Farmers Urged To Grow Flood-Resistant Rice

[laislica]

http://www.japantime...20090821a6.html

Fri. Aug 21, 2009

Gene Trick found that helps rice survive floods; AP

Let us hope that Monsanto are not involved.

I wonder if there are any side effects to eating genetically modified rice?

There is great controversy regarding other GMO crops where the inserted gene allows them to be sprayed with systemic insecticides. When you consume the crop you also consume the pesticides leading to a whole raft of illnesses.

Then there is the issue of who patents and owns the seeds and what royalties have to be paid.

All that glisters is not gold!!

These are the side effects after lab rat tests with GMO corn from Monsanto: http://www.weeklytim...test-news.html.

Google "Monsanto" and you realise this world is doomed, they already found contamination of local crops with these genes all over the world.

This cannot be stopped anymore and every time the Monsanto "cops" find traces of their GM crops, the farmers are being sued for everything they own.

I agree 100%, Monsanto are monsters.

(Unfortunately the link you provided responds with - File not found)

The French study into the whole life of rats when subjected to the Monsanto pesticide Roundup, not restricted to only 90 days is now being refuted by others who have links to or are sponsored by the growers/suppliers etc.

Monsanto are liars and manipulators of the truth, they knew the truth but manage to suppress it.

[jcw]

Senior Thai rice officials are offering gentle persuasion to the rice farmers of Thailand to change their farming techniques to hydroponics. Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 raced to the scene and said today that all rice farmers are being ordered as of 2013 to grow the rice hydroponically as the Government can guarantee ideal conditions across the country for hydroponics.

Hydroponic Rice Farms can be Grown Anywhere

He said is actually a very simple technique, he said that when the politicians stop arguing over who gets to supply the little foam blocks that will initially support the seeds been the plant it will be very easy for the farmers. He said that will actually be easier on the farmers and will help their backs, as they will not have to bend over any longer to plant the seedlings into the ground as they can prepare them on a table and the plants can just float in the floods.

Ideal Thai Flood Conditions for Growing Thai Hydroponic Rice.

Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 said it will help selected business as a vast amount of water will now have to be over fertilized by fertilizer. He went on to say the only one fertilizer will be suitable for application and legal to use, at the time of print the Government was still arguing over who will get this right. He commented that they shall know in the next few days when Parliament is free from their debates regarding whether NASA can use Thailand as a base for climate studies that was canceled several months ago due to delays in approval. Selected approved academics that are alined with the Government pointed out that the poor farmers might not actually need to buy approved fertilizer as during the floods there should be enough shit in the water to feed the floating rice plants.

Hydroponic Rice Farmers Going To Work

Green groups have expressed concern of this ridiculous amounts of fertilizer draining when the flood ends into the rivers and causing enormous amounts of algal blooms. Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 said do not worry about that we already have the clean up planned. Billions of white foam squares will be required to support the plants during the floods, is it all we have to do is dump these into the rivers and they will floats along the top and may be the algae will stick to them, this is not polluting the rivers, it's a environmentally friendly way of recycling toxic foam and letting float away eventually into the ocean.

Farming in Thailand involves the Whole Family.

Who Said You Can't Have Fun at Work ?

[laislica]

Senior Thai rice officials are offering gentle persuasion to the rice farmers of Thailand to change their farming techniques to hydroponics. Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 raced to the scene and said today that all rice farmers are being ordered as of 2013 to grow the rice hydroponically as the Government can guarantee ideal conditions across the country for hydroponics.

Hydroponic Rice Farms can be Grown Anywhere

He said is actually a very simple technique, he said that when the politicians stop arguing over who gets to supply the little foam blocks that will initially support the seeds been the plant it will be very easy for the farmers. He said that will actually be easier on the farmers and will help their backs, as they will not have to bend over any longer to plant the seedlings into the ground as they can prepare them on a table and the plants can just float in the floods.

Ideal Thai Flood Conditions for Growing Thai Hydroponic Rice.

Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 said it will help selected business as a vast amount of water will now have to be over fertilized by fertilizer. He went on to say the only one fertilizer will be suitable for application and legal to use, at the time of print the Government was still arguing over who will get this right. He commented that they shall know in the next few days when Parliament is free from their debates regarding whether NASA can use Thailand as a base for climate studies that was canceled several months ago due to delays in approval. Selected approved academics that are alined with the Government pointed out that the poor farmers might not actually need to buy approved fertilizer as during the floods there should be enough shit in the water to feed the floating rice plants.

