Thai Flood-Resistant Jasmine Rice To Be Available Next Year

A new flood-resistant variety of jasmine rice seeds will be available to Thai farmers by next year, Rice department chief Suraphong Pransilapa said Thursday. "Field trials of the new rice have just been completed," Suraphong said. "The upgraded variety can withstand up to 20 days of submergence of paddy fields due
to floods and save farmers from losing the crop." 
 
The rice, Khao Dok Mali Thon Nam Thuam, has the physical characteristics and long translucent grain common to regular jasmine rice. It is the result of a yearlong effort by scientists at the department working in conjunction with Kasetsart University, he said. 
 
Apichart Vanavichit, director of the state-run Rice Gene Discovery Unit, said the research team first examined the weakness of regular jasmine rice eight years ago. It is popular with farmers in the north and northeast, but can't
tolerate flooding at critical times of the year. 
 
With initial funding coming from Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the team began searching for the right genes to give it flood-resistant qualities. The research team found the genes in a species of Indian rice and
experimented with implanting the extracted genes into regular jasmine rice. The stems of the jasmine rice became stronger, and better able to resist flooding, Apichart said. 
 
The growing of flood-resistant jasmine rice showed that local varieties are significant in rice development, he said, adding studies should be made of many local varieties that contain unique qualities before they disappear. 
 
"Researchers and local farmers should learn together in developing new varieties. That would pave the way for more sustainable preservation efforts," said Apichart. "The government will further develop the strain and promote the new variety in a big way, which will be readily available next year," he said.