New rice variety under trial in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz - Kazakhstan has begun testing a new rice variety called “Syr Sulu”, developed by the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Rice Cultivation named after Ibray Zhakhaev, citing the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Key features
According to experts, Syr Sulu is fully adapted to local soils and climate. It matures in 105 to 110 days, significantly faster than Russian varieties commonly grown in the region, which require 120 to 125 days.
Under proper farming practices, yields can reach 80 to 85 quintals per hectare.
Water-saving benefits
Zhanuzak Baimanov, Deputy Chairman for Research at the institute, highlighted the importance of developing new varieties for the southern regions of the country:

“The water situation in Kazakhstan’s south makes it necessary to seek and implement new ways of conserving water. In light of global climate change, such crop varieties could become a viable alternative to existing water-intensive ones. The results of this research will benefit agriculture and reduce water consumption in rice fields,” Baimanov said.

Testing new technologies
At the same time, the institute and the ministry are testing the Hungarian product Water Retainer, which helps soil retain moisture. This year, trials are being conducted on irrigated lands in the Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, Karaganda, Akmola, and Zhetysu regions.
Results show that the product shortens the rice growing cycle and reduces water use — instead of 90 days of irrigation, only 51 days are needed.
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