Hydroponic Rice Farmers Going To Work

Green groups have expressed concern of this ridiculous amounts of fertilizer draining when the flood ends into the rivers and causing enormous amounts of algal blooms. Senior Third Lieutenant Somchai of Division 6 said do not worry about that we already have the clean up planned. Billions of white foam squares will be required to support the plants during the floods, is it all we have to do is dump these into the rivers and they will floats along the top and may be the algae will stick to them, this is not polluting the rivers, it's a environmentally friendly way of recycling toxic foam and letting float away eventually into the ocean.

Farming in Thailand involves the Whole Family.

Who Said You Can't Have Fun at Work ?

Oh dear, I forgot the fertilizer!!!

Also tied to one supplier!!!!

You seem to have added to my fears.

[Beetlejuice]

.

[Nisa]

from those wacky Britts and the BBC ...

Flood-resistant rice 'also has drought-proof trait'

By Mark Kinver Science and environment reporter, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-12636902

Edited October 5, 2012 by Nisa

[Nisa]

And here is something from those crazy geneticists and scientists in the US along with those misguided folks at the International Rice Research Institute...

and if that isn't enough what of this insanity ....

Washington, March 3 : Flood-tolerant rice plants can surprisingly survive drought and feed more of the world's hungry, says new research. http://www.topnews.in/usa/flood-drought-tolerant-rice-can-feed-worlds-hungry-28090

Edited October 5, 2012 by Nisa

[DeepInTheForest]

Thanks for the corrective, Nisa, for what good it will do.

TV posters are demonstrating profound ignorance of rice-growing here. The ignorance may be excused (our ignorance always overmatches the extent of our knowledge), but not the accompanying arrogance.

The hydrology of Thailand, and the rise of global warming, will make adaptation of agricultural techniques imperative. It should be remembered that Central Thailand is essentially a floodplain, and under the best of conditions, efforts to eliminate flooding entirely are not likely to succeed. As we have seen.

For those interested:

Rice plants can elongate 20-25 cm per day.

http://books.google....epage&q&f=false

Experts differentiate between deep-water rice (.5m - 1.0m) and floating rice (>1.0m). Although these varieties comprise only a fraction of the total rice harvested, hundreds of thousands of hectares of deep-water and floating rice are grown in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as Bangladesh.

http://books.google....ng rice&f=false

more:

Deepwater or flood-prone rice

- Water is 1 to 5 meters deep and is supplied by rivers, lakes or tides in river mouth deltas. Water depth may exceed 5 meters in some parts of Bangladesh, as well as in the Mekong, Chao Phraya and Niger deltas.

- Seeds are broadcasted in ploughed fields, normally unbunded, in regions where the water level rises quickly after the beginning of the monsoon.

- Traditional long tiller and few sprout varieties are cultivated. The plant elongates and floats as the floodwater advances, thus its name - "floating rice".

- Deepwater rice is found in south and southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Sumatra), West Africa and South America.

- Productivity is low, mainly due to climate risks (droughts and floods) and the low production potential of cultivars grown with few inputs. Nevertheless, this ecosystem meets the needs of more than 100 million people, most of them living on small family farms.

http://r0.unctad.org...s/rice/crop.htm

For what my small opinion is worth, I am not a fan of genetically-modified crops (see the link that Nisa provided), as the main beneficiaries are invariably bioengineering firms, and the benefits are always exaggerated. Floating and deepwater rice has been around a long time, and selective breeding helped by ag extension services would aid farmers without the cold clammy hands of profiteers taking their cut.

Edited October 5, 2012 by DeepInTheForest

[Nisa]

Thanks for the corrective, Nisa, for what good it will do.

TV posters are demonstrating profound ignorance of rice-growing here. The ignorance may be excused (our ignorance always overmatches the extent of our knowledge), but not the accompanying arrogance.

The hydrology of Thailand, and the rise of global warming, will make adaptation of agricultural techniques imperative. It should be remembered that Central Thailand is essentially a floodplain, and under the best of conditions, efforts to eliminate flooding entirely are not likely to succeed. As we have seen.

