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Media hotlineAn information summary for supporters of international rice research In this issue: NEWS
PEOPLE IRRI VISITORS
EVENTS, TRAINING, AND WORKSHOPS
News After the storm: IRRI scientists visit cyclone-ravaged Bangladesh and give recommendations to restore farm production
Cyclone Sidr smashed into the southern coastal districts of Bangladesh on 15 November, killing almost 4,000 people and leaving millions homeless and short of basic staples such as rice. Based on initial estimates, about 1 million hectares of rice were affected.
To see what role IRRI might play both in response to this disaster and to mitigate the effects of future cyclones—predicted to occur with greater frequency and severity because of climate change—IRRI scientists Zainul Abedin, Abdelbagi Ismail, and David Johnson traveled to affected areas of Bangladesh on 14–16 December. They were joined by Adam Barclay from IRRI’s Communication and Publications Services. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and several Food Security for Sustainable Household Livelihoods (FoSHoL) partners joined the IRRI team, providing support and input into the preliminary assessment.
“Farmers in affected areas are in immediate need of relief efforts to cope with the current devastation,” said Dr. Ismail. “Short- and long-term measures are needed to ensure a sufficient seed supply for these farmers, particularly for next year. This is because most farmers lost their rice crop and the grain yield of the remaining crop is expected to be very low and will mostly be consumed within a few months. In addition, seeds are of low quality and cannot be stored for the next transplanted aman [wet] season.”
With BRRI and FoSHoL collaborators, the IRRI scientists developed preliminary recommendations (further investigation and assessment will need to be carried out before any recommendations or plans are finalized). On 17 December, Drs. Abedin, Ismail, and Johnson, along with IRRI liaison scientist Hamid Miah, discussed their observations at a series of meetings with Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Md. Abdul Aziz, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (including Executive Director Nurul Alam), and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (including former IRRI Social Sciences Division Head Mahabub Hossain), Mr. Aziz expressed his gratitude for IRRI’s willingness to contribute rapidly to efforts to help those afflicted by the disaster. ( Back to top )
New hybrid rice group aims to raise rice yields in the tropics
A new international research initiative, linking the private and public sectors for the first time, was launched on 9 November, at the 2007 Asian Seed Congress. It aims to boost the research and development of hybrid rice for the tropics. The Hybrid Rice Research and Development Consortium (HRDC), established by IRRI, will strengthen public–private sector partnership in hybrid rice, a technology that can raise the yield of rice and thus overall rice productivity and profitability in Asia.
Hybrid rice takes advantage of the phenomenon of hybrid vigor—known as heterosis—to achieve yields 15–20% higher than those of nonhybrid (inbred) varieties. Over the past three decades, the technology has helped China achieve food security, but it has not yet reached its potential in the tropics. IRRI and its partners in the public and private sectors have led research on the development and use of hybrid rice technology in the tropics for almost 30 years. Successful deployment of hybrid rice in Asia, however, requires more effective cooperation between public research institutions and the private sector in research to overcome current constraints. ( Back to top )
IRRC aims to ease the plight of the hungry in Bangladesh
Every year in northwest Bangladesh, the rural poor suffer severe hunger called monga because of seasonal scarcity of agricultural employment from mid-September to mid-November as farmers await the harvest of transplanted rice. By the time the monga season comes, they have consumed all of their stored food and do not have any opportunities for work. For many poor people, monga means eating only one meal a day for 4–7 days a week.
To help ease the hardship caused by monga and increase farm productivity, the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC), the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), and local nongovernment organizations are working together to enable earlier harvests through shorter duration rice varieties combined with direct seeding of rice (DSR). This will also increase livelihood opportunities and thereby people’s income. Farmers will have more chances to grow a second crop such as potato, maize, chickpea, or vegetables.
