Kazakhstan Tests Water-Saving Rice Variety in Qyzylorda

A new rice variety, Syr Sulu, which requires less water and matures faster, is being tested in the Qyzylorda region. Developed by Kazakh scientists, the crop could prove vital for farmers as water scarcity grows more acute, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the trials are being conducted by the Kazakh Research Institute of Rice Growing named after Ibray Zhakhayev.

The variety is fully adapted to the region’s climate and soils. Crucially, it ripens in 105–110 days — nearly two weeks faster than Russian varieties currently grown in the area — while maintaining high yields of 80–85 centners per hectare.

The water situation in Kazakhstan’s southern regions forces us to seek new ways to save every drop. In the context of global climate change, such varieties can become a convincing alternative to today’s water-intensive crops,  said Zhanuzak Baymanov, deputy chair for research at the institute.

At the same time, scientists together with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation are testing the Hungarian product Water Retainer, designed to keep moisture in the soil.

According to Lazzat Dzhusipova, director of the ministry’s department of science and innovation, early trials showed promising results: the irrigation period for rice can be cut almost in half, from 90 days to 51.

If both the new variety and the moisture-retention technology are rolled out widely, they could provide real relief for farmers and ease the water burden on Kazakhstan’s southern regions.

Original Author: Alina Pak