The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) bred two inbred varieties giving rice farmers in irrigated lowlands more options to choose varieties suited for their area.
The Rice Technical Working Group of the National Seed Industry Council recommended the release of NSIC Rc224 (Tubigan 19) and NSIC Rc226 (Tubigan 20) after the varieties showed better performance than the check varieties, PSB Rc82 and PSB Rc18, during the multi-location adaptation trials.
Emily C. Arocena, one of the varieties’ breeders, said NSIC Rc224 yielded an 11.5 and 7 percent advantage over PSB Rc82 and PSB Rc18, respectively.
Yielding an average of 5.7-5.8 tons per hectare across season, the variety was recommended for its adaptation in 18 of the 22 trial sites, wherein it yielded 9 tons per hectare in one of the sites. Trials showed that the variety has significantly higher yield in Isabela, Palawan, Bohol, Davao del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, and Northern Samar.
With 111 maturity days, the variety has eating quality better than IR64, strong lodging resistance, and good milling and headrice recovery.
The long and slender grained-variety is moderately resistant to green leafhopper, brown planthopper, blast, and stem borer. However, Thelma F. Padolina, principal breeder and project leader of the development of rice varieties for irrigated lowland, noted that NSIC Rc224 is not suited for areas regularly stricken with tungro and bacterial leaf blight.
On the other hand, NSIC Rc226 is an early maturing variety that produces an average harvest of 6.2 tons per hectare across season. It matures in 112 days when transplanted and 104 days when direct wet-seeded.
The variety is also moderately resistant to green leafhopper, brown planthopper, and yellow stem borer. Unlike NSIC Rc224, Rc226 could moderately withstand tungro attacks.
A long and intermediate grain, NSIC Rc226 also has very good grain quality and milling recovery.
PhilRice’s Income Generation Office supplies and maintains the seeds and seedstock of the newly released varieties.
DA-PhilRice is a government-owned and controlled corporation that aims at developing high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. /MP
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