For those interested:

Rice plants can elongate 20-25 cm per day.

http://books.google....epage&q&f=false

Experts differentiate between deep-water rice (.5m - 1.0m) and floating rice (>1.0m). Although these varieties comprise only a fraction of the total rice harvested, hundreds of thousands of hectares of deep-water and floating rice are grown in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as Bangladesh.

http://books.google....ng rice&f=false

more:

Deepwater or flood-prone rice

- Water is 1 to 5 meters deep and is supplied by rivers, lakes or tides in river mouth deltas. Water depth may exceed 5 meters in some parts of Bangladesh, as well as in the Mekong, Chao Phraya and Niger deltas.

- Seeds are broadcasted in ploughed fields, normally unbunded, in regions where the water level rises quickly after the beginning of the monsoon.

- Traditional long tiller and few sprout varieties are cultivated. The plant elongates and floats as the floodwater advances, thus its name - "floating rice".

- Deepwater rice is found in south and southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Sumatra), West Africa and South America.

- Productivity is low, mainly due to climate risks (droughts and floods) and the low production potential of cultivars grown with few inputs. Nevertheless, this ecosystem meets the needs of more than 100 million people, most of them living on small family farms.

http://r0.unctad.org...s/rice/crop.htm

For what my small opinion is worth, I am not a fan of genetically-modified crops (see the link that Nisa provided), as the main beneficiaries are invariably bioengineering firms, and the benefits are always exaggerated. Floating and deepwater rice has been around a long time, and selective breeding helped by ag extension services would aid farmers without the cold clammy hands of profiteers taking their cut.

You know, I have never been a farmer and closest I ever got was trying to plant some seeds from some pot me and my friend had when we were very young. Plants grew about 3 inches and we got impatient and smoked them resulting in a headache. Since then (actually since Google, lol) I have learned to do a little research before jumping to conclusions but sometimes it is not easy. My first thought here was how ridiculous to plant Flood Rice when there could be droughts but low and behold this same rice is also Drought Tolerant. Also learned that 20% of the world's rice is grown in flood areas (supposedly where the rice becomes completely submerged on average once a year) and that a Billion Dollars is lost in crops each year often effecting the poorest of rice farmers as well as obviously cause higher prices and less of this staple food for the poor in the world.

So, I certainly still know very little on this subject but have learned enough to know that Thailand looking to this alternative is far from something that is a joke but rather something that maybe should be debated as to it being the best option ... which I won't get into because that is beyond my knowledge and even more obvious after reading your post regarding other options but I was curious enough on the subject to see if this was an idiotic notion that should be laughed at and clearly it is not and the issue trying to be solved is a real one. And once first world nations, that don't have monsson and have vast amounts of low lying land can control and eliminate flooding and droughts then I'll start to consider holding Thailand to such standards. I mean even in the US with the largest economy in the world, with vast numbers of rivers and lakes, one of the countries with the most fresh water available and extensive infrastructure has been suffering from a drought effecting an entire farming region that is causing massive crop failure and sky rocketing prices not only in the US but globally .... and this is not an area where droughts are unheard of either.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Nisa

[maidu]

How about water hyacinth. They must have uses (are they edible?), at least as compost material. Thailand, The Hub of Compost. I kinda like the sound of that.

Seriously though, take a look at Bangladesh. It's a flooded country. They've adapted somewhat. They have floating school boats - usually about half the size of one of Bkk's Chao Praya taxi boats. Some villages there have a type of bamboo 'jungle gym' which in-shape villagers can climb to try and survive the worst flood surges. Some houses have floating tables and beds. I've experimented with using recycled plastic liter bottles for supporting mattresses. Here's a basic concept: first glue all the tops shut. Now you have cheapo floats. Then tape them side to side in strips or bundled in groups of seven. Use your imagination for how to apply them to household things. You might use them to make a floatation vest for your pet dog or pig ('if pigs could float......'). Put clothes in sealed plastic bags. Even if yours floats away, you might get lucky and get your neighbors' bag of clothes. 'What goes around comes around'

[noitom]

It took CP and the rice cartel quite a while to figure out this strain of rice that could resist floods. You wonder what they did with all their money all these years. This Khao Benna 432 should have been a priority in the Thai R & D for many many years back and developed sooner. They should either fire those bio/agro engineers and chemists or get some new ones.

