Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
1970s, the Corrientes Experiment Station started an intensive use of
CIAT germplasm in its breeding program, looking for materials with
good adaptation to the region and also began to generate its own genetic
materials. LAC breeding programs intensively used germplasm gener-
ated by CIAT to obtain cultivars adapted to local conditions. At the same
time, an intensive rice germplasm exchange occurred among countries
of the Southern Cone (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina).
Until the mid-1980s, U.S. cultivars had a great in
uence on rice
production in Argentina. Those cultivars had good grain quality but
low yield potential. A rapid increase in the use of cultivars with
tropical indica
germplasm occurred in the 1980s in the Southern
Cone. Some of those cultivars originated in Brazil and Uruguay. For
some time, there was much concern related to the grain quality of
indica
cultivars and there was resistance by some industry members.
Also, a hot debate occurred among rice breeders because of the appar-
ent controversy about high yield versus high quality and U.S.
tropical
japonica
cultivars versus
tropical indica
cultivars. That controversy
has now been resolved; since the beginning of the 21st century, no U.S.
cultivars have been grown in Argentina. This was due to the improve-
ment of grain quality and higher yield potential of
tropical indica
cultivars.
At the beginning of the 1990s, CIAT
s rice breeding program was
reduced and it was largely replaced by FLAR. Argentina was outside this
consortium for some time, but in 2008 it returned to FLAR. As part of
that agreement, an alliance of INTA with two other seed companies
(Pilaga Semillas and Semillero El Rocío) was formed.
It should also be mentioned that a few other public and private
companies are working in rice breeding. Among the public ones, the
Universidad de la Plata rice program has made important contributions.
Among the private ones, La Arrocera Argentina and Molinos have
contributed. Some companies, particularly RiceTec and Bayer Crop
Science, are working in hybrid rice. Recently, INTA has been partici-
pating with other seed-producing companies in HIAAL.
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2. Objectives.
The main objective of the rice program of Argentina is
to increase yield potential in order to maintain or improve the com-
petitiveness of rice production. Grain quality is also important because
50
60% of Argentinean rice production is destined for export. Grain
quality includes both physical and chemical characteristics. In addi-
tion to those main objectives, resistance to lodging and resistance to
diseases such as blast (caused by
Pyricularia grisea
), stem rot (caused
by
S. oryzae
), and sheath blight (caused by
R. solani
) are important. For
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