Prospect of Zinc-rich BRRI Dhan-62
Md Shafayet Hossain
Posted : 28 Nov, 2015 00:00:00
Rice is the staple food for more than half the
world's population and about 135 million people of Bangladesh. In several Asian
countries, it provides 50 to 80 per cent of the energy intake of the poor. Rice
provides nearly 48% of rural employment, about two-thirds of total calorie
supply and about one-half of the total protein intakes of an average person in
the country.
Rice sector contributes one-half of the
agricultural GDP and one-sixth of the national income in Bangladesh. Almost all
of the 13 million farm families of the country grow rice on about 10.5 million
hectares. About 75% of the total cropped area and over 80% of the total
irrigated area is planted to rice. Thus, rice plays a vital role in the
livelihood of the people of Bangladesh. Behind this Bangladesh Rice Research
Institute (BRRI) has a great contribution through development of some 76 Modern
Rice varieties and improved production practices which earned a very high
reputation in Bangladesh as well as in the world rice community.
Importance of Zinc
Zinc is an essential element that stimulates
the activity of about 100 enzymes in the body. It also supports
l
healthy immune system
l synthesising DNA
l wound
healing
l the
healthy growth and development of the body during adolescence, childhood and
pregnancy.
This mineral is present in a variety of foods
that many people consume daily. Generally, when someone is suffering from a
zinc deficiency, it is because the intake is inadequate, because it is being
poorly absorbed into the body or their need for zinc increases. In an average
human body, there is about 2 to 3 grams of zinc. Generally, most adults do not
require zinc supplementation if they eat a healthy diet with vegetables, fruit
and some protein sources. Males require more zinc than women, as the mineral is
released when a man ejaculates.
The more
sexually active a male, the more zinc is required, as semen has the highest
levels of zinc in the body. In Bangladesh, over 40 per cent children under five
are stunted while an estimated 44 per cent children of the same age group are
at risk of zinc deficiency. Considering the importance of zinc in human health
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) scientists developed world's first
zinc-rich rice variety, BRRI dhan62 for Bangladesh perspective. It was also
reported that Indian scientists from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University,
Raipur, have developed a new zinc bio-fortified rice variety 'Chhattisgarh Zinc
Rice-1' named after an Indian state 'Chhattisgarh'.
History of development of the variety
Dr Md Alamgir Hossain, Principal Scientific
Officer at the plant breeding division of the Bangladesh Rice Research
Institute (BRRI), developed the hi-zinc rice with support from Harvest Plus, a
global bio-fortification mission launched in 2004 under the Consultative Group
for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The newly developed BRRI
dhan-62 has been the most-discussed rice variety as it is a zinc-fortified
breed and developed to meet the necessary requirement of micronutrient for a
human body. The variety has been developed by genetically crossing local
variety jirakatari with BRRI dhan39 following two Rapid Generation Advance
(RRA) and Pedigree Selection. Later on it was approved by the National Seed
Board (NSB) in the year 2013. It may be further mentioned that it is not
genetically modified rice, thus farmers would be able to produce seeds of the
variety as the other conventional varieties.
Characteristics of the variety
Each kilogram of rice of BRRI dhan-62 contains
19 mg of zinc and 9 per cent protein which will ensure high nutrition and will
play a significant role in prevention of diseases. The most early-maturing high
yielding rice variety (HYV) ever released for Aman season can be harvested
within 105 days. Of the rice varieties of Aman season, BRRI dhan-62 can be
cultivated within a short period. The size of rice is medium. The zinc-enriched
rice variety also outpaced two of the country's best performing Aman season
early-mature varieties: BINA dhan7 and BRRI dhan33. Crop duration from seed to
seed is 110-120 days for BINA dhan7 and BRRI dhan33 while BRRI dhan62 can be
reaped in 100 to 105 days with the yield of 3.5 to 4.5 tonnes per hectare if
nurtured properly. By virtue of early harvesting characteristics the variety is
very much helpful to cultivate various Robi crops like potato, tomato, brinjal,
mustard and other vegetables for additional income before going to Boro.
