New varieties will be freely available
How would your research benefit India and other south and Southeast Asian countries?
Our team has introduced the submergence-tolerance trait into a rice variety (Swarna) that is already popular with farmers in south and Southeast Asia. This variety is currently grown over as much as 6 million hectares. The development and cultivation of Swarna-Sub1 is expected to increase food security for 140 million farmers, 70 million of whom live on less than US $1 per day. Development of submergence-tolerant rice varieties for commercial production in Laos, Bangladesh and India is now well under way.
Are you seeking any patent on your discoveries?
No. The new varieties will be freely available in India and elsewhere as soon as the national programmes approve it (standard practice). Test plots are being prepared in farmers' fields.
Are any private corporations involved in the research?
No.
What is the cost of the research? How long did it take to get the results?
It took ten years at University of California, Davis and three grants (US $600,000) from the US department of agriculture, plus investments by IRRI and USAID.