The IRRC team traveled recently to Rangpur, 22-28 October, to capture the impact of DSR in monga mitigation. Dr. Florencia Palis, IRRI socio-anthropologist, conducted focus group discussions among farmers and landless men and women in Rangpur, Nilphamari, and Kurigram districts. IRRI agricultural economist Arelene Malabayabas trained interviewers and started conducting household surveys. The surveys aimed to collect rice and other crop production data from 200 farmers. The hardships faced by rural people during the monga period were captured through photos and video footage by IRRI communication specialist Trina Mendoza. The team discussed the potential of DSR technology as a way to mitigate monga with government and nongovernment agencies. ( Back to top )
IRRI-China Office celebrates 10th anniversary
The IRRI-China Office (ICO) celebrated its 10th anniversary on 28 November at the Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) campus. The affair was graced by the presence of 60 senior officials and alumni from collaborating Chinese institutions; Dr. Ren Wang, executive director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), who was instrumental in the establishment of the ICO when he was still the vice-president of CAAS in 1997; and IRRI Director General Robert S. Zeigler.
Dr. Zeigler highlighted the legacy of China-IRRI collaboration that includes the release of 46 IRRI germplasm accessions as varieties in China; more than 800 IRRI alumni, many of whom are now leading their institutions in rice research; the increasing number of ongoing collaborative projects and investments from both parties; and the various recognitions by China of IRRI’s contribution to the advancement of Chinese agriculture. Several senior Chinese officials, in their congratulatory messages, applauded the continuing partnerships and the establishment of the IRRI-China Office in promoting and strengthening productive collaboration between China and IRRI. ( Back to top )
Relevance of rice research recognized
The work of rice researchers has received major encouragement as 2007 came to a close, with IRRI staff and their colleagues receiving widespread recognition and several major awards.
“These awards and the recognition that comes with them are clear confirmation of the world-class rice research being conducted today in Asia and elsewhere,” says IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler. “It’s vital that donors and the community in general recognize the work that is being done and the enormous impact it has—even if media does not report it.”
He added, “More people rely on rice for their sustenance than on any other type of food. Millions, if not billions, of these people live in poor communities throughout the developing world. Research that helps rice farmers boost their production and income or helps reduce prices to make rice more affordable has the capacity to pull vast numbers of people out of poverty and, therefore, does nothing short of offering them better lives.”
A summary of the 2007 Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) awards and other major awards follows:
CGIAR Outstanding Scientist Award Compounding his reputation as an indefatigable champion of science for the poor, Dr. Darshan Brar received at the CGIAR AGM the Group’s 2007 Outstanding Scientist Award, which honors original work by a senior scientist whose contributions have actual or potential regional or international significance that furthers CGIAR goals.
CGIAR Outstanding Scientific Article Award A team of scientists led by IRRI plant breeder David Mackill, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of California ( Riverside and Davis), won the Outstanding Scientific Article Award, also presented on 4 December, during the AGM awards program. The winning paper, Sub1A is an ethylene response factor-like genethat confers submergence tolerance to rice, appeared in the 10 August 2006 issue of the prestigious journal Nature.
Authors K. Xu, X. Xia, T. Fukao, P. Canlas, R. Maghirang-Rodriguez, S. Heuer, A. Ismail, J. Bailey-Serres, P.C. Ronald, and Dr. Mackill describe their discovery of a gene (Sub1A) that confers submergence tolerance to rice and the consequent breeding of this gene into a popular commercial variety.
The resultant nongenetically modified variety is identical to the popular cultivar but is able to withstand up to 2 weeks of severe flooding. Since the paper was published, the IRRI team has bred Sub1A into several other popular varieties, which have undergone successful on-farm trials and are poised to make a big impact on flood-prone farms in countries such as Bangladesh and India.
CGIAR COM+ award for communicating science for people and the planet Dr. K.L. Heong received the CGIAR COM+ award for communicating science for people and the planet. COM+ is a partnership among international organizations, media agencies, and communication professionals committed to using communications to advance a sustainable development agenda. The prize, which was also presented during the CGIAR’s award ceremonies, honors the Environmental Soap Opera for Rural Vietnam, an entertainment-education initiative led by Dr. Heong to help farmers improve their crop management systems. Agricultural information was weaved into the 239 episodes of a drama broadcast twice weekly to 2 million people in rural areas of the Mekong Delta.
