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Media hotlineAn information summary for supporters of
international rice research In this issue:
In his first seminar as IRRI’s new Director General (on 31 May), Dr. Bob Zeigler fired the starting gun on a new strategic planning process for the Institute that will lead, over the next 9 months, to the development of a new research strategy, business plan, and medium-term plan. Challenging IRRI staff to think big, Dr. Zeigler explained why developing a new strategy is important for IRRI, and why it is crucial to get that planning right. He said the social, political, economic, and technological environment today is very different from that when IRRI developed its current strategy, IRRI Toward 2020, in 1996. New science and technology, the changing nature of our national partners, and the increasing number of alternate suppliers of rice research, to name but a few issues, are both challenges and opportunities for the Institute. A Strategic Planning Task Force has been formed, co-chaired by Deputy Director General for Research Ren Wang and Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina; the office of the Director for Program Planning and Coordination provides the Secretariat. One of its first tasks was to plan a consultation workshop of about 25 external experts, for 8-10 August, which was followed immediately by a brainstorming workshop for IRRI staff. Thereafter, the preparation of the new strategy will begin in earnest.
Two of the world’s leading agricultural research institutes have announced more details of an exciting new Alliance to help improve the lives of the millions of poor farmers in the developing world growing the cereal crops rice, wheat and maize. The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico first announced the formation of their new IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance in May this year. Following a second round of talks at CIMMYT’s headquarters in Mexico earlier in June, the two centers have now announced three important new initiatives of the Alliance. Focusing on common areas of research, the IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance has developed action plans that go far beyond day-to-day scientific collaboration between the two centers, which are recognized as key players in the Green Revolution in agricultural productivity that started sweeping the developing world in the 1960s. The three initiatives will build on the combined expertise and research capabilities of IRRI and CIMMYT and lay the foundation for the Alliance’s future impact and achievements. The three initiatives are the following:
The two centers have agreed to jointly contribute resources to the development of these three Alliance initiatives and that each activity should reflect a continuum of research from e xciting basic research to practical applications. The Alliance is also emphasizing the complementarities of maize, rice and wheat in profitability, nutrition, genomics and farming systems. As an important next step, Alliance scientists will now begin consultations with appropriate partners in the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) of Asia to further define themes, key research issues and work plans for other specific activities.
CIMMYT Research Committee comes to IRRI for a retreat and Alliance discussions The CIMMYT Research Committee, headed by the Center's Director General, Masa Iwanaga, held a 3-day internal retreat/meeting at IRRI, 25-27 April. The group also toured fields and laboratories on the IRRI campus in preparation for 2 days of intensive discussions, which took place on 28-29 April with IRRI staff members regarding the IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance. The Alliance discussions centered on moving forward with the four Alliance Programs proposed by the two centers’ boards last January in Shanghai. These Alliance Programs are Intensive Cropping Systems in Asia; Scientific Informatics; Training, including a Cereals Knowledge Bank; and Climate Change. Also considered were shared services in certain areas. Some IRRI staff members will be visiting CIMMYT in June to continue setting up the mechanisms for the Alliance Programs. Members of the visiting CIMMYT Research Committee included Dr. Iwanaga; Jonathan Crouch, director, Genetic Resources Program; Peter Ninnes, executive officer; John Dodds, deputy DG-research; John Dixon, director, Impacts, Targeting, and Assessment Program; David Mowbray, head, Corporate Communications; Hans Braun, director, Rainfed Wheat Systems Program; Marianne Banziger, director, African Livelihoods Program; Rodomiro Ortiz, director, Intensive Agroecosystems Program; Martin van Weerdenburg, director, Corporate Services; Kevin Pixley, director, Tropical Ecosystems Program; Jean-Marcel Ribaut, leader, Applied Biotechnology Group; Richard Trethowan, leader, Wheat Improvement Group; Patrick Wall, leader, Crop and Resources Management Group; and David Bergvinson, entomologist.
