Upland Rice Survives in Dry Land
The Monitor ( Kampala ) NEWS 22 August 2005
By Jan Ajwang

Ever heard of rice that grew in dry land? Meet upland rice, which will thrive in land where other crops are grown and not necessarily in wetlands.

Upland rice is specifically bred to suit Africa 's harsh conditions. It is drought tolerant compared to lowland rice that needs continuous irrigation when wetlands dry.

It is resistant to pests and tolerant to major rice diseases. It also thrives on poor soils with low fertility. Under good management one can harvest an estimated four tonnes (four thousand kilograms) per hectare. On average, two and a half to three tonnes are harvested.

Good management involves knowing the best time for planting which is March and August. It also requires human labour to constantly watch against persistent birds.

Upland rice is environmentally friendly because it does not destroy wetlands and is not in danger of effects of reclamation like the lowland rice.

"This rice is semi aromatic unlike flat tasting rice and has 10 percent nutritional content higher than ordinary rice," says Dr. George Bigirwa a plant pathologist and head of the Cereals Research Program at Namulonge Agricultural and Animal Research Institute (NAARI).

Bigirwa revealed that upland rice research started in the mid nineties. This was to counter the rampant destruction of wetlands in Africa , which was a threat to rice production in the continent.

With the help of an international research organisation called the Africa Rice Centre based in Cot^e de Voire in West Africa , researchers produced improved varieties to suit African conditions

Twenty varieties from West Africa were evaluated in Uganda by NAARI under National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO). 10 varieties were selected and tried in six districts. These are Lira and Apac in the North, Bugiri and Palisa in the East and Bushenyi and Kamwenge in the West.

Farmers in Uganda selected three varieties they considered best for the country. These produced high yields, were resistant to disease and matured in four months, which suited the Uganda planting season.

The varieties also did not shatter in the fields and easily adapted to the environment. After two seasons of evaluation with farmers, NAARI under NARO officially released the upland varieties to the public in 2002.

Bigirwa explains that the varieties are almost alike, but the most distinct one is the NARIC III, which is a cross of African rice with Asian rice.

This breed is the best for African soils.