Started in 2003 through support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the soap opera won the 2005 World Bank Development Marketplace award, which provided additional resources to continue the program. The COM+ award includes $10,000 for IRRI to use for further communications initiatives.
Iue Asia Pacific Culture Prize On 12 October, IRRI then-Board of Trustees Chair Keijiro Otsuka accepted the Iue Asia Pacific Culture Prize on behalf of IRRI at a ceremony during the Asia Pacific Forum of the Awaji Conference in Kobe, Japan. The prestigious award was established in 2001 to recognize individuals and organizations pursuing cultural and social activities within the Asia Pacific region that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of international exchange and/or regional development. According to the Prize organizers, IRRI has “made many great contributions to reduce poverty and solve environmental problems, and, through your efforts, we expect that in the future you will further lead the way to a multicultural society in the Asia Pacific Region.”
The Academy of Science for the Developing World (TWAS) Prize for Agriculture Further validating the Institute’s environmental credentials, Dr. Heong was also awarded the TWAS Prize for Agricultural Sciences, recognizing his pioneering work in ecology and integrating biological and social sciences to promote integrated pest management, which has helped millions of rice farmers reduce their pesticide use. Dr. Heong received the prize, which includes a plaque and US$10,000, at the 18th TWAS General Meeting held in Trieste, Italy, 13-14 November.
Dr. Brar was chosen as one of two winners of the Koshihikari International Rice Prize for 2007. The award, named for a prized Japanese rice variety, recognizes rice researchers working in universities and international, national, and local agricultural research stations. Dr. Brar received the award with co-winner Tantawi A. Badawi, president of the Agricultural Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, on 30 October in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Each laureate is awarded 500,000 Japanese yen ($4,630).
Dr. Zeigler was profiled in TIME Magazine’s Innovators series, which stated that “Under his leadership, the IRRI has redoubled efforts to breed strains of rice that can survive both drought and flooding, preparing for a future in which there may simultaneously be too little and too much water.”
A listing of other significant recognition for IRRI in 2007 includes
( Back to top )
Executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust
Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, together with Mr. Laurent Cibien and Mr. Alain Guillon, a film crew from ARTE TV, visited IRRI, 6-7 December, as part of the preparation for a documentary on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault or the Doomsday Vault as the media has dubbed it. Svalbard is a group of islands in the Arctic nearly 1,000 km north of mainland Norway. They were in the Philippines to film at IRRI and the National Genebank and to visit farmers in southern Philippines. The Global Crop Diversity Trust aims to safeguard and conserve the diversity of all major food crops.
"What we’re trying to do is to provide an insurance policy for rice and other major crops--a plan B, a backup," said Dr. Fowler. "Soon, IRRI will be sending 70,000 rice accessions to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and that’s a remarkable contribution, which will contribute to protecting rice from possible extinction some day. It’s amazing how people everywhere are contributing and pulling their resources together (for all crops to be placed in the vault). It’s this kind of cooperation that really makes things work." ( Back to top )
Program Officer of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
David Bergvinson, Program Officer for Global Development of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, visited IRRI, 7-10 December, and gave an overview of the Foundation's strategy for agricultural development.
During his 4-day visit, he toured the IRRI facilities and was able to meet IRRI scientists and discuss rainfed rice systems, yield potential and breeding strategies of irrigated rice systems, sustainable intensification of cereals, integration of nutritional traits into mainstream breeding programs, feasibility of developing C4 rice, poverty in Southeast Asia, women in agricultural research and development, and the latest research on Golden Rice at IRRI. ( Back to top )
H.E. Dr. Armindo Maia, ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Philippines, paid a short visit to IRRI on 28 September. After a welcome and briefing, IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler showed him the long-term field experiment. ( Back to top )
H.E. Jong-Ki Hong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, visited IRRI on 19 October. He had not been to the Institute since 2004 and wanted to get an overview of the recent research agenda and know more about IRRI-Korea collaboration to increase and enhance partnership between IRRI and Korea’s Rural Development Administration. He was accompanied by embassy first secretary Jae-Myong Koh.
