Breeding for aerobic rice adapted to non-flooded irrigated conditions

摘要

The abundant water environment in which rice grows best differentiates it from all other important crops. But, water is becoming increasingly scarce. Per capita availability of water resources declined by 40-60% in many Asian countries between 1955 and 1990 (Gleick, 1993). The poor people continue to be the worst affected as more than 50% of the population in developing countries is exposed to polluted water resources. For various reasons, the availability of water for agriculture will diminish bothin quantity and quality in the years to come (Tuong and Bhuiyan, 1994). Yet more rice needs to be produced with less and less water to feed the ever-increasing population. Of all the crops grown under irrigation, more than 50-60% of the irrigation wateris used for rice, which is the staple food for nearly half the world's population. Since more than 90% of the world's rice is produced and consumed in Asia, water scarcity would particularly threaten food security in this region. Therefore, the future of rice production will depend heavily on developing and adopting strategies that will use water more efficiently in irrigation schemes.