| Two farmers are inspecting crops with the Provisia gene planted to a field in Italy. These plants have a herbicide-tolerance which allows farmers to efficiently manage weed growth in the field. |
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and BASF will develop cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) and restorer lines with the non-GM Provisia™ trait for herbicide tolerance. The system was developed by BASF and is currently being introduced to IRRI parental lines through rapid generation advancement scheme.
In Asia, the high labor costs required in transplanting crops and problems in water scarcity lead farmers to cultivate direct-seeded rice instead of transplanted rice. Direct-seeded crops require less labor, less water input, and tend to mature faster than transplanted crops. When direct seeding is adopted, plants are not subjected to the stresses caused by transplanting.