First, this paper shows that rice varietal development in Nigeria has been lagging behind that of other developing countries in Asia and Latin America, due partly to insufficient investment in domestic rice R&D. The paper then illustrates using a household model simulation that impacts of certain policies, such as the seed subsidy, may be greater (smaller) if they are applied to good (poor) varieties. The paper concludes by discussing key policy implications and future research needs.

Seed is an essential input in agriculture, and the availability of quality seed of superior varieties is often critical for improved food security and poverty reduction in developing countries like Nigeria. However, while the Nigerian government recognizes the importance of improving seed availability, its recent focus in the seed sector has mostly been on improving seed quality rather than on varietal development. This report argues that this is partly due to a knowledge gap regarding the relationship between varietal technology levels and the effectiveness of seed sector policies. We first provide a brief conceptual discussion on how the effectiveness of selected seed sector policies, such as certification, subsidies, and private sector promotion, may depend on underlying varietal technology levels. Using rice as an example, we then provide key historical and international perspectives on how varietal technology development by the public sector through intensive rice breeding had pre-ceded the expansion of seed certification and testing, and show that there still is a substantial need for the Nigerian government to develop improved rice varieties through intensified domestic plant breeding in order for its seed certification and seed subsidy programs to be more effective.

In 1960, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) opened near Manila in the Philippines. It's goal was to help solve world food problems in such a way that the foundations' economic and political concerns about Asia would be allayed. This book is about IRRI's planning and development, the efforts to persuade Asian governments to try to increase food production by following IRRI's advice and the interplay of IRRI's technology, rice scientists, and national research strategies. Focusing on conditions in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this study testifies to the necessity that the fundamental diversity of rice agriculture should be the organizing principle for an adequate research strategy and shows how strategies which are based on other organizing principles have met continuous difficulties and have ultimately been revised or abandoned. This book will be of particular interest to development and agricultural economists and sociologists.

“Recent Advances in Rice Research” is an interdisciplinary book dealing with diverse topics related to recent developments in rice research. The book discusses the latest research activities in the field of hybrid rice, various metabolites produced in rice and its biology, stress studies, and strategies to combat various biotic and abiotic stresses as well as rice economics, value addition, and product development. The book is written by an international team of researchers from all over the globe sharing their results in the field of rice research. I am hopeful that the scientific information available in this book will provide advanced knowledge for rice researchers, students, life scientists, and interested readers on some of the latest developments in rice research.

Rice in perspective. Rice-growing countries. Rice science and technology. The climatic environmental and its effects on rice production. Rice-growing regions. Climatic environment. Climatic effects on rice production. Landscape and soils on which rice is grown. Landscape of rice. Rice soils. Lowland rice soils. Upland rice soils. Rice soils and their fertility considerations. Chemical changes in submerged rice soils. Nutrient transformations in submerged soils. Chemical kinetics and soil fertility. Morphology, growth, and development of the rice plant. Structure of the rice grain. Morphology of the rice plant. Germination, growth, and development of the rice plant. Plant age and leaf development. Tillering capacity and leaf area index effect on yield. Growth patterns in rice. Rice growth in different environments. Varietal development of rice. Taxonomy, origin, and early cultivation. Rice varietal improvement. Current breeding programs. Breeding methods and procedures. Systems of rice culture. Classification of rice culture. Lowland rice culture. Rainfed lowland rice culture. Irrigated lowland rice culture. Deepwater rice culture. Floating rice culture. Upland rice culture. Land preparation for rice soils. Land preparation under different systems of rice culture. New tillage concepts and practices. Power and economic resources of farmers affecting. Choice of land preparation. Water use and water management practices for rice. Effects of flooding. Types of water loss from rice fields. Water use and moisture stress effects at different growth stages. Water management system: Characteristics and limitations. Water management practices for continuous cropping. Water management in direct-seeded flooded rice. Irrigation system management in rice. Mineral nutrition and fertilizer management of rice. Nutritional disorders. Nitrogen. Phosphorus. Potassium. Zinc. Sulfur. Silicon. Insects, diseases, and other pests of rice and their control. Weeds and weed control in rice. Crop-weed competition. Principles of weed control. Methods of weed control. Factors in integrated weed management. Trends in weed control in rice. Problems of wild rice and red rice. Economics of alternative weed control practices. Postproduction technology of rice. Harvesting and postharvest operations. Rice processing. Grades and standards. A systems approach to postproduction operations. Modern rice technology, constraints, and world food supply.Demand for rice. Technological changes in rice production. Development, testing, and adoption of modern rice technology. Constraints to high rice yields in farmers' fields. Factors limiting increased rice production. Minimizing technical constraints. Science and technology relevant to small rice farmers. Unresolved challenges and research strategies.