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seasons of 2001 to 2002, MS11 yieldedan average of 4.5 tons per hectare, with apremium milling and head rice recoveryof 70 and 61%, respectively.The second temperate japonica rice,NSIC Rc220 or IRRI 152, was releasedin 2009. Locally known as Japonica1, this cultivar is also a semidwarf (89cm), early-maturing (109 days), andhigh-yielding variety. Again, in threeyearmultilocation trials conductedduring the wet seasons of 2007 to 2008,it demonstrated a 25% greater yieldadvantage over MS11. And, strikingly,it was evaluated to have better eatingquality—comparable with that of thehighly regarded Koshihikari, a japonicarice widely grown in Japan.Contributions of japonica riceHistorically, japonica rice has had aprofound impact on rice breeding inAsian countries. IRRI produced IR8from a cross between a Chinese japonicavariety, Dee-geo-woo-gen, and anIndonesian variety, Peta (see Breedinghistory on pages 34-38 Rice Today Vol.5 No. 4). As a result, this raised the yieldpotential of rice from a mere 2–3 tonsper hectare of the traditional varieties to8–10 tons per hectare—and later led toAsia’s Green Revolution. Moreover, thedevelopment of the high-yielding Tongiltyperice cultivars by crossing japonicawith indica has helped Korea achieveand sustain its rice self-sufficiency statussince 1972.Besides increasing rice productivity,japonica rice has been used for a widerange of gene sources to improve coldtolerance, grain quality such as grainshape, amylose content, gelatinization,resistance to diseases such as blast andbacterial leaf blight, plant stature, andleaf senescence, among other traits.Now, many elite temperate japonicalines adaptable to tropical climateare being developed at IRRI throughthe GUVA program. These lines areexpected to provide base materialsfor intersubspecies hybridization todevelop intermediate varieties. Theseintermediate varieties will be anotherbreeding goal for the GUVA program toachieve genetic improvement for yieldpotential, canopy architecture, lodgingtolerance, and resistance to majorpests and environmental stresses thatcurrently pose a threat to the temperatejaponica varieties’ growth in tropicalconditions.Growing taste for japonicaWith the release of the two japonica ricecultivars, a growing taste for japonicarice in the Philippines, especiallyamong urban dwellers and the youngergeneration, will soon be satiated at morereasonable costs. Korean, Japanese,and Taiwanese restaurants and hotelswould no longer need to look back totheir origins to cater to their customers’preference. Most importantly, localfarmers who grow this type of rice couldsoon take advantage of the expandingmarket, reap higher profits, and, we hope,lead better lives.Dr. Kang is a plant breeder inIRRI’s Plant Breeding, Genetics, andBiotechnology Division.A PANICLE of a japonicarice cultivar, MS11.IRRI PLANT breeder Dr. Kang and visitingresearch fellow Dr. Jeung-Hee Lee closelyexamine ripening japonica rice.Rice Today April-June 201035