Glenn B. Gregorio, g.gregorio@cgiar.org, IRRI

The recent scarcity of rice and steep rise in price underline the need to accelerate the introduction and adoption of higher yielding varieties. This starts from having good seeds or varieties. Once a good variety is born, technology and business can work together to raise production.

The appetite for rice has continuously increased in Africa, with imports accounting for almost one-third of the total world trade in rice. Imports have increased over time as rice production grows far more slowly than total demand. It is expected that demand from Africa will continue to grow unless unchecked.

Glenn Gregorio checks the growth of hybrid rice plants, IRRI-WARDA nurseries. Photo by IITA

Is hybrid technology the answer to Africa’s rice woes? Is it worth trying? Although hybrid rice has succeeded in Asia, starting in temperate China and recently in tropical countries, sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are still skeptical about trying these so-called “smart seeds”. Yield data from six Chinese hybrid rice varieties obtained in Guinea last 2003 demonstrated a stunning 9.2 t/ha for the highest yielding hybrid, which is three to six times higher than the yield of local cultivars. However, this first hybrid rice tested in SSA was nonreplicated, with extremely high application of fertilizer (160 kg N, 70 kg P, 70 kg K) and no local variety was included in the trial. Nonetheless, it shows the enormous potential of hybrid rice in Africa.

Using tropical hybrid rice from International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the first replicated yield trial was conducted at the Africa Rice Center (WARDA) station, Ibadan, in the 2008 wet season. Twenty-two tropical hybrid rice varieties were tested along with WITA 4—the most popular high-yielding variety in Nigeria—as the local check. Moderate levels of fertilizer (65 kg N, 18 kg P, 18 kg K) and standard cultural crop management practices were applied.

While we were conducting the trial, we received inquiries about the feasibility of growing hybrid rice in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Guinea. Everyone was excited to learn that tropical hybrids were being tested in the IITA farm. The result of this trial could be the basis for justifying investment in hybrid rice research in SSA.

Some hybrids showed yields that were 0.9-1.3 t/ha higher (20-28%) than the local variety under the same crop management. This is good news because to make hybrid rice attractive and acceptable it must have a yield advantage of at least 15-20% over the highest nonhybrid variety. The not-so-good news is that, only two hybrids yielded significantly more than WITA-4. A large number showed poor performance under local conditions since these hybrids were not developed in Africa. The highest yielding hybrid rice yielded less than those tested in Guinea because of the very low fertilizer rate (only 40% of that applied in the Guinea hybrid trial).

Girl with her precious rice harvest, Ogun State, Nigeria. Photo by G. Gregorio

This pioneering hybrid rice trial in Nigeria demonstrated that hybrid rice may be the answer to the need to increase rice productivity in SSA. However, creating hybrid rice varieties adapted to local conditions is a challenging process, especially when it comes to hybrid rice seed production. Moreover, the lack of technical skills and infrastructure to carry out hybrid rice seed production programs is a serious constraint.

Hybrid rice development is like a horse race: unless you start, you can never hope to finish the race. Now we have the evidence that hybrid rice technology might work in SSA as it did in Asia. Could this be the vehicle for the Green Revolution in Africa?