The delegation was welcomed by IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler; Dr. To Phuc Tuong, interim Deputy Director General for Research; and Dr. Kyu-Seong Lee, IRRI senior scientist, who gave a presentation on IRRI’s research thrust and IRRI-Korea collaboration. The ambassador also visited the Riceworld Museum, the International Rice Genebank, and the Korea Research Project. ( Back to top )
East Java regional representatives
Nine members of Commission B (Economic Affairs) of the Regional Representative of East Java, Indonesia, visited IRRI on 24 October to get an overview of the Institute’s recent research agenda and gather data and technical knowledge that they can adopt to improve rice yields in East Java, which eventually will benefit all of Indonesia. ( Back to top )
Government officials of Nepal
A delegation from the National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Government of Nepal, headed by Hon. Bhim Prasad Neupane, visited IRRI on 19 November. They were briefed on IRRI's research agenda for capacity enhancement of Nepal's policy officers and discussed further collaboration. ( Back to top )
Understand IRRI more, officials stress during visit
Visiting officials of the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (AsiaDHRRA) and the World Rural Forum (WRF) expressed hope of bringing their partners to IRRI to fully understand the Institute’s research programs and activities for the benefit of farmers worldwide.
Marlene D. Ramirez, secretary general of AsiaDHRRA, said, “We need to understand IRRI more. Our idea is how we could bring our other partners to understand IRRI. Hopefully, IRRI also understands the issues that civil society movements have.”
“A point to agree on are the possibilities of working together because we know that IRRI has much to contribute to the development of the agriculture sector, especially the farmers and rural women,” Ms. Ramirez added.
The Institute’s openness and professionalism impressed Ms. Ramirez. “Going through all the meetings and with what we saw, we were impressed by IRRI’s openness and professionalism," she said. "It is also heart-warming to see the Genebank. It’s really a major experience.”
AsiaDHRRA is a nongovernment organization affiliated with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a nongovernment organization of special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. ( Back to top )
EVENTS, TRAINING, AND WORKSHOPS CGIAR AGM held in Beijing
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) welcomed some of the world's leading agricultural research experts to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Beijing, China, 3-7 December.
More than 1,000 AGM participants, including a large delegation led by IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler, explored how agricultural research and technology and food policy initiatives can more effectively continue to address critical global agricultural challenges and bring the benefits of agricultural research to poor farmers in the developing world quicker. ( Back to top )
Final impact assessment workshop held at IRRI
In response to many requests from donors of the CGIAR, the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA) of the Science Council initiated a study to document the impact of the growing investment by the CGIAR system in policy-oriented research. For the purpose of this initiative, policy-oriented research refers to any research undertaken primarily to influence policy as a means of generating ultimate impact. The research involved can be in the social, biological, or physical sciences. As broadly defined, almost half of the current CGIAR portfolio could be considered policy-based, with four of the 15 centers entirely policy-oriented: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and Bioversity International.
Estimation of the impacts of policy-oriented research poses significant methodological difficulties, resulting in few earlier assessments. However, notwithstanding these difficulties, the CGIAR and its stakeholders require evidence of impact from the growing level of investment in this arena. As a result, SPIA commissioned ex post impact assessments of policy-oriented research that had been undertaken by seven CGIAR centers.
To complete this exercise, a workshop entitled “Policy-Oriented Research Impact Assessment (PORIA) Case Studies: Final Workshop” was held at IRRI on 11-13 December. The participants were Tim Kelley (SPIA secretary); Bruce Gardner ( University of Maryland); Kamel Shideed and Md. Abdelwahab Ahmed (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas); Jim Ryan (SPIA chair), Elisabetta Gotor (Bioversity International); Diemuth Pemsl (WorldFish); Debbie Templeton (IRRI); Simeon Kaitibie (International Livestock Research Institute); and David Raitzer (CIFOR). ( Back to top )
Rice strategy workshop held at IRRI
Twenty-six participants from 20 countries and IRRI staff members attended an “Expert Consultation Meeting to Develop a Global Strategy for Rice Genetic Resources,” 4-6 December at IRRI.
