After interviewing smallholder farmers throughout South and Southeast Asia, one of the top needs they mentioned is development of shorter duration rice varieties with only 100 days from sowing to harvest. Some farmers want to have more time to prepare for the next season crop, whereas other farmers are concerned about irrigation water running out during the dry season. Another benefit in countries such as the Philippines is reducing the risk of adverse weather (e.g., typhoons) affecting the crop compared to longer duration varieties.
Click here for original story, Breeding new rice varieties will help farmers in Asia
Source: Phys.org