Arize Bigante Plus (NSIC Rc 548H) Hybrid Rice: Yield, Maturity and Characteristics
NSIC Rc 548H is a hybrid rice variety for irrigated lowland, sold as Arize Bigante Plus or Bigante Plus and known locally as Mestiso 101. The NSIC approved it in 2018. Bayer bred it. It matures in about 115 days and averages 5.7 tonnes per hectare, with a top yield of 9.8 tonnes in trials.
The average and top yields in tonnes per hectare come from the trials each variety went through to be registered with the NSIC, and from what the seed companies say about their own seed.
What farmers harvest today can be different. Newer harvest records, the season, the place, the soil, the water and the care all move these numbers over time.
So use them to compare varieties, not as a promise for your field. Ask your seller or your agriculturist how the variety did on farms near you in the last few seasons.
If you came here looking for Arize Bigante Plus or Bigante Plus, or rice variety 548H, this is the one. Compare it with the other varieties in our rice variety finder before you buy seed. Also read our guide to rice varieties in the Philippines for how inbreds, hybrids and special rice differ.
- Maturity: about 115 days after sowing.
- Yield: 5.7 tonnes per hectare on average, or about 114 cavans of 50 kilograms. The best trial reached 9.8 tonnes.
- Watch out for: green leafhopper, brown planthopper, stem borer, tungro.
- Cooked rice: intermediate amylose, so soft but not sticky.
Key facts about NSIC Rc 548H
| Trait | Value |
|---|---|
| Year approved | 2018 |
| Bred by | Bayer |
| Sold as | Arize Bigante Plus, Bigante Plus |
| Local name | Mestiso 101 |
| Type | Hybrid |
| Growing environment | Irrigated lowland |
| Maturity | 115 days after sowing |
| Average yield | 5.7 t/ha |
| Top yield in trials | 9.8 t/ha |
| Plant height | 114 cm |
How much does NSIC Rc 548H yield?
On average it gives 5.7 tonnes per hectare. That is about 114 cavans of 50 kilograms of palay. It sits below the average of the 180 irrigated lowland hybrids on the list, which is 6.9 tonnes. But the top yield, 9.8 tonnes, came from a trial with good water, seed and care. So plan your costs on the average, then work toward the top with the habits in our guide to raising rice yield per hectare.
How many days does it take to mature?
It takes about 115 days from sowing to harvest. Varieties of 100 to 120 days count as short duration and 120 to 140 days as medium, so this one counts as short duration. Then harvest when 85 to 90 percent of the grains turn golden yellow. Because the day count drives every task, anee.io counts it for you from each lot's own planting day, with the growth stages and weather beside it.
Is it resistant to pests and diseases?
| Pest or disease | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Green leafhopper | Susceptible | Took heavy damage |
| Brown planthopper | Susceptible | Took heavy damage |
| Stem borer | Susceptible | Took heavy damage |
| Rice blast | Intermediate | Took a middling share of damage |
| Bacterial leaf blight | Intermediate | Took a middling share of damage |
| Sheath blight | Intermediate | Took a middling share of damage |
| Tungro | Susceptible | Took heavy damage |
So scout early for green leafhopper, brown planthopper, stem borer, tungro. When you see the first signs, check the guide before you spray, because the right timing saves more than an extra dose. If you are not sure what you see, our pest and disease finders help you name it from the damage.
Grain and eating quality
| Measure | Value | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Amylose | 20.5 percent | Intermediate |
| Milling recovery | 70.6 percent | Premium |
| Head rice | 41.8 percent | Grade 2 |
| Chalky grains | 24.2 percent | Not graded |
| Grain length | 6.5 mm | Medium |
| Grain shape, length to width | 2.8 | Intermediate |
| Protein | 5.4 percent |
Amylose decides how rice cooks. With intermediate amylose, expect rice that is soft but not sticky. In fact, Filipino taste has moved from high to intermediate and low amylose rice, because people want it softer. Head rice is the share of whole grains after milling. So a higher number means fewer broken grains and a better price at the mill.
What Bayer says about it
- Days to harvest: 111 to 115 days after sowing, a medium maturing hybrid.
- Yield: 8.8 t/ha at the 16th National Rice Technology Forum in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, second of 24 hybrids.
- How it is planted: Direct seeded or transplanted.
- Seed: 21 to 24 kg per hectare direct seeded, 15 kg transplanted.
- About 114 cm tall, with 13 to 17 productive tillers.
- Medium slender grain, with a milling recovery of 60 percent.
- Cooks white, soft and fragrant.
- Bred to tolerate bacterial leaf blight.
- Bayer calls it its steadiest medium maturing hybrid across places and seasons.
These are the seller's own figures, from its own trials. So plant a small area first, and compare it with your usual variety on the same ground.
Where should you plant it?
It suits irrigated lowland, where you control the water. Level the field well so the water stands evenly, and plant together with the farms around you, so pests cannot move from field to field. Our guide to rice land preparation shows each step. For the right month in your province, see the best time to plant rice.
Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.
Start freeVarieties like this one
These come from the same kind of farm and grow about as long. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.
- NSIC Rc 312H: 115 days, 5.7 tonnes per hectare on average, 2013
- NSIC Rc 322H: 115 days, 5.8 tonnes per hectare on average, 2013
- NSIC Rc 208H: 115 days, 5.9 tonnes per hectare on average, 2009
- NSIC Rc 692H: 114 days, 5.6 tonnes per hectare on average, 2022
Is Arize Bigante Plus the same as NSIC Rc 548H?
What is the local name of NSIC Rc 548H?
How many days does NSIC Rc 548H take to harvest?
What is the average yield of NSIC Rc 548H?
Is this variety a hybrid?
What should I watch for when I plant it?
See how Arize Bigante Plus (NSIC Rc 548H) will do on your farm
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