Aerobic rice scientists gather in China

More than 70 scientists shared their knowledge and experiences in aerobic rice development at the International Workshop on Aerobic Rice in Beijing, China, on 22-24 October 2007. Participants from the Philippines, India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Colombia, The Netherlands, the United States, and China also identified new priorities for aerobic rice research.

Co-organized by Drs. Wang Huaqi of the China Agricultural University (CAU) and Bas Bouman of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the workshop was a joint undertaking of the Water-Saving Work Group of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) and the project “Developing a System of Temperate and Tropical Aerobic Rice (STAR) in Asia” of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). The workshop brought together breeders and scientists who are working on the development and dissemination of aerobic rice in Asia.

Top Chinese officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Natural Science Foundation, and CAU delivered warm welcome addresses. IRRC coordinator Grant Singleton and Liz Humphreys, leader of the CPWF-Crop Water Productivity Theme, also gave welcome speeches.

During the workshop, scientists and students doing work on aerobic rice discussed their findings from the past 5 years. A range of research studies, including varietal development, water management, crop and nutrient management, mapping of yield potentials, sustainability, socioeconomics, adoption, and impact, was presented. The findings showed the potential of aerobic rice in the experiment stations and farmers’ fields and highlighted emerging issues for future research.

An initial regional analysis even suggested that there is a relatively large area with potential for aerobic rice in Asia, Africa, and South America. Results from farm surveys in Asia showed average aerobic rice yields to be lower than those of lowland varieties. The net returns, however, have no significant difference because input costs for aerobic rice are low. Although aerobic rice was found to be a profitable substitute for crops such as maize and soybean, its performance can have large variability, with cases of yield failure and yield decline. While these cases have been studied, more research has to be done before these can be effectively addressed.

A student poster competition was also one of the highlights of the conference. Three students, Xue Chanying, Wei Fengtong, and Zhang Tianyi (in the photo below), were given the Best Poster Awards. The workshop provided a venue where scientists working on the development and dissemination of aerobic rice could meet, discuss, and open possible linkages in research.

Ruben Lampayan (r.lampayan@cgiar.org) and Rica Joy Flor (r.flor@cgiar.org)

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