Philippine wild rices: Diverse and disappearing

Abstract

The genus Oryza comprises two cultivated and 22 wild relatives distributed in different geographic areas. In the Philippines there are four wild relatives of the cultivated rice species Oryza sativa: O. rufipogon, O. officinalis, O. minuta and O. meyeriana. O. minuta can only be found in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Wild species offer unique opportunities for rice breeders to exploit certain special traits absent in the cultivated forms. They are endowed with genes for resistance to important rice pests and diseases like brown planthopper, blast and bacterial leaf blight. The characteristics, ecology, and distribution of the four wild rice species in the country are described. Data on morpho-agronomic characters indicate that the Philippine wild rices are diverse and could be exploited for the development of improved rice varieties. However, populations of wild rice species are now disappearing. In 1963 O. minuta was abundant in Sorsogon, Leyte and Zamboanga but none was found in these areas in the recanvass of wild rice populations in 1992. O. officinalis was abundant in Zamboanga and was grown in South Cotabato and Bukidnon in 1963. Although it was no longer found in these areas in 1992, it has been found growing in previously unreported sites in South Cotabato and Zamboanga. Recanvass or collection of the samples of remaining populations of the wild rices must be given priority in a protection program. Characterization, evaluation and documentation similarly become essential components of sustainable conservation and utilization programs.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Agricultural Scientist

ISSN

317454

Page

133-144

Document Type

Article

Subject

Genetic diversity, Genetic erosion, Oryza meyeriana, Oryza minuta, Oryza officinalis, Oryza rufipogon, Plant genetic resources, Wild rice

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