[CantSpell]

I hope they make credit available for the farmers to invest in snorkels, as well.

Love it ..

And from one of the links:

The SNORKEL genes help rice grow longer stems to deal with higher water levels.

The Snorkel gene

Talk about symbiotic, Snorkeled farmers harvesting snorkel gene rice lol

[TheGhostWithin]

I have an idea...

I urge Thais to develop bribe-resistant MPs! Changing crops costs money, changing corrupt, under-utilized and under-qualified dignitaries is free!

Forget the rice strain, if the government had regulated water flows sufficiently by utilizing the funds given from the floods last Oct/Nov (and this is definitely not the first time Thailand has flooded), the strain of rice would not need to be flood resistant.

Not accepting bribes would also save the country money, and improve productivity, seeing as dignitaries (no matter what color the shirt, before the Political Anarchists start) would actually have to work to earn their coin. And if they can't do the above, how about taking on a Political system which does work for the country. Then you can focus less on subsidizing non-indigenous rice crops and more on educating the poor and under-performing sectors of the economy to give the so called "elite" a run for their money.

Edited October 7, 2012 by TheGhostWithin

[MaxLee]

I think what's next in the government's freaking agenda is to grow flood resistent cars that can swim under water

[rice555]

Hello All, would expert on Rounup/Monsanto, poster #31 please

google "Roundup", so you can find out what your talking about.

Another search on "Roundup ready crops" and see what Roundup

is used for!!!!!!!!!!!!

This topic is about "rice", not corn or soybean.

rice555

[laislica]

Hello All, would expert on Rounup/Monsanto, poster #31 please

google "Roundup", so you can find out what your talking about.

Another search on "Roundup ready crops" and see what Roundup

is used for!!!!!!!!!!!!

This topic is about "rice", not corn or soybean.

rice555

The topic is about seeds and the point is GMO seeds and we should learn what might happen from other GMO offerings like what chemicals have to be used with them.

Farmers could end up tied to restrictive contracts and forced to use fertilizer from the seed company.

Other GMO seeds can not be saved and reused, the contract only allows the planting of fresh seeds etc etc.

I agree that in the case of rice, Roundup would not be an issue but the other matters could be.

[jcw]

I think what's next in the government's freaking agenda is to grow flood resistent cars that can swim under water

Oh no, you mean like old obsolete diesel German subs ?

[rice555]

"Farmers Urged To Grow Flood-Resistant Rice"

From the OP,I don't see this as a general crop blanket statement, only rice.

Have you learned the difference between an herbicide and a pesticide? It help if you

know what your trying to preach, instead of spreading more untruths, nobody wins.

Just more of the circle jerk banter on TV.

There is some flood resistant rice available in LOS, it gives poor yields and poor flavor.

I also believe there is a "ban on GMO growing tests" since the GMO papaya tests.

" Monsanto are liars and manipulators of the truth, they knew the truth but manage to

suppress it." The same can be said about greenshit.

I(wife) have had flooded rice paddy's 2 of the last 12 years here in Korat, have you spilled

coffee on your keyboard again?

rice555

[Ricardo]

!!! where the hell did this statement come from???

Maybe this is only the first phase of a new government scheme. In the next they may propose the farmers should grow Leo beer plantations and Mama noodle trees... I'm sure the minister of science and silly talks Mr. Propellerflopp has already something up his sleeve.

Don't the BBC's April-Fools-Joke Department have the previous-rights to 'noodle trees' ?

Or did they steal the idea from Khun Plodprasop ?

[DeepInTheForest]

I am not an agronomist, but one does not have to be an expert in order to have reservations about IRRI and CGIAR, two bodies who have spearheaded what's commonly called the "Green revolution".

One drawback to schemes that favor a single strain of rice is the sort of monoculture that makes rice more vulnerable to pests. This, of course, is wonderful for the titans of industrial agriculture, many of whom provide financial support to IRRI.

From "powerbase.info", a site which I know nothing about in terms of its biases and background:

The IRRI's rice variety IR8 launched the Green Revolution but it was variety IR36 - released in 1976 - which became the world's most widely planted variety of rice with 11 million hectares planted in Asia during the 1980s. The trend of displacement has continued. By the mid-1980s, just two HYVs occupied 98 per cent of the entire rice growing area of the Philippines.