This was the first meeting that is part of the process of creating a global system for the rational, effective, and efficient conservation and use of rice genetic resources. The Global Crop Diversity Trust has taken a lead role in forming this global strategy. The Trust is currently supporting the development of strategies for 17 crops. Some, such as the banana and potato strategies, have been finished. Others, such as the rice, sweet potato, and strawberry strategies, were due to be completed by the end of December 2007.
The strategy for rice has been drafted by Kazutoshi Okuno, a world expert on rice genetic resources. The elements of the strategy will be finalized by the end of this meeting. Genetic Resources Center Head Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton is the coordinator for the global strategy for rice. ( Back to top )
2007 IRRI Annual Program Review: an incredible 4 days of enthusiasm
IRRI research staff, scholars, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and regional/country representatives participated in the 4-day Annual Program Review (APR) for 2007 on 20-23 November at IRRI.
IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler, in his closing remarks, congratulated all who participated. "It was quite an exciting week," he said. "It was 4 days of incredible reporting, enthusiasm, discussion, controversy, and, above all, participation. The room was full the entire 4 days. The level of scientific discussion was at a height that I've not seen in recent program reviews."
In her synthesis of the APR, which she called “We can't go wrong with Rice,” IRRI Consultant Dr. Gelia Castillo stated: "The review could be best described as interactive communication in rice science.” ( Back to top )
BioAsia 2007 held in Bangkok brings together biotech world
Thailand hosted BioAsia 2007, the first international trade exhibition and conference for biotechnology, in Bangkok, 5-9 November, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. The event provided a large gathering of some 15,000 biotech enthusiasts in food, agriculture, health, and industrial and environmental sectors from all over the world.
In a keynote lecture on 7 November, IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler discussed “New Solutions to Old Problems and Future Challenges: What Science Can Do to Make the Asian Rice Industry More Productive.” He elaborated on problems of rice cultivation in Thailand related to flood, drought, and disease and he described how to apply science and technology to solve these problems. During the event's inauguration ceremonies, Dr. Zeigler also had a few moments to discuss IRRI’s research with H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. IRRI’s Program 3 Leader Gerard Barry gave a plenary lecture on the “Progress in the Development of Biofortified Rice Varieties High in Iron, Zinc, and Beta-Carotene.”
Also during the conference, the "Golden Sickle Award" was presented to two outstanding researchers who have made significant accomplishments and contributions that are propelling rice research into the future: Gurdev Khush, of the University of California-Davis and former IRRI rice breeder, and Susan McCouch, of Cornell University and formerly of IRRI as well. In their respective lectures, Dr. Khush discussed “How to Feed Five Billion Rice Consumers in 2030” and Dr. McCouch talked about “Through the Genetic Bottleneck: Discovery and Utilization of Wild Alleles for Crop Improvement.” ( Back to top )
Workshop on submergence-tolerant rice varieties held in Bangkok
The IRRI-Japan Submergence Tolerance Rice Project entitled “Implementation plans to disseminate submergence-tolerant rice varieties and associated new production practices to Southeast Asia” conducted a successful workshop, 5-6 November, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dealing with the socioeconomic aspects of the project, the workshop was led by IRRI Social Sciences Division Scientist Thelma Paris, who takes the lead in developing a response plan for the project; Dr. Sushil Pandey, who leads the follow-up study on the project; and Dr. Romeo Labios, project coordinator. Fifteen scientists from five Southeast Asian countries and seven IRRI scientists participated.
