Outside Asia, no country produces as much rice as does Brazil. It is the ninth largest rice producer in the world. Average annual yields are close to 15 million tons.
Outside Asia, no country produces as much rice as does Brazil. It is the ninth largest rice producer in the world. Average annual yields are close to 15 million tons.
Rice production in Brazil is a multi-billion dollar industry. It employs hundreds of thousands of people, directly and indirectly.
Given the importance of rice farming in Brazil, researchers are working to develop improved rice varieties.
“We are looking for rice varieties that satisfy farmers, the industry, and consumers,” says researcher Ariano Martins de Magalhães Jr.
A new study explores the progress the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) has made over the last 45 years. Crop breeders developed rice varieties with higher yields and improved sustainability. Magalhães is one of the Embrapa authors of the study.
Read more at American Society of Agronomy
Image: Water entering the rice breeding experiments at the Lowland Experimental Station/ Embrapa Capão do Leão/RS/Brasil. (Credit: Ariano de Magalhães Júnior)
