Rice expert calls for science-based second Green Revolution

A second science-based Green Revolution is needed for increasing rice productivity as the health of rice-based systems determines the fate of Indian agriculture, Robert S. Zeigler, director general, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, said here on Friday.

At a seminar on “Rice Research Innovations for Addressing Global Food Security in a Changing Climate” held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in connection with the Centenary Year of the Paddy Breeding Station, he said that this revolution would be made possible by tapping innovations in genetics, molecular biology and plant physiology, and linking soil biology and chemistry.

With the number of people going hungry on the increase, the world needed an additional quantity of 114 million tonnes rice by 2035, Mr. Zeigler said.

“The world’s rice will come, ideally by increasing productivity on existing rice lands, mostly in Asia, and may be later from Africa. But in Asia, land, labour and water are moving out of rice cultivation. If Asia does not produce sufficient rice, the world will go hungry,” the director general said.

“Rice, unlike wheat, has been tremendously diversified and domesticated. This is because it is more than just food for nearly 50 per cent of the world population and for more than 75 per cent of the poor. Without rice, it would be impossible to feed the Asian population, keeping in mind the climatic conditions,” he added.

Climate change

Pointing out that climate change effects in Asia would hit rice production hard, Mr. Zeigler said it was essential to produce climate-ready rice.

Global climate change would affect rice farmers for decades to come and could increase frequency of droughts, flooding and sea water intrusion. Flood resistant, drought resistant, and combined flood-drought resistant varieties of rice would help address climate change effects.

K. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor of TNAU, tracing the partnership of IRRI and TNAU over the years, said the institute had been sensitive to the requirements of Tamil Nadu and had offered many varieties starting from the miracle rice IR 8 to the most recent green super rice materials for evaluation and use.

“IRRI is developing rice varieties adapted to climate change and management strategies to cope with climate change. India has seen unprecedented adoption rates of rice, developed at IRRI, which can survive flooding for up to two weeks. These submergence tolerant rice varieties are helping farmers who are cultivating rice in areas that are experiencing flooding,” the Vice-Chancellor said.