Run-up to COP26: Wonder rice may help reduce emissions, offer good yield

What is the news?

Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila have come up with new DSR rice varieties.

Why were new varieties developed?

Rice-growing is resource-intensive as it covers 11% of the Earth’s arable land and consumes one-third of irrigation water. Moreover, paddy farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, DSR method of rice cultivation is being incentivized.

But, the Direct Seeded Method (DSR) despite being eco-friendly has not witnessed large scale adoption due to complaints of low yields and increased susceptibility to pests.

Hence, scientists at IRRI developed new varieties which not only give higher yields than the traditional puddling method but are also resistant to pests.

What are key features of the new varieties being developed?

The new varieties have the following features:

– The crop takes less time to mature, giving farmers ample time to do residue management. Hence, these varieties can address the problem of stubble management.

At which locations the newly developed varieties are being tested?

The varieties being tested at the IRRI in various agro-climatic zones across Asia. The cross-country trials are being conducted across 29 sites in Asia and Africa including India where the first trials are currently close to harvest in states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

Source: This post is based on the article “Run-up to COP26: Wonder rice may help reduce emissions, offer good yield” published in Business Standard on 30th Oct 2021.