New Rice For Africa
The new rice for Africa was created by crossing O. glaberrima and O. sativa. Because the different species do not naturally interbreed, a plant tissue culture technique called embryo-rescue was used to assure that crosses between the two varieties survive and grow to maturity. The new rices display heterosis, the phenomenon in which the progeny of two genetically different parents grow faster, yield more, or resist stresses better than either parent.
Key features of the new varieties include:
- An increase in grain head size from 75-100 grains per head to 400 grains per head.
- An increase in yield from 1 tonne per hectare to 2.5 tonnes per hectare, yield increases to 5 tonnes per hectare with fertilizer use.
- Contains 2% more protein than their African or Asian parents.
- They are taller than most rices, which makes harvesting easier.
- They resist pests, and they tolerate drought and infertile soils better than Asian varieties.
Some NERICA lines show high growth with low uptake of water and seem to be appropriate for long periods of cultivation in drought condition.
For his leadership in developing NERICA, Dr. Monty Jones was named a co-recipient of the 2004 World Food Prize.
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