Availability of the variety
It is reported that the newly developed rice
variety has been demonstrated in a wide range of farmers' fields which
performed to be better. After having Breeder Seed of the variety, Foundation
Seed will be produced in BADC Seed Multiplication Farm and then the certified
seeds will be produced in contract grower's field which will be provided to the
farmers later on.
Dr Md Shafayet Hossain is Deputy Manager
(SP&P), Seed Processing & Preservation Division, BADC, Dhaka
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/11/28/120947
64K Tonne
Procurement Target for Nabarangpur
By
Published: 28th November 2015 05:06 AM
Last Updated: 28th November 2015 05:07 AM
NABARANGPUR: Paddy procurement in
Nabarangpur district will begin from December 11. At least 64,179 tonnes of
paddy will be procured from the district farmers.The district administration
will open 47 mandis at different areas and paddy would be purchased from
farmers by Large Area Multi-purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS). Collector
Rashmita Panda said the mandis will be set up in a manner that farmers would
not have to travel longer distance to sell their produce.The Minimum Support
Price (MSP) has been fixed at `1,410 per quintal and around 20,000 farmers have
so far registered for selling their paddy. Of the total procurement
target, Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) would purchase 59,701
tonnes and Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (TDCC) will buy 4,478
tonnes.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/64K-Tonne-Procurement-Target-for-Nabarangpur/2015/11/28/article3150454.ece
16 CAG reports to be tabled in
winter session
Updated: November 29, 2015 03:25 IST
The Hindu
The Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India has submitted 16 performance and compliance audit
reports on various sectors to the Union Finance Ministry. File photo
The reports
include the audit report on paddy procurement and milling for the Central pool,
the issue on which “The Hindu” reported extensively in March.
The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India has submitted 16
performance and compliance audit reports on various sectors to the Union
Finance Ministry, and they will be tabled in Parliament this winter session.The
reports include the audit report on paddy procurement and milling for the Central
pool, the issue on which The Hindu reported extensively in March.The CAG audited the financial
dealings between government agencies and rice mills in eight major
paddy-producing States, probing allegations that millers generated huge sums of
unaccounted wealth by hiding or under-reporting earnings from the sale of
by-products such as bran, husk and broken rice.The PMO had also forwarded to
the CAG a complaint filed by RTI activist Gouri Shankar Jain, who alleged a
Rs.10-lakh crore scam.
As per government records, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh,
Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are among the top
contributors to the Central paddy pool. The Central and State governments
procure paddy from farmers at the minimum support price and give it to the
mills for processing of rice, or millers themselves purchase paddy from farmers
and process it for supply to the government. Under both schemes, the government
collects 68 kg parboiled or 67 kg raw rice per 100-kg paddy.
However, the lack of clarity on the pricing of the rest of the
32-33 kg by-products allowed unscrupulous millers to generate black money.
Among the other CAG reports are the compliance audit of the National Skill
Development Fund and the National Skill Development Corporation.It was
submitted earlier this month along with the reports on the utilisation of the
rigs in ONGC; hydrocarbon exploration efforts by Oil India Limited; and Ratna
and R-series hydrocarbon fields.The Finance Ministry has also received reports
on Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, a sanitation campaign launched under UPA-II, the Navy
and the Coast Guard and a two-volume Union Audit Report of the Railways and
utilisation and distribution of safety items in Railways.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/16-cag-reports-to-be-tabled-in-winter-session/article7928287.ece
KAU Research
Station Develops Saline-tolerant Rice Variety
By Express News Service
Published: 29th November 2015 05:08 AM
Last Updated: 29th November 2015 05:08 AM
KOCHI: The efforts by agricultural scientists
to develop saline-tolerant rice varieties has bore fruit at last, with the Rice
Research Station (RRS) at the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) successfully
developing a saline-tolerant variety of ‘Jyothi’ by introgression of genes that
are tolerant to salinity and iron toxicity.The KAU’s Rice Research Station at
Vyttila achieved this by introgression of the famous SalTol QTL that is present
in ‘pokkali’, the most saline-tolerant rice variety in the world, into
Jyothi.Jyothi is the most popular rice variety in the State due to its superior
grain quality, but is prone to damage from floods due to lack of saline
tolerance. It is suitable for Kuttanad and Kole lands.
