RICE Breeding
The NDA government is taking ahead the Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI) a programme that is aimed at increasing rice production in the eastern part of the country.
One of the biggest projects in Thailand is Farmers’ Friend, which is part of the Big Trees project. It has an agreement with the Yasothon Organic Farmers’ Cooperative under Earth Net Foundation to buy its rice.
Compiled by Gene Hettel from GigaScience articles and additional interviews
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Traditional rice varieties encompass a huge range of potentially valuable genes. These can be used to develop superior varieties for farmers to take part in the uphill battle of feeding an ever-increasing world population (estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050).
They’re not the biggest rice producers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). But, like the seven samurai of the famous 1954 adventure fi lm, they’re certainly among the boldest, and they fight hard to improve the lot of rice-growing communities.
A year after releasing the world’s first zinc-enriched rice variety, Bangladeshi breeders have come up with another rice variety with higher zinc content and greater yield potentials.
Wild rice is extremely valuable as a wildlife food resource as well. Muskrats love the plants, and there are a variety of birds that feed on the insects they attract or the seeds they produce.
The government has chalked out plans to promote the cultivation of four special traditional rice varieties in the State that have been included in the Geographical Indications (GI) registry of India.
An international team of scientists led by the UA has sequenced the genome of African rice.
The monsoon rains have come late to northern India. In the past, that would have meant certain hardship. But this year, farmers here aren’t worried, thanks to new drought-resistant strains of rice that are helping sow prosperity across India’s grain belt.
The Supreme Court is already hearing a case related to biosafety of GM crops but ministry believes the apex court has not imposed any ban or restrictions on GM crops field trials.
