Guest guest Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 > 28 Jul 2004 13:17:28 -0000 > New Rice for Africa > press-release > > > The Institute of Science in Society Science Society > Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk > > General Enquiries sam > Website/Mailing List press-release > ISIS Director m.w.ho > ======================================================== > > The Institute of Science in Society Science Society > Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > ======================================================== > > > Rice wars Rice, the staple food crop for more than > half the > world's population, among them the poorest, is the > current > target of genetic modification, an activity that has > greatly > intensified after the rice genome was announced two > years > ago (see " Rice is life " series, SiS 15 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis15.php, > Summer 2002). > > Since then, all major biotech giants are investing > in rice > research. At the same time, a low-input cultivation > system > that really benefits small farmers worldwide has > been > spreading, but is dismissed by the scientific > establishment > as " unscientific " . This is one among several recent > innovations that increase yields and ward off > disease > without costly and harmful inputs, all > enthusiastically and > widely adopted by farmers. A war is building up > between the > corporate establishment and the peoples of the world > for the > possession of rice. The food security of billions is > at > stake, as is their right to grow the varieties of > rice they > have created and continue to create, and in the > manner they > choose. This extended series will not be appearing > all at once, > so look out for it. > > Fantastic Rice Yields Fact or Fallacy? > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php > Top Indian Rice Geneticist Rebuts SRI critics > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/TIRGRSRI.php > Does SRI work? > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/DSRIW.php > Corporate Patents vs People in GM Rice > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/CPVPIGMR.php > Promises and Perils of GM Rice > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/PPGMR.php > Two Rice Better Than One > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/TRBTO.php > One Bird - Ten Thousand Treasures > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/OBTTT.php > New Rice For Africa > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/NRFA.php > > ISIS Press Release 28/07/04 > > New Rice for Africa A new rice variety developed by > plant > breeders is boosting rice yields for farmers all > over > Africa. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho reports The sources for this > article > is posted on ISIS members' website > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/NRFAFull.php. > Details here > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php. > > African rice species proliferate like weeds, but are > low > yielding. Asian rice species, brought to Africa 450 > years > ago, are high yielding, but cannot compete with > weeds. > Scientists at West Africa Rice Development > Association > (WARDA) succeeded in crossing the two to produce > " new rice > for Africa " , or " Nerica " , that combines the > ruggedness of > local African rice species with the high > productivity of the > Asian rice. This has happened at a time when demand > for rice > is growing faster in West Africa than anywhere else > in the > world. Rice imports have increased eight-fold over > the past > three decades to more than 3 million tonnes a year, > at a > cost of almost US$1 billion. The African species > lodges, or > falls over, when grain heads fill. It also shatters > easily, > wasting more precious grain. The higher-yielding > Asian > species has largely replaced its African cousin. > But, West > African farmers in rainfed (dryland) areas can't > grow the > semi-dwarf rice varieties from Asia, because they > don't > compete well with weeds, nor do they tolerate > drought and > local pests. And African farmers are too poor to buy > > herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. Dr. Monty > Jones, > WARDA rice breeder, initiated a biotechnology > programme in > 1991, making use of the 1 500 African rice varieties > kept in > gene banks, which have faced extinction as farmers > abandoned > them for higher-yielding Asian varieties. A number > of > international agricultural research institutions > were > partners with WARDA in the creating Nerica, plus > farmers and > national agricultural research programmes in 17 > African > countries. The creation of " Nerica " involved > crossing the > African with Asian species, and 'rescuing' the > inter- > specific hybrid embryos in tissue culture. These > hybrid > embryos would otherwise have died if left on the > plants. The > panicles of Nerica hold up to 400 grains compared to > the 75- > 100 grains of its African parents, and can > potentially > double the production of rice. Nerica also matures > 30-50 > days earlier than traditional varieties, allowing > farmers to > grow extra crops of vegetables or legumes. They are > taller > and grow better on the fertile, acid soils that > comprise 70% > of the upland rice area in the region. In addition, > it has > 2% more protein than either the Asian or African > parents. > This is an instance of 'hybrid vigour' or heterosis. > Nerica > is not just one variety; it is a family of more than > 3 000 > lines. Savitri Mohapatra, Communication and > Information > Office of the Africa Rice Center, said in reply to > my > enquiry, " Hundreds of Nerica lines have been > developed and > they are true-breeding. " In other words, farmers can > save > and replant seeds, without having to purchase seeds > every > year. Poor farmers are therefore getting the benefit > of > hybrid rice without having to pay for it every year. > > Participatory research is the key to the Nerica > success > story. Farmers grew several varieties and provided > valuable > feedback to the scientists. The scientists were able > to > learn about the traits most valued by farmers and > incorporate those into the breeding programme. More > than 1 > 300 farmers took part in the 1998 project to start > growing > the new rice varieties in Guinea. This was followed > by a > 1999 project to increase seed supply at national > level and a > farmer awareness campaign. In Guinea, farmers > increased > yield by 50% without fertilizer and by more than > 200% with > fertilizer. Building on the success in Guinea, WARDA > and its > partners joined forces to scale up dissemination of > Nerica > throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. This culminated in > the launch > of The African Rice Initiative (ARI) in March 2002. > According to ARI's projections, by the end of the > 5-year > project (Phase 1), some 200 000 ha will be under > Nerica > cultivation with a production of nearly 750 000 > tonnes per > year, achieving rice import savings worth nearly > US$90 > million per year. Nericas are spreading fast in > Sub-Saharan > Africa. In 2002, Nerica 1, 2, 3 and 4 were the top > varieties > selected by farmers in trials in Benin, Burkina > Faso, Côte > d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone and > Togo. > Within West Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire released > the first > two Nerica varieties in 2000, and Nigeria released > one in > 2003. Farmers in The Gambia, Guinea, and Sierra > Leone are > growing several Nerica varieties. In Benin, Gabon, > Mali and > Togo, several Nerica varieties are under extension. > Uganda > has released a Nerica variety as " Naric-3 " . > Ethiopia, > Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania are > evaluating > several Nerica varieties. " In trials, we're getting > yields > as high as 2.5 tonnes per hectare at low inputs - > and 5 > tonnes or more with just minimum increase in > fertilizer > use, " says Dr. Monty Jones, who is to receive the > 2004 World > Food Prize jointly with Chinese Rice Breeder, Dr. > Yuan > Longping, Director- General of the China National > Hybrid > Rice Research and Development Centre in Changsha, > Hunan. > " Barring unforeseen difficulties, " says Hans > Binswanger, > Sector Director of Rural Development and the > Environment of > the World Bank, " we anticipate a rapid growth of > rice > production, leading to self-sufficiency within three > or four > years. We expect improved incomes and nutrition for > the > rural population and more affordable domestic rice > for the > urban population. " > > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation > dedicated to providing critical public information > on > cutting edge science, and to promoting social > accountability > and ecological sustainability in science. > > If you would prefer to receive future mailings as > HTML > please let us know. If you would like to be removed > from our > mailing list at > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mailinglist/.php > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, > London > NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] > [44 20 > 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit > organisation dedicated to providing critical public > information on cutting edge science, and to > promoting social > accountability and ecological sustainability in > science. > > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, > PO Box 32097, > London NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 > 7383 3376] [44 20 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam > Website/Mailing List press-release > ISIS Director m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.