- 44 -


 Second, what is especially significant in the present case is not merely

that the average yields with the new varieties are higher, but that the negative

standard deviation for the new varieties is higher than the average yields of the

old traditional variety: -- 3.24 metric tons per hectare for IR8 compared with

3.17 with the traditional varieties, and in the wet season 2.59 compared with

2.32. Thus, the farmer who adopts the new varieties faces a situation where

even allowing for a negative standard deviation he would experience a higher

yield than the average with the traditional varieties.



TABLE 2. Average Yields of IR6 and Local Rice Varieties in the Philippines,
 Dry and Wet Seasons 1966-67. l/


 (Metric Tons Per Hectare)


 -C; x + G -
Dry Season

 IR8 3.24 5.86 8.48

 Binato 1.51 3.17 4.83



Wet Season

 IR8 2.59 4.49 6.39

 Local 1.00 2.32 3.64







 1/ Data provided by Dr. Randolph Barker of the International Rice
 Research Institute.