Rice

Varieties

Rice Varieties

Coryna spp RICE

1. INTRODUCTION

Rice was introduced in Rwanda in 1960's by various missionaries from South Korea, Taiwan and Popular Republic of China. Since then, rice has become one of the major food crops grown in Rwanda. Following the geographic conditions, rice is mostly grown in inland valley swamps referred to as marshlands. It has emerged as the most suitable crop for the marshlands and inland valleys in recent years. Several reasons justify this recent shift in cultivation habit. Soil erosion in the hills and the associated slopes as a result of intensive cultivation of traditional crops such as banana, cassava, beans and potato has diminished the sustainability of farming in the uplands. Rice is the only crop that thrives well and produces better yields than any other traditional crop, especially during the rainy season, thus rice provides a viable alternative for millions of resource-poor rural farm families in Rwanda.

2. DISSEMINATED VARIETIES.

Rice varieties are selected depending on the farmers' preference with regard to grain height, aroma, yield etc and the agro ecological zone in which it is grown.

In Rwanda, several rice varieties are grown. The table below highlights grown varieties and their descriptors.

Variety

Descriptors

 

Local Name

Grain size

Vegetative cycle ( Days)

Yield (T/Ha)

Other descriptors

Tox4331-Wat 86--3-42-2

Intsinzi

long

160

8.8-9

Resists to wind, tolerates pests and diseases, easy threshing and good taste

Tox 4331-Wat 91-3-1-1-1

Gakire

long

160

8-9

 

Wat 1395B-24-2

Intsindagirabigega

long

160

8-9

 

Basmati 370

 

long

160

2

Low yield but very good taste

Resists to pyrcuralia, easy threshing and good taste

Facagro 441

 

long

160

8

Facagro 906

 

long

160

8

Facagro 56

 

long

160

8

Facagro 18

 

long

160

8

 

 

Grow well in all rice growing areas

Zong geng

 

short

180

6

Yun keng

 

short

180

6

Yun yin 4

 

short

170

5

Yun yin 8

 

short

170

5

Xinan 176

 

short

180

5

 

Muturage

 

long

180

5

Resists to the wind

Does not smell

Wat1276-22-2

Tebuka

long

150

5

Resists to the wind

Does not smell