EC stops import of US long-grain rice

Following the us government's announcement that an illegal and untested genetically modified strain had contaminated its conventional long-grain rice, the European Commission has stopped its import. While Japan has suspended imports, the 25-nation European Union has placed strict limits saying the grain will not be allowed unless it is certified as free from the unauthorised strain.

Flood resistance rice comes to rescue

scientists have identified a gene present in hardy varieties of rice that enables the crop to tolerate flooded conditions.

India's notification on Superbasmati raises eyebrows in Pakistan

India and Pakistan -- the joint centres-of-origin claimants for the premium basmati rice on the global front -- are now up in arms following the recent notification by India on Super basmati, a variety originally developed by Pakistan.

Sowing the seeds of revival

The Burning of the Rice, A Cambodian Success Story by Don Puckridge Sid Harta Publishers Victoria 2004

Reaping a double benefit

continuous submerged paddy cultivation doesn't harm soil as believed. Rather, it improves fertility as compared to other agricultural systems, claims a study by researchers from Hyderabad-based International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (icrisat) and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Pattern, Nagpur.

In Troubled Waters

Vast stretches of water-logged, fallow fields, blocked from the backwaters by low mud-and-rock boundary walls. Patches of golden brown rice crops partially submerged in the waters, surrounded by acres of tall kuthiraval weeds. Four women keeled over in waist-deep water, cutting rice stalks; a man pushing a small rowboat with harvested rice stalks on to a shallow canal; another man sitting on his haunches on the outer bund, supervising the work.

Treacherous Syngenta

On September 15, 2005 representatives of Syngenta disclosed to Down To Earth the company's plans to patent a few thousand gene sequences of the rice (Oryza sativa) genome. Further investigations revealed that the world's third largest seed company has filed at least 15 applications to secure patents over the rice genome.

DNA test for Basmati

the eu recently asked for a dna test to prove the authenticity of Basmati rice and avoid the confusion created by inauthentic imports. India and the eu have agreed to work on a common dna test protocol to ensure the genuineness of the rice variety. In the recent past, the European market has witnessed a flood of fraudulent Basmati rice imports; it had even threatened to reject the imports of certain varieties.

Rice for dry areas

scientists from the University of Hyderabad have mapped the drought-tolerant genes in the indica sub-species of rice. "Though such work has been done earlier for japonica rice, it was irrelevant for India where most rice varieties belong to the indica sub-species," says Ajay Parida, programme director, biotechnology with Chennai-based M S Swaminathan Research Foundation. The study will help identify the drought-tolerant genes in different Indian rice species and drastically reduce the effort to produce drought-resistant varieties.

Kalanamak

India rules the global scented rice trade through basmati. But in the last 15 years, the area under its cultivation has remained at 0.5-0.6 million hectares. Production has stagnated at one to 1.5 million tonnes. This is because this scented rice variety can't be grown beyond stipulated tracts in Haryana, Punjab and Uttaranchal (it would lose aroma and essential traits). At a time the global scented-rice market is growing at 12 per cent per annum, India seems to have very few aromatic varieties to offer.