Salt-tolerant rice bred at Philippines institute

PHILIPPINES: Scientists have successfully bred a rice variety that is salt-tolerant, which could enable farmers to reclaim coastal areas rendered useless by sea water, a Philippine-based institute said Tuesday.

Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) near Manila are in the process of perfecting the salt-tolerant rice before field testing it widely, the agency said.

“They hope to have the new variety available to farmers to grow within 4-5 years,” IRRI said in a statement.

AFP