1. PROPOSAL Improvement of Rice Varieties Using Marker-Assisted Selection In Lao PDR

2. Introduction  Rice is the stable food of the people in the Lao PDR  In the year 2001, the area planted to rice was approximately 746’700 ha and accounted for about 80% of the total crop area and total rice production was about 2.3 millions metric tons of paddy rice. It was the third successive year Rainfed Lowland (69%) Irrigated (19%) Planted Rice Area Rice Production

3. The problem of rice cultivation  Major diseases and pest: blast, bacterial leaf blight, gall midge, stem borer and other  Drought, flood and some year both drought and flood occurred (Rainfed) (the central and southern regions)  Low temperature (Irrigated, North)

4. Future Rice Improvement From 1999, Laos have achieved self-sufficiency in rice production, with further production increases likely to provide the country with a rice surplus for possible export. This expected increased production will reflect the significant expansion in the area of irrigated rice cultivation currently taking place, combined with continue increase in yield in the rainfed lowland environment as a result of increase used of improved varieties increased fertilizer use and improvements to other production practice.

5. The aim of the varietal improvement program is to provide Lao farmers with a range of varieties with increased yield potential, good eating quality and broad adaptability to Lao conditions. Varietal improvement objectives

6.  To obtain good eating quality varieties with drought tolerance The major objective Plant material Donor: TDK 1 Recipient: IR57514

7. Breeding scheme X IR 57514 TDK 1 IR57514 X F1 IR57514 X BC1F1 IR57514 X BC2F1 IR57514 X BC3F1 BC4F1