At the end of the workshop, participants were able to develop detailed work and financial plans for the socioeconomic component of the project in their respective countries, covering the period November 2007 to March 2009. Project scientists created a common approach to facilitate cross-country analysis, identified sites and information needs, and established major modules needed for data collection. Guidelines in the conduct of focused group discussions and participatory variety selection, as well as templates of survey instruments, were designed. As a whole, the workshop initiated a milestone plan for the socioeconomic components of the project. ( Back to top )
Workshop on group facilitation skills for participatory decision making held at IRRI
IRRI, in collaboration with the Institutional Learning and Change Initiative, hosted a 4-day “Group Facilitation Skills for Participatory Decision-Making Workshop,” 6-9 November.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the participants’ capacity to facilitate meetings and teams, and group decision-making processes. It adopted a hands-on practical approach that enabled the participants to immediately apply what was learned from the day-to-day activities. The workshop was led by Dr. Sarah Fisk, from Community at Work, a leading expert on consensus decision making and author of the book “The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making,” which was distributed to all participants. Twenty-one participants from different organizations participated in the course. ( Back to top )
IRRI holds 2nd Rice Breeding Course
The “2007 Rice Breeding Course: Laying the Foundation for the Second Green Revolution” was conducted at IRRI headquarters, 1-12 October. Twenty-three participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam attended.
The participants learned more about IRRI and its host country with educational visits to the Philippine Rice Research Institute and Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija; cold tolerance breeding sites and rice terraces in Banaue, Ifugao; and seed growers’ cooperatives in Nueva Vizcaya.
On 20-31 August 2007, the first RBC was held with 23 participants from 16 countries. These training courses are partially supported by the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building. Dr. Edilberto D. Redoña, PBGB senior scientist, is the course coordinator and Ms. Ma. Angeli Maghuyop of the Training Center is the course facilitator. ( Back to top )
Drought Frontier Project hosts international symposium
The Drought Frontier Project (DFP) conducted an international symposium on “Root Biology and MAS Strategies for Drought Resistance Improvement in Rice” in collaboration with the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bangalore, India, 26-29 September
The symposium brought together DFP consortium partners and several leading researchers from different countries in addition to IRRI scientists. The symposium aimed to review current knowledge of drought avoidance and discuss the scope of future research strategies on roots for deciphering the complexity of drought responses in rice.
Dr. P.G. Chengappa, vice chancellor of the UAS, Bangalore, delivered the inaugural address and highlighted the importance of the symposium for drought research in India. IRRI Senior Scientist R. Serraj delivered the opening remarks and presented an overview of IRRI’s Program I and the DFP’s activities. Dr. John O’Toole, former IRRI agronomist (1974-84) and more recently associated with the Rockefeller Foundation, delivered a lecture on the historical perspectives of drought research in rice. Work group discussions were conducted and a field visit to drought experimental plots and rice farmers’ fields was organized. ( Back to top )
IRRC holds 3rd Steering Committee meeting and kicks off review in Hanoi
The Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) held its 3rd annual Steering Committee Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, 8-10 October, which reviewed the progress of the IRRC and considered future needs and priorities for natural resource management in intensive lowland rice production areas. Organized by IRRI and the Vietnamese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), the meeting coincided with the 2-week external review of the IRRC.
His Excellency, Dr. Dao Xuan Hoc, vice minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Vietnam, officially welcomed the 66 participants from 13 countries. Distinguished guests included Dr. Walter Meyer (head of the East Asia Division, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation [SDC], Switzerland), Dr. Michel Evequoz (SDC Hanoi), Dr. Carmen Thönnissen (program manager of SDC), Mr. Geoff Morris (country manager, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Vietnam), Dr. Christian Witt (director, Southeast Asia Program, International Plant Nutrition Institute, Singapore), and Dr. T.P. Tuong (deputy director general for research of IRRI). IRRC Coordinator Grant Singleton, work group leaders David Johnson, Roland Buresh, Martin Gummert, Bas Bouman, and Ruben Lampayan, and Florencia Palis attended. ( Back to top )
IRRI DG speaks during Makati Business Club luncheon
IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler addressed the Makati Business Club (MBC) during a luncheon on 23 October. His topic was “Rice, climate change, food security, and economic growth.”
