Improving rice tolerance of submergence and salinity to cope with climate change in coastal areas of Vietnamese Deltas

project summary

The project contributes to enhancing and sustaining future livelihoods and food security in Vietnam vis-a-vis climate change. It aims at developing adapted, submergence- and salt-tolerant rice varieties, and disseminating them in coastal zones of the Red River and Mekong River Deltas, areas which are among the hotspots for agricultural losses caused by sea level rise. An innovative strategy based on marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC), will be used to transform popular varieties into versions that can tolerate submergence and salinity, while maintaining their original characteristics preferred by farmers and consumers. It is expected that at the end of the project, 2 such varieties will be developed, validated for adaptation at target sites. These sites are identified via geo-spatial analysis and hydrological characterization as a means to assess regional vulnerability of rice production. The project will be coordinated by AGI. Close interaction between Vietnamese and international institutions will penetrate through all levels of activities, from concerted lab studies to cooperation on environmental characterization. Vietnamese staff members and students will spend extended working terms at IRRI and Denmark while IRRI scientists will regularly travel to Vietnam. Several trainees and students will participate in a degree training on MABC. Results of the project will be published in Vietnamese and international journals.

Facts

PERIOD: 31 December 2009 to 30 January 2013
PROJECT CODE: 09-P01-VIE
COUNTRIES: Vietnam
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Le Huy Ham
TOTAL GRANT: 4,950,000 DKK