Singapore: Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Association (NSTDA) and the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) has developed a new certified variety of rice. RD51 is a new version of KDML105, or jasmine rice.

It is derived from a marker assisted backcrossing (MAB) using KDML105 as the recipient and IR49830 (submergence-tolerant rice from the International Rice Research Institute) as the donor.

It was developed for flash flooding tolerance, while maintaining excellent cooking quality that the jasmine rice is well-known for. RD51 has been tested in multiple locations and conditions before finally received variety certification from the Rice Department.

This new rice variety is part of a long-term collaborative project between NSTDA, through BIOTEC Rice Gene Discovery Unit, and the Rice Department to make an improvement on rice varieties suitable for rainfed lowland ecosystem and irrigated land.