Successfully created purebred rice variety SL9

(Baonghean) - Recently, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recognized the pure rice variety SL9 (also known as Song Lam 9) as a technically advanced variety to be included in the annual production structure.

Since 2010, Nghe An Plant Breeding Center has been selecting and creating SL9 pure rice variety. From the center's annual pure rice variety group, after 2 years, technical staff have successfully selected and created SL9 pure rice variety. In the spring crop of 2012, this rice variety was put into testing. The results showed that SL9 pure rice variety has a short growing period, 120-130 days in the spring crop, 95-105 days in the summer-autumn crop. The variety grows strongly, develops well, tillers well, has upright leaves, and the green color of the leaves lasts until harvest. The variety is of the large-flowered type, with many grains, closely packed grains, and a low rate of empty rice. The rice is white, not chalky, sticky, soft, and has a light aroma.

Delegates attending the SL9 rice variety workshop in Hung Nguyen district.

From the initial results, Nghe An Plant Varieties Center has carried out production in districts in the province with many different ecological zones and climate and seasonal conditions to evaluate the ability to resist pests and diseases and external conditions. The results of the yield and quality of this rice variety are very positive. Specifically, in 2012, the variety was tested at 2 plant variety testing stations of the center in Yen Thanh district, showing that the SL9 variety had a yield of 60 - 62 quintals/ha. In 2013, the SL9 variety was planted in Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Yen Thanh, Hung Nguyen districts... with a yield of 65 - 70 quintals/ha in the spring crop and 60 - 65 quintals/ha in the summer-autumn crop, 10 - 15% higher than other pure rice varieties.

In 2014, the SL9 purebred rice variety was highly appreciated by farmers in the province for its productivity and quality. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, in Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Chuong said: "In the spring crop of 2014, the SL9 rice variety has a growing period of 120 days, 5-7 days shorter than other varieties, with a yield of 3.2 quintals/sao, the rice is delicious, sticky, and fragrant". In the spring crop of 2014, many localities in the province have made this rice variety the main purebred rice variety in annual agricultural production, gradually replacing poor quality rice varieties.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy

(Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board)