Habal-Habal—Green Super Rice in Laguna, Philippines

Green Super Rice (GSR; http://irri.org/resources/publications/brochures/item/green-super-rice-project) varieties in the Philippines, bred by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://irri.org), are gaining much popularity among farmers. Some farmers are comparing one of the most popular GSR varieties, HHZ8-Sal6-Sal3-Y2 (new designation, GSR IR1-8-S6-S3-Y2) to Habal-Habal, an enduring motorcycle that carries loads of people and goods (https://globalvoices.org/2014/04/06/habal-habal-philippine-motorcycle-that-can-carry-10-passengers). Hence, all the problems of rice cultivation experienced by the farmers will hopefully be solved by this single GSR variety, which has multiple tolerances for abiotic and biotic stresses. Some say the GSR variety, sold in the market as 'Habal-Habal, has good cooking quality too! Historical note: In the late 1960s, Vietnam farmers also named a popular rice variety, IR8, after a popular motorcycle because one good crop of "Honda Rice" enabled them to buy a new Honda motorbike. http://ricetoday.irri.org/i-remember-honda-rice/