Dr Hindmarsh points out that such widescale adoption of monocultures has had severe effects on crop genetic diversity with many local cultivars and landraces becoming extinct - some without any seed collection or documentation. Genetic uniformity also increases the vulnerability of monoculture crops to disease, pest invasions, and biological stress. Such crops are also vulnerable to weed proliferation due to intensive fertiliser use.

In other words, adoption of IRRI's HYVs has created excellent opportunities for costly intensive agriculture inputs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, IRRI's annual reports from 1963-1982 show grants from a whole array of US and European chemical corporations including Monsanto, Shell Chemical, Union Carbide Asia, Bayer Philippines, Eli Lilly, Occidental Chemical, Ciba Geigy (later part of Novartis Seeds which is now part of Syngenta), Chevron Chemical, Upjohn, Hoechst, and Cyanamid Far East. (Laying the Molecular Foundations of GM Rice Across Asia)

(The above is from

http://www.powerbase...earch_Institute )

The history of IRRI and the Green Revolution are fascinating, and worthy of readers' investigation. A little searching around on the internet will provide many points of view. I look forward to some hours of happy investigation. Hopefully other readers will do their own searching and reading as well.

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php

Edited October 8, 2012 by DeepInTheForest

[laislica]

I am not an agronomist, but one does not have to be an expert in order to have reservations about IRRI and CGIAR, two bodies who have spearheaded what's commonly called the "Green revolution".

One drawback to schemes that favor a single strain of rice is the sort of monoculture that makes rice more vulnerable to pests. This, of course, is wonderful for the titans of industrial agriculture, many of whom provide financial support to IRRI.

From "powerbase.info", a site which I know nothing about in terms of its biases and background:

The IRRI's rice variety IR8 launched the Green Revolution but it was variety IR36 - released in 1976 - which became the world's most widely planted variety of rice with 11 million hectares planted in Asia during the 1980s. The trend of displacement has continued. By the mid-1980s, just two HYVs occupied 98 per cent of the entire rice growing area of the Philippines.

Dr Hindmarsh points out that such widescale adoption of monocultures has had severe effects on crop genetic diversity with many local cultivars and landraces becoming extinct - some without any seed collection or documentation. Genetic uniformity also increases the vulnerability of monoculture crops to disease, pest invasions, and biological stress. Such crops are also vulnerable to weed proliferation due to intensive fertiliser use.

In other words, adoption of IRRI's HYVs has created excellent opportunities for costly intensive agriculture inputs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, IRRI's annual reports from 1963-1982 show grants from a whole array of US and European chemical corporations including Monsanto, Shell Chemical, Union Carbide Asia, Bayer Philippines, Eli Lilly, Occidental Chemical, Ciba Geigy (later part of Novartis Seeds which is now part of Syngenta), Chevron Chemical, Upjohn, Hoechst, and Cyanamid Far East. (Laying the Molecular Foundations of GM Rice Across Asia)

(The above is from

http://www.powerbase...earch_Institute )

The history of IRRI and the Green Revolution are fascinating, and worthy of readers' investigation. A little searching around on the internet will provide many points of view. I look forward to some hours of happy investigation. Hopefully other readers will do their own searching and reading as well.

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php

Thank you Sir, you have most eloquently expressed the point that I rather bumbled, sorry Rice555 if I upset you.

My dear old Mum had a wonderful saying.

"It sounds easy when you say it fast"

It takes millions of years for nature to develop new strain of plant and drop by drop at that.

Why do we humans think we know more than nature?

We stumble upon a new piece of technology and blast it all over the world - it seemed a good idea at the time.

However, only time will tell if we were right to interfere with the course of nature.

I understand why farmers are happy for the assistance of Science and technology, but I ask - how good is the Science and is Science and technology all there is?

Who is the driving force for the spread of the "new technology" - is is a huge company whose interest is in profit?

If it were a philanthropist who would forgo profit and give it away - that might be another thing altogether.

I have a very dear friend who is involved in pland DNA and identifying what Gene does what. After I expressed my concerns, her boss was quick to point out that they are in no way responsible for how their research is used.

Yeah, right......

Money is the root of all evil.

[Ripple]

Thai farmers should be urged to plant all self-maintaining crops. No tilling of the soil, no planting, no weeding, no harvesting--they just magically show up at the market and be sure to charge the farangs extra.