agriculture

Scientists develop a "better" rice for farmers

IDIAP-5205, a new variety of rice seed, is more resistant to disease and climate change.

Scientists say the new seed will allow farmers to increase their yields and markets significantly.

Udo Weitz/Bloomberg News

Nutrition: Rice, a grass, is a staple food for a large part of the world's human population and provides one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.1025828

Rice growers will soon be able to plant a new seed which is expected to increase their yields. The Instituto de Investigación Agropecuaria de Panamá (Idiap) plans to release the seed in the next 20 days. Experts say "it's more resistant to insects and climate change and more adapted to market demands." The new variety is known as IDIAP-5205.

Seed program coordinator Alberto Yau said the new rice can be harvested 120 days after planting, assuming its receives sufficient rain and the soil retains enough moisture.

Israel Camargo, a scientist who works on developing new rice varieties, said the new seed is better than the one released in August of 2007 because it has better milling qualities and is more tolerant of the spinky mite, bacteria, and fungi that often damage rice. It's also more resistant to disease and requires fewer agrochemical inputs, thereby reducing farmers's costs.

The new seed will produce a long grain rice that's expected to satisfy the current market demand for a variety that remains loose after cooking.

The president of the Asociación de Productores de Arroz de Chiriquí (Apach), Alexander Araúz, said any new seed that improves the quality of rice and increases yields is good for the industry. But he warned that the new seed cannot be used in the 2008-2009 growing season because it has first to be sown, reproduce, and prove its viability. Some 70 quintals (1 quintal > 100 lbs.) will be tested initially. If all goes well, Idiap will then sell the seed to farmers.

More than $700,000 and ten years of laboratory and field tests were spent on developing the new seed.