Rice breeding and seed production
2003
Othman Omar | Lim, K.H. | Phang, F.K.
Maintaining domestic rice production for food security and making rice farming profitable, modern high yielding varieties need to be constantly developed through a continuous programme of plant breeding and selection. Rice breeding programme has contributed tremendously towards the high productivity gains that enable the successful implementation in all the massive irrigation projects. With the switch from transplanting to direct seeding in the late 1980s, new selection criteria and new breeding methods have been employed to engineer ideal plant structure to cope with changes in ecology, pests and diseases make-up, and crop nutrition. Rice breeding will have to employ production competitive in view of trade liberalization and globalization. Rice seed programme is the bridge linking breeders and farmers. Currently MARDI supply Breeder and Foundation seeds. Seed companies will propagate Registered seed from the foundation seed. Mass production of certified seed by seed growers under the supervision of the seed companies. Lured by the burgeoning demand for good prime rice seeds, many private seed companies were formed in 1990a. But seed legislation is needed to regulate the production of seeds with dubious origin and quality. As government seed are sold below cost, it hinders the development of a private-sectors led and market oriented rice seed industry. This paper proposes that DOA's seed centres be merged with other seed suppliers especially government related, to form a large seed company thereby ensuring quality and standards. The government will regulate the industry by the licensing, and providing ancillary services in field inspection, certification, and seed testing for all seed producers.
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