Increasing productivity of lowland rice in the Mekong Region

摘要

The International Workshop on Increased Production for Lowland Rice in South-East Asia, held in Vientiane in October 2000, contributed greatly to our understanding of methods available to minimize constraints to lowland rice production in the Mekong Region, particularly Laos, Cambodia and North and Northeast Thailand. This paper summarizes key findings in the Workshop, and suggests areas of further research and development for increasing productivity of lowland rice in the region, including the development of technologies to breed stress-tolerant cultivars, thereby increasing rice productivity under limitations of water, nutrient and low temperatures. Further comments were made on increasing irrigated-rice production in the region and on developing GIS maps for agroecologicat characterization. Increased international cooperation within the region and with agencies outside the region is suggested to help increase rice production in the Mekong Region.