According to KAU vice-chancellor Dr P
Rajendran, the SalTol QTL found in pokkali rice varieties is widely used across
the world for developing saline-tolerant rice varieties. “The introgression of
SalTol into Jyothi, conducted by scientists at the Rice Research Station at
Vyttila was highly successful, with the introgressed Jyothi rice recording a
very high yield of 6.2 t/ha. It is a landmark achievement,” said the
vice-chancellorDr Shylaraj, professor at the Vyttila RRS, said SalTol QTL was
introgressed into Jyothi through Marker Assisted Backcross Breeding (MABB).
“The advantage of MABB is that it facilitates introgression of the desired
gene/QTL only into the target rice variety, through conventional breeding and
selection of the desired ‘gene introgressed lines’ through bio-technological
methods like SSR molecular marker screening,” he said.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/KAU-Research-Station-Develops-Saline-tolerant-Rice-Variety/2015/11/29/article3152330.ece
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/743378/another-award-for-inquirer-ecija-reporter
Another award for Inquirer
Ecija reporter
Philippine Daily Inquirer
01:27 AM November 29th, 2015
The story on
efforts of scientists at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to
conserve traditional rice varieties and those not being used anymore won the
Best Agriculture Feature award for Nueva Ecija-based Inquirer correspondent
Anselmo Roque at the ninth Bright Leaf agriculture journalism awards at the
Sofitel Hotel in Manila on Thursday.Roque’s winning story, “Saving rice
varieties: One grain at a time,” was published in the Inquirer Northern Luzon
on Oct. 1, 2014.In the story, Roque, 76, a retired university professor and one
of two pioneer provincial correspondents of the Inquirer, wrote that the work
of PhilRice scientists at the Science City of Muñoz has resulted in the storage
of more than 7,129 rice varieties.
They do this
by maintaining the “PhilRice genebank,” composed of the duplicated Philippine
rice varieties at the International Rice Research Institute in Laguna and from
their own collection efforts.As cited by the awards’ sponsor, Philip Morris
International Fortune Tobacco Corp., the story credited the scientists for
developing rice varieties that are “not only important as building blocks in
breeding new rice varieties but are part of the national heritage as well.”A
multiawarded writer, Roque has received 15 national awards in agriculture and
science journalism from various award-giving bodies, aside from his three
Palanca awards in literature and one playwriting award (as coauthor) from the
Cultural Center of the Philippines.
He has also
authored or coauthored 11 books, mostly about agricultural developments and
issues.Another Inquirer correspondent, Baguio-based Frank Cimatu, won the
tobacco photo of the year (regional) award for the community paper Baguio
Chronicle. Inquirer Northern Luzon
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Pokkali-Farming-Hit-by-Urbanisation-High-Cost/2015/11/28/article3150421.ece
Pokkali
Farming Hit by Urbanisation, High Cost
By
Published: 28th November 2015 04:47 AM
Last Updated: 28th November 2015 04:47 AM
KOCHI:
Though lease-land paddy farming is being conducted successfully in the State
for the past few years, with the total area under cultivation touching a record
2.08 lakh hectare last year, the buoyancy felt in Kole land/upland paddy
farming is not witnessed in pokkali farming, which received Geographical
Indication registration from the GI Registry of India a few years ago.According
to statistics available with the Directorate of Agriculture, the area under
pokkali rice cultivation in the State rose to around 800 hectare last year as a
result of sustained campaigning. While Ernakulam district made 547 hectare of
pokkali land arable, Alappuzha and Thrissur cultivated in around 200 and 23
hectares, respectively.
