Hybrid rice for food, and environment security in Asia
2001
Virmani, S.S. (International Rice Research Inst., DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila (Philippines). Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biochemistry Div.)
Commercial exploitation of heterosis in rice started in China since 1976. Since then interest in development and use of hybrid rices has been expanding outside China. Hybrid rice research at IRRI was initiated in 1979. Efforts were focused to develop the technology for countries outside China. A large number of parental lines and heterotic hybrids have been developed and shared with NARS. Currently, 20 countries, besides China are involved in developing and using this technology. Many of them work collaboratively with IRRI. Some countries viz., India, Vietnam and Philippines have released rice hybrids for commercial cultivation. The experience has indicated 15-20% yield advantage over HYVs under irrigated conditions. Hybrid seed yields have been found to vary from 1.5-5.00 t/ha (mean 3 t/ha) in China and 0.7 to 3 t/ha (mean 1.2 t/ha) outside China. Yield advantage of 1-1.5 t/ha and seed yields of more than 1 t/ha makes this technology economically viable. Encouraged by these developments, more than 20 national and multi-national companies around the world are currently developing this technology. China currently grows hybrid rice in about 15 million ha which produces 17% of the world's paddy. Outside China about 0.5 million ha are currently covered with hybrid rices, the area may increase to about 2 million ha in the next 5-7 years. The increased production (20-25 million t/ha) from hybrid rice in China has helped instabilizing global rice prices and therefore indirectly helped rural and urban poor. The use of hybrid rices has spared cultivation of 6 million ha of land from rice production, thereby, helping in environment protection. Thus, hybrid rice contributes towards food, and environment security. Major challenges for further developing and utilizing hybrid rice technology in Asian countries outside China will be discussed
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