From genes to farmers' fields: Indian farmer grows waterproof rice

Waterproof versions of popular varieties of rice, which can withstand 2 weeks of complete submergence, have passed tests in farmers' fields with flying colors. Several of these varieties are now close to official release by national and state seed certification agencies in Bangladesh and India, where farmers suffer major crop losses because of flooding of up to 4 million tons of rice per year. This is enough rice to feed 30 million people.

In this video, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://beta.irri.org ) and University of California researchers visit Indian farmer Basant Kumar Rao in his field near Cuttack, Orissa, after growing the new waterproof rice variety developed by the research institutions.

See more on flood-tolerant rice at http://beta.irri.org/news/bulletin/2008.46/ , at http://www.irri.org/timelapse.asp and http://beta.irri.org/news/index.php/200809084903/frontpage/pr/Latest-Press-Re...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• waterproof
• rice
• flood
• tolerant
• India
• farmers
• IRRI
• UC
• Davis
• submergence

[mayabelldotcom]

oh and then all food will be in the control of the few who will then charge as much as they want and enslave everybody.

[mayabelldotcom]

only one problem. the rights to the rice seeds belongs to the corporations and they have to keep buying seed from the corporations. until the corporations will buy up all lands and employ the farmers. a big time lose of independence to the people.