MELAKA, June 28 — The Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuklear Malaysia) will increase the production of IS21 paddy seeds for distribution to farmers, thus expanding the cultivation of the high-quality variety nationwide.
Its director-general Abdul Rahim Harun said currently the quota of the IS21 seeds, generated using nuclear technology with a gamma radiation-induced mutation method, was 4,800 metric tonnes per season.
“The maturation period of IS21 rice is similar to other varieties but with its characteristics, including high quality, resistance to unpredictable weather changes such as drought and floods and can survive if submerged in water for about 20 days, farmers do not need to replant the crops, thus saving costs.
“This seed also has good response with minimal use of fertiliser, as well as its disease-resistant nature to rice blast disease which reduces yield. It also does not require many pesticides to fight off diseases,” he told reporters after officiating the opening of the 2022 Scientific Writing and Publishing Seminar and Workshop, here today.
Also present was Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran.
Commenting further, Abdul Rahim said that thus far IS21 paddy seeds had been planted in several areas, totalling 70,000 hectares nationwide, including in Selangor, Johor and Kelantan, and involving 40,000 farmers, since its introduction in November last year.
He said that the IS21 paddy seed production plant, developed in Sekinchan, Selangor, by the Nuklear Malaysia, together with a legal paddy producer company, and costing about RM2 million, through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) research and development (R&D) fund, will be at the completion stage in September.
“Once the plant is ready, it will produce high-quality international standard operating procedures (SOPs) seeds for farmers and can increase crop production yields and (enable) better income than before,” Abdul Rahim said.
— Bernama
