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Here's how RGA got started. In 2012, the RGA method was first used as a breeding pipeline in the IRRI's Irrigated program, and later other programs used the same breeding method to advance their materials. Standard protocols were developed as IRRI's centralized support service for breeding programs in the generation advancement of segregating populations. So now, RGA is one of the service sub-units of the cross-cutting operations or CCO that caters IRRI-research partners and operates under the Full cost recovery or FCR system. Rapid generation advance or RGA is a breeding method or technique that is synonymous with the Single Seed Descent or SSD. SSD, as the name implies, is a method used to advance segregating populations by self-pollination to produce fixed lines using a single seed per line that is one seed from a single plant. To put it simply, RGA is a faster technique of SSD breeding wherein plants grown in greenhouses are enforced to have earlier flowering and seed setting for several generations or cycles that is from F2 to F5 or F6 generations. The RGA aims to produce promising fixed lines using the Single Seed Descent method in a shorter period of time. This is the rapid generation advance process flow with three generation advancements. To proceed with the process, from the Hybridization Service or IRRI-research partners, basically Hybridization service is where the crossing of parentals and F1 nursery is done and the product of that is F2 seeds and normally the continuation of Hybridization is the generation advancements. After RGA receives the F2 seeds, the F2 seeds will be advanced in 3 generations. To further explain these 3 generations, F2 colon F3 means that F2 seeds will grow into F2 plants and produce F3 seeds, which is the 1st generation, F3 colon F4 means that F3 seeds will grow into F3 plants and produce F4 seeds, which is the 2nd generation and F4 colon F5 means that F4 seeds will grow into F4 plants and produce F5 seeds, which is the 3rd generation. Because RGA is a service sub-unit that supports IRRI-research partners, clients or research partners have the option of having genotyping work done at F4 plants in the 3rd or last generation the one marked with the red star. The harvested F5 seeds will then be processed and distributed to clients or research partners. The RGA cycle is divided into six stages, which will be discussed in more detail later. Every generation will go through this cycle. This entire process takes an average of 323 days to complete. These are the materials and equipment required for rapid generation advancements. So we'll need a well-structured Screenhouse, minoru seedling trays, crates or blue trays, wire mesh for sieving, soil sterilizer, weighing balance for fertilizer measurement, oven for breaking dormancy of seeds and seed drying, and a vacuum cleaner for insect pests. Moving on to RGA operations, the RGA cycle is divided into six stages, each with its own set of processing activities: the cycle begins with planning and preparation, then seeding, crop care and maintenance, data collection, harvesting, and finally seed processing. Typically, the RGA cycle lasts 90-105 days or 3-3.5 months. The first stage of the RGA cycle is planning and preparation. Clients or research partners must complete three requirements: first, the CCO Service Request Planner - the information provided in this planner will aid the RGA team in planning and will allow them to project the volume of materials that will be received and processed. Second, the Enterprise Breeding System, or EBS, is a system used at IRRI that is essentially a database that stores all experiments and service requests. Finally, the One Corporate System, or OCS, is a web tool that requires clients or research partners to log their requests before the service is provided. After completing the necessary requirements, the client must provide seeds to an RGA team member who will inspect the type, quantity, and quality of the seeds. Then, arrange the seed packets inside the oven turn on and set the temperature to 50°C. Keep the seeds in the oven for no more than 5 days or 120 hours. After the seeds have broken dormancy, remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature for 24 hours. After that, the seeds are ready to be planted. The date of seeding will be determined after seed acquisition and dormancy breaking planning. The team began preparing the soil and seedling trays while the seeds were in the oven. As the growth medium for the seeds, sterilized fine soil aggregates with an effective diameter of 5 millimetres or less must be used. To achieve this, coarse soil is sieved through a 3 or 5 millimetre screen mesh. The fine soil is then collected in plastic buckets or trays, making sure it is dry before sterilization. Fill the sterilizer with dry sieved soil, place the sterilizer lid