The MBC is a private nonstock, nonprofit business association organized as a forum for constructive ideas. As a forum, the MBC is dedicated to addressing economic and social policy issues, which affect the development of the Philippines. The main thrust of the MBC is to foster and promote the role of the private business sector in national development efforts, both in the planning and the implementation of policy. ( Back to top )
Six international scientists from Australia, France, Japan, and The Netherlands and 13 IRRI staff members attended the “International Rice Model Mini-Workshop” at IRRI, 29-30 October 2007.
The workshop aimed to explore options for collaboration on modeling of rice (crop growth, soil water, soil nutrients, greenhouse gases, etc.) in terms of scientific developments (e.g., physiological processes, plant–environment interactions), software development, and model application.
The participants concluded that the ORYZA2000 and agricultural production systems simulator (APSIM) modeling programs are indeed a suitable basis for most of the envisioned model needs in studies such as climate change (including adaptation), drought, risk management, and cropping systems management. Concrete action plans were developed for further joint development of ORYZA2000 to suit these purposes. Moreover, a stronger collaboration between the Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit and IRRI under an open-source policy will be actively pursued. Progress and further action plans will be discussed in April 2008 at the Crop Science Conference in Jeju, Korea, and a subsequent modeling conference in Nanjing, China. ( Back to top )
Successful aerobic rice workshop held in China
On 22-24 October, more than 70 scientists participated in the “International Workshop on Aerobic Rice” in Beijing, China, to share knowledge and experiences in aerobic rice development and to identify new priorities for research.
Participants came from the Philippines, India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Colombia, The Netherlands, the United States, and the host country, China. Co-organized by Drs. Wang Huaqi of the China Agricultural University and Bas Bouman of IRRI, the workshop was a joint undertaking of the Water Work Group of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium and the project “Developing a System of Temperate and Tropical Aerobic Rice (STAR) in Asia” of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food.
The workshop brought together breeders and scientists who are working on the development and dissemination of aerobic rice in Asia. During the workshop, the participants presented and discussed results from the past 5 years from a range of research studies, including varietal development, water management, crop and nutrient management, mapping of yield potentials, socioeconomics, and impact and adoption of aerobic rice. ( Back to top )
IRRI holds training course on Upland Rice Variety Selection Techniques for African Countries
A 10-day innovative training course on “Upland Rice Variety Selection Techniques for African Countries” was conducted at the IRRI-Training Center (TC), 22-31 October. The training course, a joint undertaking between the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and IRRI, aimed to support self-help efforts that will lead to economic progress and a better life for the citizens of Africa.
The course was led by TC Head Noel Magor; Dr. Arvind Kumar, course coordinator; Engr. Eugenio C. Castro, Jr., course co-coordinator/facilitator; and Mr. Kojima Nobuki, JICA coordinator. It was an area-focused training course designed to train field researchers and extension officers from various African countries in evaluating upland rice varieties suitable for their respective countries and learning about upland rice production systems. Nine participants from eight African countries ( Malawi, Benin, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) attended the training course. ( Back to top )
Twelve complete Scientific Writing Workshop
The Scientific Writing Workshop ended on 28 September with 12 participants from 5 countries. The workshop, which started on 25 September, focused on organizing, preparing, and writing a scientific paper. At the end of the workshop, participants were required to come up with a working draft of their scientific paper. Ms. Tess Rola of IRRI’s Communication and Publications Services served as the main resource person. Workshop management support was given by a team from the IRRI Training Center, which was led by Achu Arboleda. ( Back to top )
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• October-December 2007 • July-September 2007 • April-June 2007 • January-March 2007 • October-December 2006 • July-September 2006 • April-June 2006 • March 2006 • December 2005 • September 2005 • June 2005 • December 2004 • June 2004 • April 2004 • December 2003 • October 2003 • June 2003 • March 2003 • December 2000 • September 2000 • June 2000 • April 2000 • December 1999 |
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