Agriculture Business Week

Farmers in flood-prone areas has a reason to be glad, and it’s the release of the first submergence-tolerant rice in the country.

Called Submarino 1, NSIC Rc194 is IR64 infused with submergence tolerance gene (Sub 1), which the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the University Of California-Davis discovered from Indian rice variety FR13A. It was released on July 7 during the 27th Council Secretariat Meeting of the National Seed Industry Council.

“Submarino 1 is a non-genetically engineered rice plant that can survive, grow, and develop even after 10 days of complete submergence at vegetative stage,” says Dr. Nenita V. Desamero, PhilRice plant breeder and team leader of the on farm testing of submergence rice.

“Normally, rice submerged at tillering stage can only survive for one week, while seedling can only last for three to five days.” However, complete submergence for several days is highly damaging to rice crop, resulting in yield loss, adds Desamero.

First introduced to farmers in flood prone San Antonio, Nueva Ecija before the 2008 wet season, Submarino l will have the same yield performance of IR64 (4.5 t/ha) under favorable condition. It matures in 112-116 days and grows as high as 90 cm-95 cm. However, it is not advisable to grow it in blast and tungro-stricken areas, says Desamero.

Recently, PhilRice and Department of Agriculture Regional Field Units have started conducting adaptation trials of Submarino I and other Sub 1 lines like Swarna Sub 1, IR49830-7-1-2-3, and PhilRice lines in selected municipalities around the country. And this wet season, 0.3 ha is allotted for the production of Submarino 1 breeder seeds and 0.5 ha for foundation seeds. The area will be expanded in 2010 dry season to produce more commercial seeds for the 2010 wet season.

By Reynaldo F. Diocton and Hanah Hmm. Biag