The NSW Government has developed a cold-tolerant rice variety that will increase yields and improve water use in rice production.
The variety, Sherpa, (formerly known as YRM69) was released at this date.
Its 2˚C improved tolerance is the culmination of 30 years of strategic and applied research into improve cold tolerance of rice production.
According to Dr John Oliver, Director of Industry &Investment NSW’s Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, “a 2˚C reduction is only the first step and will allow some positive management practice changes. We are aiming at 7˚C which could totally change water management of rice farming.”
Rice production in south-eastern NSW is often at the mercy of low overnight temperatures at the critical stage of pollen development. These conditions can reduce yields and to ameliorate these low temperatures, deep-watering practices are applied. The industry suffers a 1 tonne/ha loss from cold every one year in three, and greater than 2 tonne/ha loss every one year in 10. For every 1'C increment we can get the threshold down halves the probably of these occurrences.
Sherpa’s cold tolerance should allow farmers to apply more tactical water applications while increasing yields by up to two and four more tonnes of rice per hectare.
“With water a limited and premium commodity in itself, irrigation farmers require a crop which returns a bankable yield despite seasonal fluctuations in temperatures,” says NSW Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan. “Sherpa has the potential to end the current rollercoaster in yields producers face due to cold and hot seasons,” Mr Whan says.
Sherpa was developed by Industry & Investment NSW researchers in collaboration with SunRice and its subsidiary Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd with grower-derived research levies managed through Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).
Fuente: sciencealert