on and set the temperature to 180°C. Leave it running for 8 hours. Then, turn off and unplug the soil sterilizer, and leave the soil to cool to the touch overnight. While preparing other materials, transfer sterilized soil into solid containers with covers and store them in a dry protected storage area. However, before the sterilized soil is placed in the minoru or seedling tray, it will be mixed with a Complete basal fertilizer. The fertilizer-to-soil ratio is one gram of fertilizer per 1000 grams of soil. One minoru seeding tray requires approximately 4 kilograms of soil, so 4 grams of basal fertilizer should be mixed in. The soil and fertilizer can be mixed in any solid tray or bucket that can hold and mix that amount of soil and fertilizer. Moving on to the preparation of the minoru seedling tray, carefully fill each cell of the minoru or seedling tray with the soil-fertilizer mix, leaving space for the seeds and the final layer of soil cover. The Minoru trays will be stored in blue plastic crates. However, before inserting the seedling tray, fill the crate with sterilized soil about 0.5 cm deep. To allow for more seed harvesting, a 104-celled seedling tray is used for earlier generation advancements and a 35-celled seedling tray for the final or end generation. After the soil and minoru seedling tray has been properly prepared, the seeds are now ready for seeding. The second stage of the RGA cycle is seeding. To ensure 95 to 100 percent germination, the seeding activity employs a direct-dry seeding method with a seeding rate of 3 seeds per cell. Following the seeding activity, the crates are covered with plastic lids to raise the temperature inside, and the crate covers are removed 5 days later. Most seeds germinate within 6-7 days of seeding. The third stage of the RGA cycle is crop care and maintenance. Following crop establishment, several activities fall under this stage. Watering is one of them. Watering is thus required immediately after seeding. Plants are normally watered three times per week, but in the summer, it is done almost every day. Another activity is plant thinning, which is done with a pair of scissors about 15 to 18 days after seeding. Choose the healthiest-looking seedling from the three in each tray cell and cut the two other seedlings at their bases; repeat for all the cells in the minoru trays. Pruning is another activity that is done in three plant stages at 30, 60, and 75 days after seeding to induce early flowering and control pests and diseases in rice plants. Using a pair of scissors, keep the main tiller (until the booting stage) and cut all other extra tillers from the plants. Following that is the fertilizer application activity; ferrous sulfate is applied as needed if yellowing of leaves is observed, and ammonium sulfate is applied 21 and 42 days after seeding, respectively. The recommended amount for all fertilizers is 1 gram for every 1000 grams of soil. Because a single minoru tray requires 4 kilograms of soil, 4 grams of each fertilizer should be prepared and diluted separately. It takes about 200 millilitres of tap water to dissolve 4 grams of fertilizer in powder or granular form. Pour the solution into the plants after dissolving the fertilizer in 200 millilitres of water. Still in this stage. In tray labeling activity, trays and plants were labeled with printed labels that included the study name, seeding date, and QR code generated by the EBS. In the control of pest and diseases, aside from pruning, other pest and disease control methods include installing rat traps monthly or as needed, using a vacuum cleaner to remove insect pests, and requests are also sent to the Zeigler Experiment Station or Z-E-S Team for chemical or insecticide application, which is done on a monthly basis or whenever deemed necessary. All of these insect pest and disease control methods are used inside the greenhouse. The fourth stage of the RGA cycle is data collection. Only basic information was gathered, such as the date of 50% flowering, date of 80% maturity, harvest date, and pest and disease occurrence. A mobile device with the fieldbook application is used to collect data. The fifth stage of the RGA cycle is harvesting. Depending on the population, it began around 90 days after seeding and was completed by 95 to 105 days after seeding. Using a pair of scissors cut the panicle at its base and place it in a paper envelope with the tag. The panicles are then ready for oven drying for 3 to 5 days at 50°C before the next advancement or seed turnover. The sixth and last stage of the RGA cycle is seed processing. Seed pockets were arranged in preparation for the next generation advancement and harvest label stickers were placed in preparation for the end product's turnover to clients or research partners. Following seed processing, research partners will be notified of the turnover of F5 seeds or end products via email.