Arica rice, the high yield, disease and stress tolerant rice
Hybrid ARICA lines are distinguished by their high yield potential, and tolerance/resistance to diseases and pests, such as blast, bacterial leaf blight, rice yellow mottle virus, as well as abiotic stresses like drought, flooding, iron toxicity, cold and salinity. Breeders employ a three-line system to develop ARICA hybrid lines, involving backcrossing which gives new cytoplasmic male sterile germplasm with good agronomic, next to outcrossing characteristics to obtain high seed yield, as well as test-crossing and microsatellite screening for identifying suitable restorer lines. A two-line breeding system for ARICA varieties is in place that relies on environmental genetic male sterility and has shown to achieve similar performance like the three-line system while being more economical. For breeding lines to be nominated as ARICA it must consistently and significantly out-yield the best checks in at least one site over at least three seasons and possess acceptable grain quality. In other words, it must represent significant improvement on the current best variety. Extensive field validation has shown that the productivity of ARICA 1, ARICA 2 and ARICA 3 is respectively 20 - 44%, 50 - 111%, and 2 - 69% greater than for NERICA-L 19 which is in wide use by African farmers.
This technology is TAAT1 validated.
Adults 18 and over: Positive high
The poor: Positive medium
Under 18: Positive high
Women: Positive high
Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable
Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement
Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity
Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released
Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health
Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility
Water use: Same amount of water used
Low Productivity: Many traditional rice varieties in Africa have low yield potential, leading to insufficient production to meet local demand.
Susceptibility to Pests and Diseases: Common rice diseases such as blast, bacterial leaf blight, and rice yellow mottle virus, as well as pests, significantly reduce yields and threaten food security.
Abiotic Stresses: Variability in environmental conditions, including drought, flooding, iron toxicity, cold, and salinity, pose significant challenges to rice cultivation in Sub-Saharan Africa, affecting crop growth and productivity.
Limited Adaptation: Traditional rice varieties often struggle to adapt to diverse agroecosystems across the region, resulting in suboptimal performance and reduced resilience to environmental stressors.
High Yield Potential: ARICA varieties offer higher yield potential compared to traditional varieties, boosting productivity and increasing agricultural profitability.
Disease and Pest Resistance: ARICA lines are bred for tolerance or resistance to common rice diseases and pests, reducing crop losses and ensuring more stable yields.
Abiotic Stress Tolerance: ARICA hybrids are developed to withstand various environmental stresses, such as drought, flooding, and salinity, ensuring more consistent yields even under adverse conditions.
Adaptability: ARICA varieties are designed to thrive in diverse agroecosystems, from lowland to highland areas and dry to wet climates, offering farmers more flexibility and resilience in their cropping systems.
Specialty Traits: Certain ARICA lines possess specialized traits, such as drought resistance, iron toxicity tolerance, and cold tolerance, allowing farmers to address specific challenges in their local and regional contexts.
The adoption of ARICA lines contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by enhancing food security through increased rice productivity, SDG 1 (No Poverty) by improving income opportunities for rice farmers, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices.
To successfully incorporate the Advanced Rice Varieties for Africa (ARICA) into your project, the following activities and requirements should be considered:
A team of trainers could provide training and support during project installation. Include the cost for training and post-training support for using the technology.
Communication support for the promotion of the technology should be developed (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.)
In tandem with this technology, accompanying solutions include:
Deep urea placement (nitrogen management), Foliar micronutrient addition, Engineered irrigation surfacing (and water lifting), Motorized weeders (cut and burry paddy weeds), RiceAdvice digital support.
Consider the specicifity of each ARICA varieites:
Varieties | Agro-ecology | Stade of maturity | Yield kgha-1 | Nutritious traits |
ARICA 1 | Lowland | 101 | 6005 | Firm Texture |
ARICA 2 | Lowland | 101 | 6674 | Firm Texture |
ARICA 3 | Lowland | 101 | 7895 | Firm Texture |
ARICA 4 | Upland | 120 | 4500 | Medium Texture |
ARICA 5 | Upland | 110 | 3800 | Medium Texture |
ARICA 6 | Lowland | 115 | 10000 | |
ARICA 7 | Lowland | 119 | 12000 |
Initial cost of a Kg of seed
Increase in yield (income)
Planting, maintenance, harvesting and winnowing
Potential yield
Open source / open access
Country | Tested | Adopted |
---|---|---|
Benin | Tested | Adopted |
Burkina Faso | Tested | Adopted |
Côte d’Ivoire | Tested | Adopted |
Equatorial Guinea | –Not tested | Adopted |
Ethiopia | Tested | Adopted |
Gambia | Tested | Adopted |
Ghana | Tested | Adopted |
Guinea-Bissau | Tested | –Not adopted |
Kenya | Tested | Adopted |
Mali | Tested | Adopted |
Mauritania | Tested | Adopted |
Nigeria | Tested | Adopted |
Senegal | Tested | Adopted |
Uganda | Tested | Adopted |
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.
AEZ | Subtropic - warm | Subtropic - cool | Tropic - warm | Tropic - cool |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arid | ||||
Semiarid | ||||
Subhumid | ||||
Humid |
Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.
ARICA varieties are cultivated exactly like common rice varieties. For optimal results, follow best soil and fertilizer management prescribed for particular growing areas:
These varieties can be planted manually or mechanically or through transplanting of seedlings from seedbeds into fields.
Fields are usually divided into lines or rectangles by constructing bunds which increases rain water accumulation and improves drainage.
Last updated on 8 October 2024