Use of Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties to counteract impacts of sea surges and saltwater intrusion, Philippines

Use of Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties to counteract impacts of sea surges and saltwater intrusion, Philippines

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

There are 400 000 ha of coastal saline soils in the Philippines, of which 100 000 ha are in mangroves, 175 000 ha are in fishponds and 125 000 ha are idle. Due to changes in the climatic and other environmental factors / parameters, Bicol’s coastal region is undergoing and experiencing various changes in the cropping pattern. About 70 000 ha of rice production area in Bicol and Cagayan Valley are potentially affected by saline water intrusion, thereby needing special attention and improvement (PhilRice, 2001). Rice areas along the nipa palm in Rizal and Bagacay, are usually affected by saline intrusion. Farmers in these areas normally experienced low rice production, because the present rice varieties used are suitable for the increasing saline-stressed environment, especially during may (end of dry season) and in December. The wider dissemination of a selected salt tolerant variety, namely NSIC Rc-108, was tested in 3 pilot sites (Rizal and Bagacay, Gubat, Sorsogon) between June and October 2010 (wet season) in lowland irrigated farming systems in Bicol, the Philippines.