LESSONS ON RICE BREEDING FROM JAPAN
MALAYSIA’s ability to produce superior clones or varieties for food crops is the key factor that attracted many participants to the Fourth International Plant Breeding Conference held recently.
One question was raised: “Breeding rice for better eating quality for consumers: are we there yet?”
Choices of rice varieties grown by farmers, and choices by consumers differ significantly. People have different preferences for the rice they consume.
In the world market, as well as in Malaysia, much emphasis is placed on grain length and whiteness as criteria of grade and quality. However, rice quality is far more complex since it is determined by many parameters such as variety, grain, milling, cooking and eating properties.
As a matter of government policy, farmers’ welfare is paramount, so breeding for grain yield and maintenance breeding (for example, pest and disease resistance) remain the prime objectives.
Our rice farmers have always been inundated by the paradox that rice quality traits have negative correlations with grain yield, and consequently, they would spend less effort — or defer — incorporating quality traits for fear of not being able to improve grain yield.
Nonetheless, it is important to ensure that consumers have better rice quality.
Rice sold in retail outlets is produced locally or imported. More than 200,000 metric tonnes of specialty or quality rice — namely Basmathi and Jasmine — are imported annually. They are predominantly marketed according to types or varieties. They possess additional cooking and eating quality attributes, namely fragrance (aroma) and high grain elongation.
Local rice prices are controlled for the benefit of the populace, around RM2.50 per kg, while prices of imported quality rice are floated and are two to five times higher than those of local rice.
In 1984, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) made a breakthrough when rice farmers discovered a grain elongation characteristic in Mahsuri Mutan, which gives a trait akin to that of Basmathi, that is, the rice grain will elongate up to twice its length when cooked. The discovery triggered the beginning of a breeding programme for quality rice.
By 2005, Mardi had made significant achievements and released its quality rice varieties Q34, MRQ50 and MRQ74, which have aroma and grain elongation characteristic. Their successful development is strong proof that grain yield and quality traits can be bred together.
In the early 1970s, Japan secured total self-sufficiency in rice breeding. However, farmers suffered when rice prices fell sharply due to surplus supply.
To overcome this dilemma, farmers were given the option to revert to the Koshihikari variety and allowed to sell rice to consumers who were willing to buy at the prices set by farmers under the Voluntary Price System.
Developed in 1956, Koshihikari possesses excellent eating quality, but was beset by problems of lodging and blast. Subsequently, farmers improved grain yield and overcame drawbacks. Koshihikari spurred the wide cultivation of quality rice, and it remains popular even after 60 years.
Perhaps we can learn important lessons from the Japanese experience. Herein lies the important role of our rice farmers to play the balancing act.
MOHAMAD OSMAN
Senior associate, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MiGHT), Cyberjaya, Selangor
HADZIM KHALID
Former participant in Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute’s rice breeding programme