Kian, a drought-tolerant rice variety went to pilot cultivation
The goal: sustainability of rice production in the water shortage periods
Dr. Hosseini Director-General of the rice research institute in her press conference with Tasnim news agency: Kian, drought-tolerant rice variety went to farmer field pilot cultivation for higher sustainability of rice production in the water shortage periods.
In an interview with Tasnim reporter in Rasht, Dr. Maryam Hossieni Chaleshtori Director-General of the rice research institute stated that 55 rice varieties have been released and introduced since the establishment of the Rice Research Institute.
Kian is a drought-tolerant, short duration (earliness), high cooking and eating grain quality rice variety which is implemented by RRII in collaboration with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (NARI)) during a 12-year joint project with Dr. Ali Ebadi (senior breeder of RRII) and Dr. Halajian (senior researcher of NARI) were the project leaders of the Kian rice variety. Kian is expected to attain a high grain yield under the favorable condition and with proper management for the paddy fields at drought climatic condition across the country.
She also noted that this cultivar has been modified to resist the drought at the end of the rice-growing season and can resist drought after flowering. Dr. Hossieni also pointed out that this drought-tolerant rice variety is a short duration variety (averagely, 105-110 days), with an average yield of 5.5 to 6 tons per hectare, semi-dwarf (20 cm shorter than local rice varieties), and has the same cooking and eating grain quality compared to common local rice varieties.
Dr. Hossieni also pointed out: The Kian variety has been cultivated at the selected farm as a pilot throughout Guilan province. In the flowering stage, we will cut off and save irrigation water.
Referring to the tolerance of the Kian cultivar to the existing drought conditions, she said: “Before introducing the Kian cultivar, the researchers put it under drought stress in the promotional research project, and the initial population was under drought stress during the breeding and selection phase.”
Dr. Hossieni Director General of the rice research institute also added: Kian has a yield of about 3.7 to 4 tons in drought conditions and in growing seasons with enough water, this cultivar can easily produce a yield of 5.5 to 6-grain yield per hectare.
She also noted that the Kian cultivar has a number of advantages such as early maturity like local cultivars, acceptable cooking and eating quality, and minimum grain losses during the harvesting stage. It also showed more tolerance against blast disease compared to the local cultivars.
Dr. Hossieni said: In fact, our goal in introducing Kian cultivar to farmers is to maintain the sustainability of rice production to enhance domestic rice production of the country at the drought conditions and water scarcity growing seasons such as the current year. Also, its foundation seeds have been produced and will be released for the next rice growing year.