Asian rice scientists work on new 'Green Revolution' to boost output<\/p>\n
Vissuta Pothong, Reuters, Los Banos, Philippines<\/p>\n
Asia's landscape would be incomplete without water buffaloes
\ndragging heavy ploughs through water-logged paddy fields.<\/p>\n
The world's biggest continent depends on rice to feed itself,
\nbut farmers are at the mercy of the gods when it comes to crucial
\nwater supplies, and malnutrition is a fact of life for millions.<\/p>\n
No amount of hard labor by man nor beast can combat drought,
\nbut that's where the pioneering scientists at a research center
\nin this tranquil town south of the Philippine capital Manila step
\nin.<\/p>\n
The International Rice Research Institute, surrounded by
\nmountains and green paddy fields, is working on new varieties of
\ngenetically modified (GM) rice that will not only be more
\nnutritious, but will also be able to grow with much less water.<\/p>\n
\"Water is getting scarce as the population is growing, but we
\nstill want to grow enough rice to feed the population, so our
\nmain task is to develop technology to grow more rice but use less
\nwater,\" B.A.M Bouman, a water scientist at IRRI, told Reuters.<\/p>\n
One of the new varieties is known as \"aerobic rice\", because
\nit requires much less water to survive. Another is \"dream rice\",
\nwhich experts hope will provide the body with vital nutrients.<\/p>\n
The \"dream rice\" variety is a product of genetic technology,
\nwhose advocates liken its impact on farming to that of the Green
\nRevolution in the latter half of the 20th Century.<\/p>\n
In the Green Revolution, crop yields surged with the use of
\nnew varieties of food plants and modern farming methods.<\/p>\n
Many environmental and consumer groups have opposed GM foods
\nand many governments have imposed tight controls on imports,
\nsaying more research is needed to ensure they are safe.<\/p>\n
The scientists at IRRI are aware of the concerns, but they are
\nalso excited about the opportunities. The \"dream rice\" project is
\ndue to be presented for the first time at an Asian nutrition
\nconference to be held in India in February 2003.<\/p>\n
However, Swapan K. Datta, IRRI's chief plant biotechnologist,
\nsaid commercialization of the crop will take several years.<\/p>\n
\"It might take a long time as we want to make one hundred
\npercent sure that everything is in order, everything is safe.
\nLots of additional studies will be needed for making sure that
\nthis material is safe for human consumption,\" Datta said.<\/p>\n
Rice is the staple food for most people in Asia, or 60 percent
\nof the world's population, providing about half their daily
\ncalories.<\/p>\n
Datta said \"dream rice\" promised many nutritional benefits,
\nespecially to the malnourished poor as it contained the core
\nvitamins of iron, betacarotene and lysine.<\/p>\n
\"Those three lines of genes would be developed and they would
\nbe crossed with each other to make one rice variety,\" Datta said.<\/p>\n
\"I think this 'Dream Rice' could be a very perfect diet for
\nuse by malnourished women and children and the people who need it
\nmost,\" Datta said. \"You don't even need to take colored vitamin
\npills.\"<\/p>\n
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional problem in the
\nworld. The Institute estimates that about one third of the
\nworld's population suffers from anemia, which impairs immunity
\nand reduces physical and mental capacity.<\/p>\n
About 60 percent of all pregnant women in Asia and about 40
\npercent of school children are iron deficient.<\/p>\n
Rice plants are often severely affected by lack of sufficient
\niron in the soil. Another periodic problem, also being addressed
\nby the IRRI, is lack of water.<\/p>\n
Asia's food security depends mainly on irrigated rice fields.
\nAbout 55 percent of the rice area is irrigated and this accounts
\nfor 75 percent of total production.<\/p>\n
IRRI's Bouman said the Institute was working together with
\nAsian farmers and researchers in China to develop a profitable
\nand sustainable aerobic rice-production system.<\/p>\n
Rice consumes two to three times more water than wheat or
\nmaize, he said. \"So, if you look at all the water that is being
\nused, rice is Asia's biggest water user\".<\/p>\n
Chinese plant breeders have been working on aerobic rice for
\nthe past 15 years, with the rice grown on 200,000 hectares of
\nfarmland in northern China, Bouman said.<\/p>\n
\"We have learned from China that it is possible to grow
\naerobic rice, and we are working with the Chinese to see how they
\nmanage the crop,\" he said. The IRRI has launched its aerobic rice
\nprograms in the Philippines, China and India.<\/p>\n
Several varieties tested at IRRI so far have produced yields
\nof five tons of rice\/hectare in research-managed trials, Bouman
\nsaid. Rice grown conventionally yields around 10 tons\/hectare.<\/p>\n
\"Breeders need to breed a new rice variety that does not need
\nto grow in mud and in standing water,\" Bouman said. \"We still
\nneed to learn how to manage it. For example, we need to know how
\nmuch water exactly that we need to grow aerobic rice.\"<\/p>\n
Water is already scarce in several parts in Asia, some of
\nwhich are major rice-growing areas, Bouman said.<\/p>\n
\"The water crisis is already very much there in China, central
\nand west India, Pakistan and some parts in Bangladesh,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Institute aims to expand trial programs of aerobic rice to
\nseveral growing areas in Asia where water is scarce, he added.<\/p>\n
\"I think potential areas would be in Cambodia, Laos, north and
\nwest of India, Afghanistan as well as the east part of Indonesia
\nand northeast Thailand,\" Bouman said.<\/p>\n
Datta said that the IRRI has also developed another GM rice
\nknown as \"golden rice\", aimed at combating vitamin A deficiency,
\nwhich can lead to total blindness.<\/p>\n
Rice has no vitamin A and very low content of iron and lysine,
\nthe best amino acid that constitutes quality protein.<\/p>\n
Datta said the rice with a yellow-golden tinge can already be
\nshipped to other countries for testing.<\/p>\n
\"These materials are getting ready to be transferred to India,
\nBangladesh, the Philippines, China and Indonesia for them to
\nuse,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Datta is convinced about the safety of the new GM foods.<\/p>\n
\"So far, all GM crops released to the environment have gone
\nthrough all testing and there was no report ever that any GM crop
\ncaused any damage to the environment,\" he said.<\/p>",
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