Breeders identify promising lines for developing future rice varieties for South Asia

• More than 100 promising lines were selected by IRRI and India NARES partners for the future development of improved rice varieties.
• Coordinated efforts between institutions significantly enhanced rice research and development in the region.
• IRRI and ICAR-IIRR coordination is crucial in providing technical support to NARES partners for capacity building. 

IRRI South Asia Hub, Hyderabad, India (25 May 2024)— More than 30 scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI )South Asia Hub and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR) participated in a rigorous selection process of breeding lines for developing superior rice varieties.

Their collective efforts identified and selected hundreds of promising lines from 4,219 advanced breeding lines representing different grain qualities and plant statures. IRRI developed breeding materials using national agricultural research and extension systems under IRRI’s OneRice Breeding Strategy.

ICAR-IIRR Director R.M. Sundaram emphasized the importance of IRRI and IIRR coordination in providing technical support to NARES partners through collaborative capacity-building efforts.