Adapted rice varieties for Africa Advanced rice varieties for Africa

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.

7•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 7/9

Positive or neutral impact

Adults 18 and over: Positive high
The poor: Positive medium
Under 18: Positive high
Women: Positive high

Positive or neutral impact

Climate adaptability: It adapts really well
Adaptability for farmers: It helps a lot
Biodiversity: It doesn't hurt them
Carbon footprint: It reduces emissions a little
Environment: It doesn't make a difference
Soil quality: It doesn't harm the soil's health and fertility
Water usage: It uses the same amount of water

Problem

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.

Solution

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.

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ORG specific text

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Cost: $$$ 0,8 - 1,2 $/Kg of seed

Initial cost of the seed

ROI: $$$ 40 %

Increase in yield (income)

356 USD

Planting, maintenance, harvesting and winnowing

50 - 111 %

Potential yield

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
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.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
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.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 15: life on land

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.