Conquering floods and droughts in Lao PDR with climate-smart rice
Tuesday, 2016/07/19 | 08:07:46
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IRRI Jul 13, 2016 Phetmanyseng Xangsayasane
Chronic flooding and droughts have prompted partners of CURE, led by Lao’s Agriculture Research Center, to showcase the use of submergence- and drought-tolerant rice varieties grown using best management practices to farmers to increase rice productivity.
Figure: CURE and its Lao partners continue to develop climate-smart rice varieties for farmers in flood-prone areas to help increase their rice production and improve their livelihoods. (Photo: CURE)
In Lao PDR, more than 860,000 hectares of land are devoted to rice production, of which 760,951 hectares (88%) are composed of rainfed lowland rice. However, the rice industry experiences losses because of frequent floods that damage rice fields in the central region (10–29%) and across the country (8–21%). Floods usually occur from late August to late September.
Furthermore, the country is prone to drought, which damages and reduces yield from 10% to 50% in the central parts of the country. Drought occurs at any time during the growing season, with early drought in June to July, intermittent drought happening from August to September, and late drought in October.
These chronic problems of floods and droughts have prompted partners of CURE led by Lao’s Agriculture Research Center (ARC) to showcase the use of submergence- and drought-tolerant rice varieties grown using best management practices to farmers. The research team aimed to promote these improved varieties to increase rice productivity in flood-prone areas.
See more: http://ricetoday.irri.org/conquering-floods-and-droughts-in-lao-pdr-with-climate-smart-rice/ |
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