R&D groups develop 61 new rice varieties over past decade

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — Sixty-one new improved rice varieties have been bred and approved for commercial release during the past decade.

Many of these varieties approved by the secretariat of the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC, formerly Philippine Seed Board or PSB) are now widely grown across the country.

Sixty of them were bred and released during the 2000-2001 period by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

One, a hybrid (named PSB Rc76H, locally called Panay), was developed by Agroseed, formerly Cargill, a private entity.

Before the varieties were released, these were tested for several planting seasons by the Rice Varietal Improvement Group (RVIG). Coordinated by PhilRice, the RVIG is composed of scientists and research and development (R&D) workers and representatives of PhilRice, UPLB, DA agencies and state colleges and universities (SCUs) throughout the country.

PhilRice, which began operations in 1987 as DA’s rice research arm and currently headed by Executive Director Leocadio S. Sebastian, also coordinates the national rice R&D network composed of 56 members, mostly DA agencies and SCUs.

Since 1991, the varieties suited for irrigated and rainfed lowland have been locally named after rivers (e.g., Pagsanjan, Agno, Chico, Rio Grande, Agusan) while those that feel at home in upland areas were given the names of mountains (Makiling, Arayat, etc.).

The first varieties developed by PhilRice, IRRI and UPLB bear the names PSB Rc and are numbered accordingly (e.g. PSB Rc1, PSB Rc50, PSB Rc102).

Now, the new ones are named NSIC, as the latest varieties released starting last November for commercial production, namely NSIC 104 (Balili), NSIC Rc106 (Sumilao), NSIC 108 (Anahawan), NSIC Rc9 (Apo) and NSIC Rc11 (Canlaon).

Most of the 61 varieties developed over the past more than a decade are suited for irrigated areas. The others perform well in rainfed areas, in adverse environments (including saline-prone places) and in upland ecosystems.

Three are hybrids — PSB Rc26H (locally named Magat), location-specific for the Cagayan Valley; PSB Rc72H (Mestizo) which has been found to thrive well in various regions of the country; and PSB Rc726H.

PhilRice also reported that over the past 30 years, palay production increased steadily at an average of 2.6 percent annually. Area harvested also increased at an average of 0.89 percent yearly, from 3.1 million hectares in 1970 to 3.84 million hectares in 1997.

In 1991, the country harvested 9.67 million tons, 10.54 million tons in 1995 and 11.28 million tons in 1996.

In 1998, however, production dropped to 8.56 million tons in view of the occurrence of El Niño.

The following year, production soared 11.78 million tons, further going up to 12.39 million tons in 2000. Production in 2001 was projected at 12.7 million tons.

Notwithstanding the steady increase in production, the country has remained a net importer of rice, as reflected by the figures in the past decade.

In 1990, the Philippines imported 620,795 tons. Imports went down to a low of 198,864 tons in 1995 but again soared to 862,380 tons in 1996.

Imports hit a record 2.1 million tons in 1998 because of the occurrence of the El Niño phenomenon. It, however, dropped to 831,000 tons in 1999. Import figure for 2001 was placed at 650,000 tons.

That the Philippines has remained a rice importer can be primarily attributed to the rapid increase in the country’s population.

Records show that the population has more than doubled since the first high-yielding rice varieties were released by IRRI in the mid-1960s. The population then was 32.7 million.

It soared to 48 million in 1980 and up to 61 million in 1990. As of May 2000, the Philippine population had been counted at 75.3 million.

Given a 2.36 percent population increase every year, three Filipinos are born every minute, 193 in an hour, 4,624 in a day and 1.7 million a year.

Likewise, despite technological breakthroughs in rice research, farm yield levels are still way below their maximum potential owing to the biological, technical, physical and socioeconomic and policy constraints.

The constraints are technology plateau, emergence of new strains and biotypes of rice pests, low technical efficiency, problem soils and declining soil fertility, limited management skills of farmers, deteriorating terms of trade and lack of appropriate and adequate infrastructure.