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PhilRice: Alternative rice varieties now available
There may no longer be a need to import rice if only Filipinos will look into the use of alternative rice varieties achieved through biotechnology that are available in the market, an expert from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said.
Alternative rice varieties NSIC Rc142 (Tubigan 7) and NSIC Rc154 (Tubigan 11) have been available in the market as early as 1995.
The cost, said Dr. Dindo Tabanao, is just the same as any ordinary rice.
Tubigan 7 and Tubigan 11 were products of a mid-level biotechnology technique called marker-aided selection (MAS).
These alternative rice varieties are bacterial leaf blight resistant (BLB) -- a disease that is endemic in provinces with irrigated lowlands such as Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Bulacan.
Tubigan 7 and Tubigan 11 are just two of the rice varieties produced by biotechnology that has helped increased farmer's production- thus answering the country's problem of low productivity in recent years.
Tubigan 7 can yield at least 24 percent more than the common rice variety during the dry season and up to 32 percent more during the wet season.
Through the use of DNA markers, plant breeders are able to easily identify the offspring that are BLB resistant.
Safe for humans
Scientists have already assured that these alternative rice varieties are safe for human consumption. Studies have shown that Tubigan rice varieties have good qualities, as it is moist and sticky when cooked.
Government officials admit while largely an agricultural country, the Philippines is unable to meet its own rice needs in light of the demands of the growing population simply because it does not have sufficient land to till.
Agricultural lands devoted to rice production in Thailand and Vietnam, the country's major source of rice imports are double than that of the land devoted to rice production here. In 2004 for example, the Philippines only harvested from 4.12 million hectares of land, whereas in Vietnam, 9.82 million hectares of land grew rice.
The only way for the country to meet the demand, said PhilRice director Leocadio Sebastian, is to increase productivity.
Biotechnology has been addressing this problem with the introduction of alternative rice varieties resistant to rice diseases that have commonly caused the low farmers productivity.
Tungro-disease (RTD) and bacterial leaf blight resistant (BLB) rice varieties are being developed to lessen yield losses in the coming years. At present, two BLB rice varieties, Tubigan 7 and Tubigan 11 are already commercially available.
While initial studies done by PhilRice have shown that it will be more costly for farmers to produce healthier crops through biotechnology, the benefits outweigh the costs consequently as the farmer's gross income is increased by at least 26 percent. Biolife News Service
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