Salinity and Nitrogen Use Efficient Rice Varieties for Africa

A new project by the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) aims to develop rice varieties capable of coping with nutrient-depleted soils. Researchers at the AATF will use biotechnological approaches to come up with improved rice varieties that can overcome constraints limiting rice productivity in Africa. Nutrient deficiency, particularly nitrogen deficiency, is one of the major causes of declining food production in the continent. In West Africa alone, nitrogen deficiency limits rice productivity in more than 87 percent of rice lands. AATF will also work to develop salinity-tolerant rice varieties. Fresh water is an important resource in Africa, and the ability to irrigate rice fields with sea water can significantly improve rice production.

For the project, AATF will work with the US-based biotech company Arcadia Biosciences and the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA). Arcadia will provide its salinity and nitrogen use efficiency technology royalty-free. The project will also involve numerous research institutions across Africa, which will provide technical expertise and locally adapted rice varieties into which scientists will build salt-tolerant and nitrogen use efficiency traits.

The original story is available at http://www.aatf-africa.org/UserFiles/File/PartnershipsNewsletter_2_April-June09.pdf