According to
scientists at the Rice Research Station under the Kerala Agriculture
University, there is an extent of 6,500-7,000 hectare of pokkali farms in
Kerala, spread mainly in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kannur. But, currently
only one tenth of the total area is being used for cultivation, for various
reasons. "If rapid urbanisation has hit Ernakulam, high cost and
traditional practices involved in the farming process have made things
difficult for farmers in the other districts," said Dr Shylaraj, professor
at RRS, Vyttila."While the farmers get average yield of 5-6 tonne
rice/hectare in normal paddy farming, pokkali farms give average yield of
2-2.5 tonne. Last year, the Kerala State Seed Development Authority (KSSDA)
procured seed from farmers for `50/kg. Besides, rice cultivated using organic
methods in pokkali farms has been fetching more price than the other
varieties," said Agriculture Department assistant director Sheela
."Saline-tolerant
varieties of rice have been used in pokkali farms as the farms are always under
the threat of saline water intrusion. Around 40 per cent of the rice varieties
being used by farmers are traditional varieties like pokkali, cheruvirippu and
chettivirippu, while 60 per cent accounts for high-yielding varieties like
Vyttila-6, Vyttila-7, Vyttila-8 and Vyttila-9," added Shylaraj."Though
there have been a slight growth in pokkali farming, compared to ten years ago,
the growth is not proportionate to the growth in paddy farming in general,
which witnessed a big leap in the past few years with new-generation farmers,
various organisations and political parties promoting paddy farming in a big
way," said Sheela, adding that pokkali farming would need more attention
in the coming years.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/KAU-Research-Station-Develops-Saline-tolerant-Rice-Variety/2015/11/29/article3152330.ece
Flavours of
Hong Kong
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Whole Boston Lobster in two
flavours, Simmered Papaya with Brown Fungus in Chicken Broth.
Compiled by ESTHER CHANDRAN
Flavours of Hong Kong
Award-winning executive chef Wong Wing Keung and his team from
Yee Tung Heen restaurant, The Excelsior in Hong Kong are presenting popular
favourites from their kitchen until Sunday. The promotion at Lai Po Heen,
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur offers the best of Assorted Chiu Chow Dumplings
in Three Styles or the Assorted Hong Kong Dim Sum Platter for lunch. Both set
menus recently won the “Best of the Best Culinary Awards Competitions – Gold
Award” awarded by The Hong Kong Tourism Board 2015.
For dinner, there are highlights like Doubled boiled Honey
Locust Fruit Soup with Matsutake and Assorted Fungus, Whole Boston Lobster in
two flavours, Simmered Papaya with Brown Fungus in Chicken Broth, Braised Rice
with Crab Meat and Spring Onion and Chilled Ginger Milk Custard with Black and
Sesame Rolls served with Deep Fried Mini Sesame Balls and Egg Custard. The
lunch set is priced at RM68 nett per person and dinner set is priced at RM388
nett per person and RM588 nett per person with wine pairing. For reservations,
call 03-2179 8885.
Thali set
Tonka Bean Cafe’s Thali Set was
designed to tantalise the taste buds of diners. The promotion features a
special fish head curry where the fish is simmered in a fragrant, irresistible
curry broth, packed with juicy tomatoes, lady’s finger and lots of local herbs
to give it a well-rounded taste. The curry is served with omelette, pickled
vegetables and basmati rice. The promotion until Nov 30 is available from noon
to 2.30pm, priced at RM32 nett per set. Tonka Bean Café is well known for its
extensive buffets that serve a wide array of local, Asian and Western dishes.
This 24-hour restaurant is located at Impiana KLCC Hotel and is easily
assessable via the air-conditioned KLCC sky bridge. For reservations, call
03-2147 1111.
CHINA WOK, A3-G1-3A, Solaris Dutamas (Mont Kiara), 1 Jalan
Dutamas, KL. (Tel: 03-6207 9598). Business hours: 11am-9.30pm, daily. Non-halal.Homemade recipes include fish head noodles, charcoal roasted
duck and char siew. Regulars come in search of its award winning chicken rice,
curry fish head and Claypot Lala Pepper Soup.
