BIOTEC and NSTDA joined the National Rice and Farmers Day 2017 held during 3-5 June 2017 at the Rice Department, Bangkok. This year, the event was held with the aim to honor the late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for his contribution to Thai rice affairs and farmers. The event’s activities included academic presentations and exhibitions on rice production and new innovation.
BIOTEC’s exhibition displayed two new rice varieties namely, salt-tolerant and blast-resistant RD73 and blast-resistant RD75. These two new varieties were recently marked as the success of research work of by the Rice Gene Discovery Unit, in collaboration with Kasetsart University and have already been certified by the Rice Department.
RD73, this new variety is a cross between Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML105) and IR66946-196-3R-1-1, developed with qualities for salt-tolerant and blast-resistant as well as fragrance using marker-assisted selection technique. It is suitable to plant in the saline soil problem area and the area where rice blast disease is widespread, especially in the northeastern part of Thailand.
The other variety is named RD75, a cross between IR77955-24-75-284; a similar variety to KDML105, and DHL279 as resistance donors. It was utilizing marker-assisted selection technology to develop new and improved this variety, notably blast-resistant rice which can be grown in rainfed lowland area in the northeastern Thailand.
The National Rice and Farmer’s Day is an annual event held by the Rice Department, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, collaborated with the Rice Foundation under Royal Patronage, Kasetsart University, the Ministry of Commerce and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. The purpose of the event is celebrated to honor Thai farmers as the producers of staple food for Thai people.