Besalohy reportedly registered as a rice cultivar in Madagascar after trials showed 9% higher yield
SCIENCEUnverifiedUpdated:
Besalohy was announced as a newly registered rice cultivar in Madagascar. Developed by introducing a Koshihikari-derived locus into X265, it reportedly had a nine-percent higher average trial yield.
Introducing Koshihikari-derived MP3 into X265
JIRCAS and Madagascar’s National Centre for Applied Research on Rural Development (FOFIFA) announced the registration of Besalohy, a rice cultivar bred from X265 with the MP3 locus. They report trials at seven farmer fields in Madagascar’s central highlands, northwest and east under unfertilized, compost, and compost-plus-chemical-fertilizer treatments.
The reported comparison was with Madagascar’s main cultivar X265 in the same 21 treatment environments; the record does not establish a broader before-and-after production comparison.
Besalohy has reportedly been registered as a new rice cultivar in Madagascar. In the reported 2024–25 trials, it averaged 21% more panicles and 9% higher grain yield than X265 across 21 treatment environments.
The reported result concerns a registered cultivar intended for low-fertility paddies, where access to fertilizer can be limited. Its practical effects on rice production, income, or food security remain prospective because seed production and farmer dissemination are planned rather than described as completed.
Sources
- JIRCAS（公開発表を基に編集）マダガスカルで水稲新品種Besalohy(ベサルヒ)を開発 ―コシヒカリ由来の穂数増加遺伝子を活用し、低肥沃度条件で9%増収―Read source →