Breeding of paddy rice varieties for animal feed in warm regions of Japan

Abstract

In the Kyushu region, located in southern Japan, the area of paddy rice cultivated for wholecrop silage (WCS) and grain feed is increasing rapidly and has exceeded 8,000ha. At the Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center (KARC), various paddy rice varieties for WCS and grain feed have been developed in response to cultivation types in this region. "Makimizuho" is a WCS variety featuring early maturity and enabling cultivation in a dual-crop system. "Mogumoguaoba" is a variety with strong culm and high yield, making it usable for both WCS and grain feed. "Tachiaoba" is a high-yield variety for WCS with late maturity. "Ruriaoba" shows superior productivity under twice-harvested cultivation. "Mizuhochikara" is a variety with high grain yield and superior lodging resistance. These varieties are expected to help boost the feed self-sufficiency ratio in Kyushu.