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Drought-prone environments

Drought in rainfed lowlands reduces crop productivity, depending on when this occurs relative to the growth stage of the rice plant. Drought also affects the availability of soil nutrients for plant uptake and can also increase weed pressure.

Plateau uplands in South Asia are subject to severe drought in the dry season, right before the monsoon rains. The monsoon's erratic and highly variable rainfall can also restrict crop potential. Weeds, poor soils, and poor seed quality also constrain rice production.

A diversified, intensified cropping system would improve farm households' food security and help to generate a surplus to enable future investment in the farm.


Drought-tolerant varieties released. CURE and the NARES partners released a total of 14 new drought-tolerant varieties from 2009 to 2011.

 Drought-tolerant varieties released from 2009 to 2011.
 Country  Name of variety  Year released
 Bangladesh  BRRI dhan56  2011
   BRRI dhan57  2011
 India  Sahbhagi dhan  2010
 Indonesia  Inpago Lipi 1  2011
   Inpago Lipi 2  2011
 Nepal  Ghaiya 1   2010
   Sookha dhan 1  2011
   Sookha dhan 2  2011
   Sookha dhan 3  2011
 Philippines  NSIC Rc270 (Sahod Ulan 1)  2009
   NSIC Rc274 (Sahod Ulan 3)  2011
   NSIC Rc278 (Sahod Ulan 5)  2011
   NSIC Rc280 (Sahod Ulan 6)  2011
   NSIC Rc284 (Sahod Ulan 8)  2011


Drought-related research and development activities conducted across five country partners involved: 
  • 8 line selections and 520 genotypes screened
  • 24 PVS activities and 211 lines tested
  • 70 field trials and 476 lines tested
  • 42 field visits
Two streams of work. From 2009 to 2013, CURE-NARES partners pursued two major streams of work. The first one was developing and gleaning new improved rice varieties through participatory varietal selection and the second one was identifying sets of natural resource management practices that would enhancetheperformance of the new environment-friendly improved varieties.

Countries. Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, and India.