SOUTH SEA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, 229, Jalan Dua A, Kampung Baru Subang,
Selangor. (Tel: 03-7846 1401, 7846 5813). Business hours: 11am-11pm, daily.The restaurant boasts exotic seafood like geoduck, Australian
lobster, estuary tiger garoupa, Sri Lankan crab, Japanese escargot, fresh
abalone, mantis prawn and Empurau fish.
DRAGON-i RESTAURANT, G1.43, Ground Floor Sunway Pyramid, Bandar
Sunway. (Tel: 03-7492 3688) Business hours: 11am-10pm (Mon-Fri), 10.30am-10pm
(Sat & Sun). Non-halal. Customers can feast on a variety
of Chinese dishes here. On the menu are some traditional favourites and dim sum
delights.
CHUTNEY MARY RESTAURANT AND BAR, 21-G, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, KL
(Tel: 03-2282 9923). Business hours: 11am-11.30pm, daily. Closed on one Monday
a month. The restaurant offers Northern
Indian cuisine with a smattering of Western and local dishes, house specials
are Khairi Chicken Special, Chicken Noor Jahani Briyani and Kulfi. Set lunch
options are priced at RM19 nett.
SURISIT THAI KOPITIAM, 17, Ground Floor, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL. (Tel: 03-7710 0173). Business hours: 10.30am-3pm,
6pm-10.30pm (Mon-Fri), 10.30am-10.30pm (Sat & Sun). Non-halal. Described as Malaysia’s one of its kind Thai kopitiam, the
restaurant serves up home-style cooking from its kitchen. During lunch and
dinner, staff are kept on their toes attending to a steady flow of hungry
diners who seek affordably priced Thai food. Among the dishes served here are
Tom Yam Ka Moo, Pucuk Paku Yam Pla, Tauhu Yat Sai and Stir Fried Glass Noodles
with Chicken.
HOMST RESTAURANT, 48, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL.
(03-7728 0760 - TTDI, 03-6140 9134 - Kota Damansara, 03-5513 0760 - Shah Alam).
Business hours: Noon-10pm (daily), 5pm-10pm (Friday). Halal. A family styled Chinese Muslim restaurant that is known for its
sumptuous Malaysian-Chinese fare. Popular dishes include Butter Prawn, Black
Pepper Beef, Wet Butter Chicken, Cantonese kuey teow, Hokkien mee, Sambal Prawn
Petai and various other dishes.
JUST NYONYA Restaurant, 21, Jalan 5/62A, Bandar Manjalara, Kepong,
KL. (Tel: 03-6279 9996) Business hours: Noon–3pm, 6pm–10pm. Closed on Tuesday.
Pork free. Serving all-time Peranakan
favourites from Malacca and Penang like curry kapitan, ju hu char, asam prawns,
chilli garam fish, perut ikan and paku masak lemak. For dessert, diners have a
choice of ABC, cendol and sago gula Melaka.
SENTIDOS GASTROBAR, Feast Village, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan
Bukit Bintang, KL. (Tel: 03-2145 3385). Business hours: Noon-midnight, daily.
Pork free. Offers a relaxed atmosphere with
a tantalising selection of hot and cold tapas. There is an extensive wine list
and a range of imported beers.
SIMPLE LIFE HEALTHY VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT, LG-232A, Lower Ground
Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, KL. (Tel : 03-2202 1328 - The
Gardens, 03-5611 8596 - Sunway Pyramid/ www.simplelife.com.my) Business hours:
10am-10pm, daily. Serves vegetarian meals that are
organic, natural and nutritious. The restaurant’s co-founder developed its
recipes by adopting more natural ingredients in the menu, without compromising
on taste and aesthetic values. Popular dishes include Lei Cha with Brown Rice,
Ginger Extract with Brown Rice Mee Sua, Vegetarian Nasi Lemak, curry laksa and
popiah.
