For example, the “New Rice for Africa”, a hybrid between Asian and African species, was bred to fit the rainfed upland rice environment in West Africa. It produces over 50% more grain than current varieties when cultivated in traditional rainfed systems without fertiliser. In addition to higher yields, these varieties mature 30 to 50 days earlier than current varieties and are far more disease and drought tolerant than previous varieties (WARDA, 2000).