All About Rice News been extended to two Tarai districts, Jhapa and Morang, at the request of the government. Currently, eight drought-tolerant varieties—Sukhadhan 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Tarahara 1 and Hardinath 2—and two submergence-tolerant rice varieties—Swarna Sub-1 and Sabha Mahasuri Sub-1- have been released by the government with IRRI support.Sukhadhan 1, 2 and 3, Sabha Mahasuri Sub-1 and Swarna Sub-1 were released in 2011. The government had approved Sukhadhan 4, 5 and 6 last year. These varieties, also known as ―climate change-ready rice‖, can tolerate drought for up to one and a half months. The plant can also grow under water-deficiency stresses.They have been recommended for the Tarai, inner Tarai and river basin areas. Among these three, Sukhha 6 has the ability to re-grow even two weeks after submergence. These varieties have a yield more than four times higher compared to traditional seeds. According to Tripathi, 250 tonnes of these seed varieties were supplied this year and 500 tonnes have been planned for the next season.Uttam Kumar Bhattarai, secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, said that major challenges to Nepal’s agriculture are abiotic stress such as drought, submergence and rising temperatures due to climate change.According to him, 30 percent of the paddy areas in Nepal are prone to drought, while 10 percent of the fields are affected by submergence. ―As 27 out of the country’s 75 districts are facing a food deficit, these varieties could increase productivity and are key to addressing food insecurity.‖ Published: 17-09-2015 08:05 http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-09-17/experts-for-providing-better-rice-seedsto-farmers.html
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