**4.2 Rainfed upland ecology varieties**

Rainfed upland introduced improved rice lines include MWUR 4, *Dourado precoce,* NERICA 4, NERICA 1, NERICA 10, NERICA 11 and NERICA 2. *Dourado precoce* was introduced by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, and its attributes include good grain characteristics and early maturity. The NERICAS have been the most successful lines that have been introduced in Kenya. The NERICAS were developed from interspecific fixed lines *O. sativa* and *O. glaberrima.* The NERICAS combine the hardiness of the African rice *O. glaberrima* in terms of pest, diseases, and weeds resistance with the high yielding trait of the Asian rice *O. sativa*. The NERICAS are; high yielding with small amount of fertilizer application, they are suitable for African soil and matures faster shortening growth cycle by 30–35 days enabling double cropping and minimizing drought effect [16, 17]. Improved rice lines offer a feasible option to traditional rainfed varieties. Yield of up to 4.4 t ha−1 was realized from on farm field test in Kerio Valley for the NERICA lines, this showed promising results. Though NERICA 4 emerged as the best line for most parts of Kenya, others like NERICA 1, NERICA 10 and NERICA 11 performed quite well [8].
