Improved rice lines developed from conventional rice varieties through mutation breeding are evaluated under field conditions. (Photo: J. S. Dolo, CARI)
Liberia is using nuclear techniques to develop resilient rice faster, strengthening food security and reducing reliance on imports. The country has expanded their ability to improve rice production with new and upgraded breeding facilities, a modern molecular laboratory and the country's first speed-breeding centre. These facilities enable scientists to grow several generations of rice each year, analyse plants at the DNA level using molecular tools and select promising traits much faster, helping the country to better respond to climate pressures and rising demand. With this infrastructure in place, Liberia now has both the tools and expertise needed to run a fully functioning rice improvement programme that is tailored to local conditions and consumer preferences.
Addressing National Challenges Through Innovation
Rice is central to Liberian diets and rural livelihoods, yet the country continues to face a persistent production deficit. Liberia produces only about one third of the rice it consumes, making it heavily dependent on imports and vulnerable to global price shocks.
Rice is among Liberia's top import commodities, alongside petroleum, motor vehicles and lighting products, which together accounted for 41% of national imports in 2024. Between October 2023 and September 2024, Liberia recorded 1,026 rice import shipments, highlighting this dependence.
Climate-related shocks deepen production challenges. In 2025, flooding caused localized crop losses that further reduced yields. In several producing regions, local rice stocks were fully depleted during the 2023 lean season, increasing food insecurity.
"Our biggest challenge was simple: Liberia could not produce enough rice and remained exposed to global price volatility," said Arthur Bob Karnuah, Director General of the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI). "We needed technologies that would help us catch up and keep up."
Mutant-derived rice lines developed through mutation breeding are evaluated under field conditions. (Photo: J. S. Dolo, CARI)
Introducing Advanced Breeding Techniques
To address this challenge, Liberia partnered with the IAEA, through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture , and the IAEA's technical cooperation programme to establish a faster, data-driven breeding pipeline. The collaboration introduced nuclear-assisted plant breeding, which has transformed the breeding process.
Liberia's new speed-breeding facilities are controlled environment growth rooms equipped with programmable LED lighting, precise temperature control and extended photoperiods that accelerate plant development. The new facility at CARI, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, enables researchers to grow multiple rice generations per year, significantly shortening breeding cycles compared with traditional field conditions.
By irradiating local rice varieties, scientists generated genetic diversity and selected plants for early maturity, stronger standability, improved grain quality and resilience to climate variability. The molecular laboratory enables researchers to screen traits at the DNA level using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, helping to identify promising lines much earlier than before.
Building Capacity and Infrastructure
Alongside new infrastructure, Liberian scientists received hands-on training in mutation induction using irradiation, molecular diagnostics, PCR-based trait screening, operation of speed-breeding facilities, and digital data capture for breeding decisions. This training, delivered through the IAEA's technical cooperation programme, ensures that they can operate these facilities sustainably.
"Introducing nuclear assisted plant breeding has transformed what Liberia can achieve in rice research," said Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur, Head of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre's Plant Breeding and Genetics Section. "It opened the door to faster, smarter and more resilient rice development."
Early Results and Expected Impact
With improved facilities, trained personnel and advanced tools, Liberia has already developed several promising mutant rice lines showing earlier maturity, stronger stems, improved grain quality and better tolerance to climate variability. These lines are progressing through national performance trials, quality assessments and seed multiplication.
"These new varieties will soon reach farmers' fields, and that is the ultimate goal," said James Sulonkwiley Dolo, a plant breeder at CARI. "The breeding pipeline is working, the skills are in place and Liberia is ready to deliver."
Once released, the new varieties are expected to support farmers with more reliable yields, reduce dependence on imported rice and help the country respond to a changing climate and market demands.
"Through its collaboration with Liberia, the IAEA has helped strengthen scientific capacities that were previously limited," said Chukwudi Anyanwu, IAEA Programme Management Officer for Liberia. "These technologies are not only practical tools, but also catalysts for building long-term national self- reliance."