THE SHIP JALAN SULTAN ISMAIL, 40-1 & 40-2 Jalan Sultan Ismail,
KL (Tel: 03-2141 8805) Business hours: Noon-midnight (Sun-Thurs), noon-1am (Fri
& Sat). Pork-free. Still a hit among locals and
foreigners. Serves escargots, Chinatown Shark’s Fin with Crabmeat, steaks in 18
different styles. Wait staff dress according to rank of sailors on a ship.
TONY ROMA’S, LL1.43, Lower Level One, Sunway Pyramid Shopping
Mall, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, PJ. (Tel: 03-7492 1188). Business hours:
11am-10.30pm, daily. The people at Tony Roma’s are
passionate about their food, adhering to standards set by the Orlando training
centre. Expect hefty portions and enjoy the selection of refreshing mocktails
and beverages.
PIETRO, Ground floor, Bangunan ECM Libra, 8 Jalan Damansara Endah,
Damansara Heights, KL. (Tel: 03-2093 6433). Business hours: Noon-2.30pm,
6pm-10.30pm, daily. Pork free. Pietro now caters to groups of people who want both Italian and
also Asian dishes, following requests from its customers. Some of the
recommended dishes are Mushroom Ravioli Stuffed with Duck, Bouillabaisse Sauce
Risotto topped with Spinach and Jumbo King Prawns and Pistachio Crusted Lamb
Rack marinated with Rosemary and Shiraz Reduction.
To submit food listings and
food-related queries, please email to metrocfood@gmail.com or call 03-79671388
ext 1322.
The Star OnLine
Breakthrough eco-friendly rice enhancer to
benefit farms
Farms are expected to benefit from a breakthrough
environment-friendly rice production enhancer developed from seaweeds by the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST).DOST Secretary Mario Go Montejo
said the agency will expand coverage of multi-location field trials of the
carrageenan fertilizer additive.
Rice field (File)
The decision to expand the field trials came after such trials
conducted in Pulilan, Bulacan showed that carrageenan, which is extracted from
edible seaweed, when added to fertilizers can, among other benefits, help make
rice crops stronger, produce more harvest, and become more anti-disease
resistant.Montejo said an earlier study by an attached agency of the DOST, the
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), was used in research on the use
of carrageenan as fertilizer additive. “The DOST invests in research and
development in agriculture leading to ensuring food security. Not only do we
find ways and means to increase farm yields and make crops pest-resistant but
we also use science and technology to benefit the common ‘tao’, putting more
food on their table,” Montejo said.The study of PNRI, which is implementing the
Growth Promoter Program, involves the subjecting of carrageenan to irradiation
to degrade the substance’s particles so that it can be optimally absorbed by
plants. More research, to be funded by the Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development
(DOST-PCAARRD), is in the offing.Montejo said the DOST will partner with the
Department of Agriculture (DA) in expanding the field trials.He said the
DOST-DA partnership is targeting to further test the technology on some 4,000
hectares of farms in the next cropping season.He also said the “PNRI is
developing precision farming methods using nuclear techniques to determine the
right amount and timing of fertilizer application during a crops’ different
growth stages.”The study also includes how to optimize irrigation scheduling to
make farmers reduce their cost of their inputs, he added.Meanwhile, the DOST’s
PCAARRD, in citing its Pulilan research, said, “Carrageenan plant growth
regulator (CPGR) has been found successful in increasing rice yield by over 65
percent in a multi-location project.”The trial conducted in Bulacan by the team
of Dr. Gil Magsino of the National Crop Protection Center-University of the
Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB-NCPC) showed what could be a breakthrough in
raising rice productivity and helping in food security.PNRI Director Dr.
