The National Cereals Research Institute, Nigeria and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences evaluated Green Super Rice (GSR) materials in various locations in Nigeria.
The collaborative project aimed at releasing suitable GSR varieties to address different rice farming challenges in the diverse rice ecologies in Nigeria,
The project also trained rice farmers on improved agronomic practices and community seed systems through on-farm demonstrations across the country.
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Green Super Rice (GSR) traits: Breeding and genetics for multiple biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in rice
The Green Super Rice (GSR) breeding strategy began in 2008 at IRRI to efficiently develop lines with multiple-stress tolerance and more nutrient- and water-use efficiency with high genetic gains for various targeted ecosystems.
The development of superior rice varieties with the GSR breeding approach under decreased rates of fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation water, grown in marginal environments and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and with improved grain nutrient elements.
GSR breeding aims to develop stable high-yielding GSR rice varieties with several green traits suitable to be grown under lower input conditions in irrigated and rainfed areas of Asian and African countries.
Seeds of change
“When I tried Green Super Rice (GSR), the highest yield that I had was nine tons per hectare,” recalled Maria Lourdes Mateo-Mundoc, an agriculturist at the Southern Cagayan Research Center (SCRC) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Philippines. “The lowest was seven tons per hectare”.
A combination of more than 500 promising rice varieties and hybrids, GSR can tolerate drought, flood, and other environmental stresses. In 2014, the National Rice Program started the adaptability trials of several GSR lines across the country. The GSR Commercialization Project was the first project Mrs. Mundoc became involved with shortly after joining SCRC.
Growing hope with Green Super Rice
GSR varieties bred at IRRI can thrive in harsh environments such as areas prone to flooding, drought, and salty soils, according to Jauhar Ali, IRRI’s GSR project leader and coordinator for Asia. The seeds had reached the farmers through Evelyn Gergon, a crop protection specialist from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), several months before the typhoon came.
“Until now, most farmers in the Philippines prefer to use seeds they have saved from the previous crop instead of certified ones,” explained Dr. Gergon. “This is why we decided to conduct training on high-quality seed production. I heard about GSR when Dr. Ali went to PhilRice to talk about the new rice in a seminar. That was the beginning of how my team and I were able to bring GSR to farmers in Leyte.”
