Rice productivity will increase by 30-50% in the next 10-15 years thanks to new varieties

The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) expects rice yields to rise by 30-50% over the next 10 to 15 years, thanks to biotechnology advances that allow scientists to strengthen Genetic characteristics.

IRRI Director Robert Ziegler said the institute is looking for ways to increase plant photosynthesis to make rice more efficient. Thus, IRRI will have to convert from C3 to C4 rice variety. 'C' is the amount of plant carbon absorbed during photosynthesis for growth. For example, corn is a C4 plant, which usually absorbs the carbon dioxide in the air, combining it with water for metabolism.

Doing this means that researchers will significantly increase productivity, but the path they take is quite arduous. IRRI will have to go through the first 3-4 years of research to ' test the idea ', followed by a hybrid phase lasting 10-15 years before acquiring new varieties.

Rice is an essential food for millions of millions of people around the world, so a good crop will help many people escape from food shortages. According to calculations, the best rice growing areas in the world often have a yield of 8-9 tons of rice / ha. Rice needs abundant water supplies; 1 ha of rice cultivation requires 6,000 m3 of water (not including the amount of water infiltrated into the soil), 1 ha of sandy soil needs 10,000 m3 of water, and 1 ha of clay requires only 3,000 m3.