My Metro Manila

EIGHT rice varieties bred by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has been approved for commercial production by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC).

Philrice said the eight rice varieties included hybrids and varieties suitable for saline areas.

For irrigated lowland, the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) came up with NSIC Rc216 (Tubigan 17) and NSIC Rc218 SR (Mabango 3).

Rc216 is an early-maturing variety which can yield 6 metric tons (MT) per hectare and matures in 112 days when transplanted. Under direct wet-seeded condition, it yields 5.7 MT per hectare and matures in 104 days.

The other variety for irrigated lowland is Rc218, a special aromatic rice, which yields 3.8 MT per hectare. It matures in 120 days and has good milling and head-rice recovery. It is recommended to grow Rc218 in the dry season in a favorable environment.

PhilRice also developed three-line hybrids dubbed as NSIC Rc196H (Mestiso 16) and NSIC Rc198H (Mestiso 17). Both are resistant to the white-stem borer, a pest plaguing rice crops.

Rc196H has an average yield of 6.2 MT per hectare and matures in 103 days. PhilRice said it is recommending Rc196 be grown in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Bohol and Bukidnon, and similar areas.

Rc198H yields 6.6 MT per hectare, matures in 105 days and is best adapted to Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cagayan, Davao del Sur, Bukidnon and Bohol.

PhilRice also bred four rice varities suitable for saline areas. These are NSIC Rc184 (Salinas 2), Rc186 (Salinas 3), Rc188 (Salinas 4), Rc190 (Salinas 5).

Aside from these varieties exclusively bred by PhilRice, the agency collaborated with other institutions to develop other rice varieties.

Two varieties of hybrid rice, NSIC Rc202H (Mestiso 19) and 6 NSIC Rc204H (Mestiso 20), were bred in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños. PhilRice said these are the first two-line hybrids released in the Philippines.

PhilRice also partnered with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for the site evaluation of NSIC Rc194, a rice variety tolerant to floods bred by IRRI.

Rc194 is IR64 infused with the submergence-tolerance gene, allowing it to survive, grow and develop even after 10 days of complete submergence at vegetative stage. It yields 2.5 MT per hectare and matures in 125 days under submerged conditions.

NSIC also released other varieties bred by other institutions such as IRRI, Bayer, Syngenta and Pioneer. Released varieties for irrigated lowland are NSIC Rc212 (Tubigan 15), Rc214 (Tubigan 16) and Rc220 SR (Japonica 1); and for hybrids are NSIC Rc200H (Mestiso 18), Rc206H (Mestiso 21), Rc208H (Mestiso 22) and Rc210H (Mestiso 23).

NSIC Rc192 (Sahod Ulan 1) and NSIC Rc182 (Salinas 1) were released for drought-prone and saline areas, respectively.

Meanwhile, Hanoi is collaborating with Manila for the development of new and improved rice varieties, PhilRice said.

PhilRice signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vietnam’s Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (Nomafsi) to “promote adoption of sustainable rice technologies.”

“The MOU is an effective strategy to reach a greater number of farmers, creating huge impact on their lives. The partnership will mobilize manpower to provide more coordinated and mutually supportive services to farmers,” said PhilRice executive director Ronilo Beronio in a statement.

The envisioned rice varieties, which Vietnam and the Philippines will develop, will be high-yielding, have good grains, disease- and pest-resistant, and have wide adaptability.

Also, Beronio said PhilRice and NoMafsi will undertake research activities using PalayCheck and integrated pest management (IPM) to boost rice production.

PalayCheck is composed of rice-production technologies and practices for increased yield. IPM uses a number of complementary strategies such as biological and cultural management practices.

Under the MOU, Hanoi and Manila agreed to dispatch rice experts to the collaborating country. Should funds be available, some rice personnel from both countries may also undergo training on latest rice-production technologies.

Beronio said intellectual-property rights of joint research activities will be owned by both Vietnam and the Philippines.

In recent years, Hanoi has become one of Asia’s major rice exporters. Vietnam is a major source of imported rice for the Philippines.

For this year alone, Manila contracted to buy 1.5 million metric tons of rice from Vietnam under a government-to-government deal.

The Philippines has been importing rice in previous years to beef up government stocks and plug the gap in supply and demand.

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