ICAR to push hybrid rice seed output

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced that it is willing to give parent breeder lines to any public or private company for the production of hybrid rice seeds.

ICAR Director-General Mangla Rai told the media that about 17 rice hybrids had been evolved and released for commercial cultivation in the country. Of these, 5-6 hybrids had shown excellent results.

"In fact, rice hybrids suitable for cultivation in almost every part of the country are now available with ICAR," he said.

Rai was talking to the media at the inauguration of the 3rd all-India rice research group meeting at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here today.

The meet will review the developments in rice research, including the evolution of scented rice hybrids and rice types having higher nutritional content.

Rice varieties that can be grown under adverse circumstances would also be considered at the meeting, organised jointly by the Hyderabad-based Directorate of Rice Research and the IARI.

Rai said the present acreage under hybrid rice, estimated at around 300,000 hectares, needed to be expanded several fold to raise the country's rice output. This would swell the demand for hybrid rice seeds, and this would have to be met by private companies.

At present, hybrid rice seed production was confined to around 50,000 hectares only.

ICAR, on its part, is willing to give the parent breeder lines to any company interested in taking up hybrid seed production and selling it to farmers.

Referring to the recent achievements of rice research workers, the ICAR chief said the super fine-grained aromatic rice hybrid, Pusa RH-10, had been well received by farmers.

Thanks to its basmati-like characteristics and much higher yield, farmers were eager to expand the coverage area under this aromatic rice hybrid.

The scientists had also succeeded in incorporating the genes, such as xa21, in several popular rice varieties to impart resistance against the dreaded bacterial leaf blight disease. The notable varieties which have been modified with this gene include BPT 5204 (Samba Mahsuri), Pusa Basmati 1, Swarna and Triguna.

He said efforts were on to evolve aerobic rice which could be grown with less water. This was being done in view of the likelihood of water becoming more and more scarce in the years to come. Agronomic practices to grow this crop with less water were also being tried out.