Source: Yahoo! Finance via Checkbiotech

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is targeting to introduce before 2010 a new nutritionally-enhanced and disease-resistant rice variety.

We aim to produce after about three years a rice variety rich in beta-carotene or Vitamin A and resistant to 'tungro' disease and bacterial blight, said Dr. Antonio Alfonso, head of PhilRice's Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division.

Alfonso said PhilRice already began growing in its screened nursery last month F1 or first generation seeds of this new variety to assess characteristics and performance of the resulting plants.

He explained PhilRice researchers developed the F1 seeds by cross-breeding 'cocodrie' golden rice seeds from major seed producer Syngenta with PSBRC82 rice seeds popularly used in the Philippines.

He noted Syngenta used genetic engineering to produce 'cocodrie' golden rice seeds from which plants with yellow grains rich in beta-carotene are grown.

The term 'golden rice' refers to genetically-modified rice that produces carotenoids in the grain, giving rise to its yellow color.

Since the 'cocodrie' golden rice variety is rich in beta-carotene, we hope to produce this characteristic in PSBRC82 seeds, he said.

According to Alfonso, PhilRice is seeking to develop such variety since, he said, available rice varieties in the country are no longer capable of producing beta-carotene through the natural process.

He noted that beta-carotene is the most important of the carotenoids, an effective antioxidant and helps reduce cellular damage in the body.

So we're putting back into the new variety missing genes needed to produce such vitamin, he said.

In a report, Alfonso said milled white rice contains almost negligible amounts of micronutrients.

Unmilled brown rice contains small amounts of micronutrients but Filipinos are used to eating well-milled rice, he observed.

If the agency's experiments prove successful, authorities are optimistic the new micronutrient-packed rice variety will help lessen incidence of Vitamin A deficiency, particularly among Filipino pregnant women and children.

This condition is a major health concern since experts said it causes both night and total blindness, damages the body's immune system, reduces cognitive abilities of children and increases mortality and morbidity rates.

Citing international figures, Alfonso reported some 70 per cent of children under five years of age in Southeast Asia suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.

PhilRice is also eyeing lower rice crop destruction from 'tungro' disease with eventual introduction of the new variety.

This is a viral disease transmitted by green leaf hoppers so total crop loss is possible if young rice plants are infected with 'tungro' disease, Alfonso said.

According to experts, signs of 'tungro' include discoloration and mottled appearance of leaf blades, reduced tillering and delayed flowering of plants.

The variety we are experimenting on now is also expected to lower crop loss from bacterial blight, Alfonso added.

According to experts, this common rice plant disease is caused by a microbe called 'xanthomonas oryzae' which enters through wounds or water pores in leaves and invades vascular tissues.

They also noted bacterial blight can cause farm yield losses from 20 to 60 per cent.

Using resistant cultivars, the experts added, is the most economical and best approach to bacterial blight management.

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