mb.com.ph; February 14, 2011 12:58 am

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Feb. 13 — To ensure meeting the ever-increasing global demand for food, rice breeders and scientists must provide a continuous supply of new and improved varieties required to raise average rice yields every hectare annually, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said on Saturday.

This conclusion was arrived at by rice breeders, scientists, and policymakers from 19 countries and high-level representatives from inter-government and non-government organizations, Consultative Groups on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers, IRRI, Africa Rice Center, and the private sector that gathered recently at the D.L. Umali Hall here for the International Workshop on Improving Guidelines for the Testing and Release of New Breeding Lines.

The workshop aims to develop improved generic guidelines for the testing and release of rice breeding lines (inbreds and hybrids) developed by both conventional breeding and molecular-assisted selection (MAS), IRRI said.
During the workshop, representatives of participating countries presented their current system(s) for testing breeding lines, commercial release, and varietal registration.

Private sector representatives shared their experiences on product development and seed systems. Major constraints that limit faster testing and varietal release were identified and scientific opportunities to accelerate varietal development, testing, and approval determined.

The participating countries include Australia, China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.

IRRI said recent advances in biotechnology such as marker-aided selection and marker-assisted backcrossing have allowed the rapid development of new varieties and hybrids, but slow varietal release processes in many countries have delayed farmers’ access to these new varieties, including reaping the full benefits of modern technological developments.

The critical areas for improving policies for release of new breeding products have been prioritized and generic guidelines on the varietal release process, testing criteria and standards, and variety registration were recommended, it said.

An international guideline for the testing and release of new rice breeding lines was drafted for further discussion with public and private sectors and possibly for release during International Rice Congresses in the future. (PNA)

Source: IRRI urges rice breeders, scientists to provide improved varieties