Alumanda dela Rosa told the Manila Bulletin the program, which was started in
2012, is being conducted in multi-locations in Pulilan, Bulacan, and Nueva
Ecija and three other areas, including Pagadian City, Zamboanga Peninsula.Dela
Rosa said the plant growth promoter product from seaweeds was derived through
irradiation.“We have to make the test in multi-locations to ensure its
efficacy,” she said, adding that initial positive results showed consistency in
areas already tested.PCAARRD said test results showed “on grain weight,
application of three and six bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare, combined
with 200 ppm (or 20 mL/L) of CPGR yielded higher grain weight than farmers’
practice of applying nine bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare.”
http://www.mb.com.ph/breakthrough-eco-friendly-rice-enhancer-to-benefit-farms/#ibGHQcv312llKKgr.99
Rice still grows on Kauai
Island continues to show
diveristy in agriculture
Posted: Sunday, November
29, 2015 12:30 am
Jan Tenbruggencate |
Rice, a traditional Kauai crop, is still grown here — primarily
for research.
Adam Killermann just planted a couple of acres of rice in a field
near Lihue — continuing a decades-old Kauai’s agricultural tradition.
A lot of folks, aware of the Haraguchi family’s renovation of the
old rice mill in Hanalei, know that Kauai was once a big commercial rice
producer. The Hanalei rice fields have long been placed back into the
production of taro, although the Haraguchis are considering replanting some of
their taro loi in rice.
There’s still rice being grown elsewhere on the island — albeit in
small patches.
In recent years the research firm BASF Plant Science has grown rice
on leased land on the Westside of the island, although it recently completed
its harvest and doesn’t have any planted at this time. BASF site leader Steve
Lupkes said the most recent crop was genetically engineered to increase yields.
The rice Killermann is growing is not genetically engineered.
“This is traditional plant breeding. Each year we grow thousands
of breeding lines developed by rice breeders for the California Cooperative
Rice Research Foundation,” he said.
The few that make the grade and become varieties (48 since 1969)
will be marketed as Calrose rice, but there’s also some basmati and jasmine,
aromatic long grains.
The winter rice work was done for the foundation for many years in
Wailua by an arm of the University of Hawaii, but in recent years has been done
by private farmers. Killermann’s agricultural firm AJAR is the latest of them.
His area supervisor on the project is Maxwell Manera.
The nonprofit rice research foundation is the research arm of the
California rice growing industry, and it is funded by that state’s rice
growers. They grow winter crops of rice varieties in Hawaii, since it tends to
be too cold for the crop in California winters.
It can take as much as 10 years to develop a new commercial rice
variety, and the ability to grow a crop in winter in Hawaii can cut the cycle
time in half, he said.
Breeders are looking for many different traits as they seek new
varieties for the industry.
“Important breeding objectives include the incorporation of
cooking and grain quality, disease resistance, high grain and milling yield,
seedling vigor, cold tolerance, early maturity, semi-dwarf plant type and
lodging resistance into future rice varieties,” says the industry website.
(Lodging is the tendency of a plant to fall over due to its own weight or wind
and rain.)
Killermann has several fields that will be flooded like a taro
patch once the new rice seedlings are 4 or 5 inches tall. The flooding keeps
weeds down. The crop takes about five months to mature.
Breeders will return to Kauai in March to inspect and select their
preferred lines. Those rice seeds will be shipped to California for further
varietal development.
Some of the rice is directly planted in the field. Some are seeds
from hand cross pollination and are planted in pots to be transplanted into the
field later.
Killermann said the fields will be entirely tented with fabric
mesh as the rice gets ready to produce seeds — to keep birds out. Birds, which
eat rice grains, have long been a major problem for rice growers.
It is all part of the remarkable diversity of agriculture on the
island. While Kauai’s economy is more dependent on tourism than any other
Hawaiian county, its diversified agriculture ventures are holding on, and in
some cases even growing. Our island’s agricultural industry is supported by a
number of organizations, among them the Kauai County Farm Bureau and the Family
and Friends of Agriculture.
•••
Jan TenBruggencate is a communications consultant, author
and retired newspaper reporter who lives on Kauai. He is also a canoe paddler,
beekeeper and active volunteer.
http://thegardenisland.com/business/local/rice-still-grows-on-kauai/article_641e3dee-d8a8-5d39-8c94-b0b677f64537.html
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