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BUCAP BHUTAN: THE CASE OF RICE 14.1.1 Origin of the initiative Bhutan has a high altitudinal and climatic variation, and therefore is blessed with a rich biological diversity and a wealth of plant genetic resources. Rice is the staple food crop | 14 BUCAP Bhutan the case of rice 14.1 Introduction setting the scene 14.1.1 Origin of the initiative Bhutan has a high altitudinal and climatic variation and therefore is blessed with a rich biological diversity and a wealth of plant genetic resources. Rice is the staple food crop grown from the lowlands 200m in the south to elevation as high as 2700m in the north west and east. The total rice area in the country is estimated to be around 20 000 hectares most of which is irrigated. The Renewable Natural Resources Research Centre at Bajo Wangdue is the leading centre for rice research. In 1984 the centre was linked with the International Rice Research Institute IRRI Philippines and systematic research on rice was started. In collaboration with IRRI several local rice varieties were crossed with improved cultivars. Bhutan sent germplasm of its local varieties to the Philippines where IRRI plant breeders crossbred them with improved varieties and sent back F2 seeds for field evaluation and selection in Bhutan. The objectives of the crossing program were to develop elite cultivars that would outperform the existing varieties by overcoming the constraints specific to Bhutanese conditions. Efforts were made to improve traditional rice varieties by incorporating desirable genes from improved parents for high yield red pericarp grain quality cold tolerance and resistance to diseases especially blast. In the year 1995 a severe blast epidemic caused by fungus Pyricularia grisea raged through the higher elevations 1 800-2 700 m which affected an area of 1 799 acres resulting in the crop loss of 1 099 metric tonnes with an average disease severity of 71 MoA 1995 . To prevent future blast epidemics the Ministry of Agriculture formulated a long-term strategy with an objective of developing blast resistant high yielding cold tolerant varieties for medium and high altitude areas. The RNRRCs Bajo and Yusipang and the National Plant Protection Centre at Semtokha jointly initiated .
