Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e

New rice plant type in Yunnan Province.
constrain production in some areas, flooding is
also a problem. Land salinization and soil erosion
also pose challenges for continued development.
Although the population is still growing,
increased labor demand in urban areas is drawing
many people out of agricultural production and
hurting yields. As a result, labor-saving
technologies such as direct seeding (or seedling
throwing) are becoming more common. Future
trade liberalization under the World Trade
Organization may also affect grain production,
especially for wheat and maize, because domestic
prices for these grains are substantially above
world prices. For rice, however, domestic prices
are approximately equal to world prices, and no
large influx of imports is anticipated.
Production opportunities
Chinese scientists recently became the first in the
world to prepare a draft sequence of the genome
for the indica race of rice. Indica rice is by far the
most widely planted in Asia, and this achievement
has the potential to create many benefits for Asian
producers and consumers of rice.
In seeking to alleviate the main constraints of
land and water, Chinese scientists have also made
substantial progress in improving yields and
water productivity. China has developed the most
successful varieties of hybrid rice in the world,
and more than one-third of total rice area is
currently planted to hybrids. More recently,
scientists have developed irrigation techniques for
rice that reduce water consumption by allowing
intermittent drying of the paddy field, without
sacrificing grain yields. The successful adaptation
of aerobic rice (rice that is grown as an upland
crop but still exhibits a substantial response to
nitrogen fertilizer) to new areas would also allow
rice to be grown in water-short environments. In
the future, construction of canals from southern to
northern China may also help to alleviate water
shortages in the Yellow River Basin.
In other fields, there is also potential for
improved fertilization strategies that increase
nitrogen-use efficiency by improving splitting of
nitrogen and reducing levels of nitrogen
application. Opportunities also exist for reducing
pesticide applications to improve farmer health
and the quality of drinking-water supplies.
Since 1980, China and IRRI have cooperated
on several research projects of mutual concern
such as the exchange of rice germplasm to
strengthen breeding programs; hybrid rice
research to exploit heterosis in rice; shuttle
breeding to speed the development of rice
varieties with high yield potential, good quality,
multiple resistance to insects and diseases, and
wide adaptability; and natural resource
management studies to improve fertilizer- and
water-use efficiencies.
88 Rice almanac