Performance, Economics and Potential Impact of Perennial Rice PR23 Relative to Annual Rice Cultivars at Multiple Locations in Yunnan Province of China

Guangfu Huang, Shiwen Qin, Shilai Zhang, Xiaolin Cai, Shukang Wu, Jinrong Dao, Jing Zhang, Liyu Huang, Dome Harnpichitvitaya, Len J. Wade and Fengyi Hu
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Guangfu Huang: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Shiwen Qin: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Shilai Zhang: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Xiaolin Cai: Yunnan Agricultural Technology Extension Centre, Gaoxinqu District, Kunming 650106, China
Shukang Wu: Yunnan Agricultural Technology Extension Centre, Gaoxinqu District, Kunming 650106, China
Jinrong Dao: Yunnan Agricultural Technology Extension Centre, Gaoxinqu District, Kunming 650106, China
Jing Zhang: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Liyu Huang: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Dome Harnpichitvitaya: Department of Agronomy, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani 34000, Thailand
Len J. Wade: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Fengyi Hu: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Research Center of Perennial Rice Engineering and Technology in Yunnan, School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Perennial grain crops hold the promise of stabilizing fragile lands, while contributing grain and grazing in mixed farming systems. Recently, perennial rice was reported to successfully survive, regrow, and yield across a diverse range of environments in Southern China and Laos, with perennial rice PR23 being identified as a prime candidate for release to farmers. This paper reports the evaluation of PR23 for release, by (1) comparing its survival, regrowth, performance, and adaptation with preferred annual rices across nine ecological regions in southern Yunnan Province of China; (2) examining the economic costs and benefits of perennial versus annual rice there; and (3) discussing the evidence for the release of PR23 as a broadly adapted and acceptable cultivar for farmers. Overall, the grain yield of PR23 was similar to those of the preferred annual rice cultivars RD23 and HXR7, but the economic analysis indicated substantial labour savings for farmers by growing the perennial instead of the annual. PR23 was comparable to the annuals in phenology, plant height, grain yield, and grain size, and was acceptable in grain and cooking quality. Farmers were keen to grow it because of reduced costs and especially savings in labour. PR23 is proposed for release to farmers because of its comparable grain yields to annual rices, its acceptable grain and milling quality, its cost and labour savings, and the likely benefits to soil stability and ecological sustainability, along with more flexible farming systems.

Keywords: adaptation; cultivar release; genotype by environment interactions; grain quality; labour savings; perennial grain crops; performance; regrowth; survival; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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