Coming soon: Green Super Rice that performs well in toughest conditions
By ANISunday, January 16, 2011
WASHINGTON - Green Super Rice, bred to perform well in the toughest conditions, is a step away from reaching farmers.
GSR, a collaborative project between the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is already in the hands of national agricultural agencies in key rice-growing countries for testing and development.
It is a mix of more than 250 different potential rice varieties and hybrids that can be grown under unfavourable environmental conditions such as drought and low inputs, including no pesticide and less fertilizer, and with rapid establishment rates to out-compete weeds, thus reducing the need for herbicides.
More types of Green Super Rice that combine many of these traits are in the pipeline.
Green Super Rice is an example of a ‘Greener Revolution’, called for by rice scientists around the world and is one of the driving concepts behind the Global Rice Science Partnership - a plan to improve international partnerships in rice research, its delivery, and impact that would also ensure that rice is grown in an environmentally sustainable way.
It has been reported in the latest issue of Rice Today. (ANI)
