signs of disease infestation) and food quality per visual inspection.

 Project In-Charge Fe Abragan lauded the farmers here for ably performing as effective farmer-scientists in the conduct of this varietal trial through religious collection of field data and critical observation of the performance of varieties.

 In another development, the Tabok Farmers’ Association of said barangay is also recognized for consistently using hybrid rice varieties. The region’s 2007 Outstanding Rice Farmer, Mr. Ruben Edrozo who gained a maximum 12 tons/ha yield hails from this barangay.

 These climate change adaptable rice varieties, together with its hybrid counterparts reveal the Agriculture Department’s strong impetus to increase farm productivity while meeting the impacts of climate change head on. # MAE ODIMYRL A. MORALES, DA-NOMIARC

http://bapc.110mb.com/docs/recvarcvaug2010.pdf

riceresearch2.pdf