A rice event was organized in Savannakhet, Lao PDR on 6 April 2016 to foster a farmer-breeder network and to draw farmer participation in the evaluation and selection of rice elite lines resulting from the Molecular Rice Breeding Program for the Mekong Region. The event’s activities included taste test of new rice varieties, variety contest, and demonstration of rice products.
This event is part of the Molecular Rice Breeding Program for the Mekong Region launched in 2004 by the Rice Gene Discovery Unit aiming to promote the implementation of marker aided selection (MAS) into the rice breeding program in the Mekong region, particularly Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. In Lao PDR, two sets of improved glutinous TDK1 were developed: aromatic TDK1 and aromatic TDK1 with submergence tolerance and blast resistance, as well as Hom Xebangfai2 (HXBF2), an aromatic, flood and drought tolerant non-glutinous rice variety. The current phase of the program, starting in 2014, focuses on the dissemination of new improved Mekong rice varieties to farmers via farmer participatory and sustainable seed production approaches. In 2014-2015, HXBF2 seed was produced and distributed to farmers in Nongbok and Ghonmalad districts. In 2015, seed of aromatic TDK1 was produced at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and distributed to farmers in 4 districts in Vientiane province. Seed production of six aromatic TDK1 with submergence tolerance and blast resistance lines was conducted at Thasano Rice Research and Seed Multiplication Center in 2015 and three lines were selected for further seed multiplication this year.