Los Banos, Philippines, Rice is one of the essential food for human survival. Famine in certain regions often occur due to no food because there is no water to grow rice.

But now scientists have discovered a new breakthrough and are developing superior varieties of rice plants that can grow in dry areas and do not need much water.

This plant has been developed by scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the genotype has spread to other Asian countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Initially, scientists planted this rice genotypes in two separate land at IRRI headquarters in Los Banos, Philippines. Both lands have the same level of soil fertility but distinguished by the number of reception the water.

IRRI scientists are able to identify 26 genotypes of rice that is named aerobic rice.This is the second-generation aerobic rice varieties that show significant results compared with the first generation plants.

The first generation aerobic rice is tolerant to water, but shows the condition with a decrease in plant height, harvest index and grain yield.

“Second-generation aerobic rice is a good strategy to cope with the increasing water shortage and ensure food security of rice in the tropics,” said Zhao Dule, coauthor of the study, reported by Medindia on Monday (6/12/2010).

According to Zhao, the research on aerobic rice breeding continues IRRI.Researchers are now trying to develop rice plants tolerant to drought, is also competitive against weeds and high quality.

This study has been published in the journal Crop Science. If the rice crop is expected success no longer the problem of hunger because they do not eat rice in certain areas.

In Indonesia there was already a rice plant that does not require much water is upland rice. Planted without irrigation in fields such as planted on dry land by relying on water from rain-fed.