This document discusses climate-smart agriculture approaches being developed and implemented in Southeast Asia. It summarizes research on developing climate-resilient rice varieties through conventional breeding and biotechnology. Key points include: - Researchers are using marker-assisted breeding to transfer genes for submergence tolerance and salt tolerance from landraces into commercial rice varieties. - Multiple trait varieties are being developed that combine tolerances for stresses like submergence, drought, and salinity. - Biotechnology research includes developing rice varieties biofortified with nutrients like zinc and iron through genetic engineering. Genome editing is also being used to improve iron content. - Other biotechnologies being explored include genome association mapping, RNA interference

1. Leocadio Sebastian
Regional Program Leader, CCAFS-SEA

2. Projected Temperature
Temperature(oC)
Ho Chi
Minh
City
Manila
Precipitation(mm/day)
Ho Chi
Minh
City
Manila
Temperature(oC) Projected Precipitation
Source: Work done by Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS
AnnualMaximumDaily
Precip(mm/day)

3. Uncertainties in Rainfall
Source: Work done by Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS, 2016

5. Climate
Vulnerability
over
Southeast
Asia
Source: Yusuf and Francisco. 2009.
Economy and Environment Program for
Southeast Asia
• Floods
• Droughts
• Sea level rise
• Landslides
• Cyclones

6. Climate Hazard Hotspots and Dominant Hazards
Source: Yusuf and Francisco. 2009. Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia
Climate hazard hotspots Dominant hazards
Northwestern Vietnam Droughts
Eastern coastal areas of Vietnam Cyclones, droughts
Mekong region of Vietnam Sea level rise
Bangkok and its surrounding area
in Thailand
Sea level rise, floods
Southern regions of Thailand Droughts, floods
The Philippines Cyclones, landslides, floods, droughts
Sabah state in Malaysia Droughts
Western and eastern of Java
Island, Indonesia
Droughts, floods, landslides, sea level
rise

7. Agriculture
contributes
to GHG
emission
(Magnitude and sources)
Source: Vermeulen et al (2012)

8. Food Security and
Environmental
Sustainability
Source: Foley et al. 2011. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 478, pp. 337–342.

9. • Takes into account: food security,
adaptation and ecological footprint
• Development and ecological
footprint → green economy
• Foremost about development itself
and address smallholder concerns
• About outcomes, not just
technology or practices
• Context matters: CSA differs widely
• Crucial to deal with trade-offs
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)

10. Climate Impact to Climate-Smart Agriculture

11. Climate change ready crops

12. Tolerance of
complete
submergence
• Submergence affects over
20 million hectares in Asia
• Affected areas are highly
populated with poor farming
communities
• FR13A identified in 1970s
after screening 18,000
accessions
• SUB1 identified in mid-
1990s as the major gene
• Marker-aided backcrossing
(MABC) being used to
transfer Sub1 gene
(Source:A. M. Ismail, IRRI)

13. Salt-tolerant rice
• Major genes being
used for marker-
aided breeding
• Salt stress affecting
more than 16 million
hectares in Asia.
• Effect worsening with
climate change in
coastal deltas.
• Tolerant landraces
being used to
develop tolerant
varieties.
(Source:A. M. Ismail, IRRI)

14. Multiple trait varieties
• Submergence + stagnant flood
• Submergence + bacterial leaf blight
• Anaerobic germination + submergence
• Seedling stage salinity + reproductive stage salinity
• Submergence + seedling stage salinity
• Submergence + stagnant flooding
• Drought + phosphorus uptake
• Drought + high temperature + cold
+++ Good grain quality and pest and disease resistance Improved PSB Rc82 + GY traits
Marker-aided selection

15. High-nutrient rice
with zinc, iron, and beta-
carotene in the grain!
Genetic
Engineering

16. Genome editing for
iron biofortification
Targeting iron and bean genes to the
pre-determined locus in the BRRI
Dhan 28 genome using TALEN
(Transcription Activator-Like Effector
Nucleases).
The first generation genome-edited
Nsic Rc 238 lines with promoter
replacement obtained.

17. 15-20 years of research needed
Engineering C4 Rice
C4-photosynthesis rice could increase yield,
water and nitrogen use efficiency by 30-50%.

18. Other Biotechnologies
• Genome association mapping –
explore the links between
genotype and phenotype
• RNA interference (RNAi)
technology -operates by
suppression of gene expression by
double-stranded RNA molecules
• Site-directed nuclease
mutagenetic techniques like
meganucleases, zinc-finger
nucleases

19. Integrate into the agricultural program

20. Challenges
1. Delays due to regulatory approvals
of GE crops
2. Bringing in PPP
• Combining the desired CC related traits in
commercially viable varieties requires
investment
3. Moving to action
• Developing a deployment strategy that will allow
availability of seeds where and when it is
needed
• Bringing to scale
• Contributing to GHG mitigation targets
• Contributing to sustainability goals
• Contributing to food security and nutrition

21. Ag Biotech
an important tool that is now being applied to
make CSA
• New sources of genes
• Transfer of genes – intra and
inter species
• Combining multiple genes
• Creating/activating novel traits
• CC adaptation/Resilience
• Productivity
• Mitigation of GHG emission
• Sustainability
• Food security and nutrition

22. Thank you!