IRRI launches new set of 130 sequenced rice varieties

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which is based out of the Philippines, has announced the launch of a ‘Released Variety Panel’ that comprises over 130 sequenced rice varieties. 

“The seed is available upon request by scientists and breeders through the International Rice Genebank (IRG), and the sequences are available on the SNP-Seek Database,” an IRRI announcement said.

The institute provided a link on its website to raise a request to get access to the seeds.

“Depending on your country/organisation, you may be asked for a payment to help cover Genebank-related costs. Once all requirements are fulfilled, the seed request will be processed, which may take around six weeks from ordering to shipping,” it said.

The release of this new set, facilitated by IRRI’s Rice Breeding Innovations department, is aimed at increasing the awareness and utilisation of plant types and genotypes of improved rice varieties grown by farmers. These include types of rice that are popular in certain rice-growing countries or are more resilient to climate change effects.

The RVP can facilitate linking upstream rice research with impact pathways. This can help provide benchmarks for varieties with several beneficial traits. Since many of the accessions in the RVP are currently grown by rice farmers, using these lines as benchmarks could increase the likelihood of upstream research results reaching farmers’ fields.

The development of this bouquet of varieties under the panel was done with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF),  the Zegar Family Foundation (New York University), and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).