Upland rice varieties for the highlands of madagascar: Review of a 25-year-long breeding program

Abstract

In Madagascar, rice is a staple crop and food. The highland region is densely populated. Farmerstraditionally grow irrigated rice. However, further expansion of new irrigated rice fields is almost impossible. In order to meet the growing demand for rice, FOFIFA and CIRAD joined efforts in the 80s to create upland rice varieties adapted to high altitudes (above 1,300m). The first varieties bred were released as early as the mid 1990s and allowed the beginning of upland rice cultivation in the high altitude areas of Vakinankaratra. Unfortunately, blast disease rapidly bypassed the resistance of these first varieties of narrow genetic basis. The genetic basis was thus broadened with blast resistance being considered as a major selection trait. Since the beginning, about fifteen cold tolerant varieties have been released, pushing the frontier of upland rice cultivation to beyond 1,800m asl. Twenty five years later, starting from zero, upland rice is everywhere in the landscape. We here present the results of the high altitude upland rice varietal improvement program, the last development of this program and the most recent data on upland rice diffusion in the Vakinankaratra region in the central Highlands of Madagascar.