SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is promoting rice varieties that can help reduce agricultural damages due to climate change.
Dr. Roel R. Suralta, head of the Crop Biotechnology Center (CBC) of the Department of Agriculture, said they are promoting the climate change-ready rice varieties through exhibits as one way to help farmers cope up with weather disturbances.
“Promoting these varieties is one of the things that we can do to help the farmers,” he said.
As of 2017, PhilRice has developed 14 climate change-ready varieties through biotechnology.
So far, he said that farmers are already planting the varieties that can withstand drought, flashflood, and salinity.
These include Tubigan 7 (NSIC Rc142), the country’s first product of marker-aided selection; Tubigan 3 (NSIC Rc130), PhilRice’s first variety developed through anther culture; and NSIC Rc194 (Submarino 1), which can survive after submergence in flood water for two weeks.
He also said that biotechnology helps improve rice like it does to soy sauce, bread, and beer.
“Through biotechnology, varieties are developed in 5-7 years. In conventional breeding, it takes 10-12 years,” Suralta said.
He added that farmers can gain more income as biotechnology helps in developing rice that is 35 percent more productive than today’s high-yielding varieties. (PNA)