IRRI Environmental Council holds inaugural meeting, team leaders appointed The launching of a new IRRI Environmental Agenda (IEA) during the World Rice Research Conference in Tokyo in November 2004 marked a significant commitment by the Institute to environmental concerns and sustainability. An IRRI Environmental Council (IEC) is now responsible for the implementation of the IEA. At the Council’s first meeting, Director General Robert Zeigler, in his opening remarks, highlighted the need to give explicit attention to potential environmental impacts of IRRI’s activities at the Institute's research station and where IRRI technologies can be adopted. He stressed that the Institute should incorporate environmental considerations into its work in a sincere and fundamental way, not by simply repackaging what IRRI is already doing. The IEA will be a major consideration in the upcoming strategic planning process. The IEC inaugural meeting was held at IRRI on 18 April. To implement the IEA, the Council established a secretariat headed by K.L. Heong, deputy division head, Entomology and Plant Pathology Division, and a working group of theme leaders already on the IEC. Dr. Zeigler invited the following IEC members to serve as theme leaders: Sushil Pandey (poverty), Deborah Templeton (environmental sustainability and impact), Darshan Brar (biotechnology), Duncan Macintosh (public awareness), Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton (biodiversity), T.P. Tuong (water use), Arnold Manza (environmental management system), and John Sheehy (climate change).
RDA-IRRI LOA signed to continue training workshop on rice technology transfer systems A Letter of Agreement (LOA) between the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of Korea and IRRI was signed by Dr. Ki-Cheol Eom, director general of the Research Management Bureau, RDA, and IRRI Director General Robert S. Zeigler, on 20 April at IRRI headquarters. The LOA formally extends up to 2009 the existing collaboration between RDA and IRRI in implementing the training workshop on Rice Technology Transfer Systems (RTTS) in Asia—the first of its kind in Asia. This year’s course is scheduled on 4-17 September at the International Technical Cooperation Center (ITCC), RDA campus at Suweon, Korea, and will be coordinated again by Training Center and International Programs Management Office (IPMO) Senior Manager Jojo Lapitan. RDA provides funding support to all participating NARES and logistics for the course, while IRRI manages the delivery of the course by providing the course materials, main resource persons and facilitators, and staff expenses while in Korea. Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina, IPMO Head Mark Bell and Mr. Lapitan from the IRRI side, and Mr. Yang-Hee Cho, deputy director (training), ITCC, and Dr. Hung-Go Hwang, RDA liaison scientist to IRRI, from the Korean side, witnessed the signing.
RDA recognizes Mark Bell for his contributions During the visit of the RDA group of Korea at IRRI on 20 April, Training Center and IPMO Head Mark Bell was presented with a Gratitude Plate in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the successful implementation of the Rice Technology Transfer Systems and the further strengthening of the collaboration between Korea and IRRI. The award was given by Dr. Ki-Cheol Eom, director general, Research Management Bureau, RDA. Dr. Bell is the fourth IRRI staff member to be given this prestigious award by the RDA after Ben Vergara, Gurdev Khush, and Ronald Cantrell. He left IRRI in June.
JIRCAS reps meet with IRRI staff to affirm fifth phase of ongoing collaborative project IRRI and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) held a workshop and meeting at the Institute on 11-12 April to affirm the purposes and activities of the fifth phase of the IRRI-Japan Collaborative Research Project (Phase V), which started in October 2004. Entitled Development of Integrated Rice Cultivation Systems under Water-saving Conditions, this 5-year project will conclude in September 2009. Four previous phases of the IRRI-Japan Collaborative Research Project have been implemented at IRRI since 1984 under special funding through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Japan, jointly supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan, and JIRCAS.
BOT meetings end with positive report of the Chair and welcoming of new BOT members including the director general IRRI Board of Trustees (BOT) Chair Keijiro Otsuka presented his annual report to staff on 1 April. During the program, he formally introduced and welcomed five new BOT members--one of whom was Robert S. Zeigler (and his family). The event was held after 3 days of meetings of the BOT with each other and IRRI staff, 30 March–1 April. In addition to Dr. Zeigler, Dr. Otsuka introduced and welcomed new BOT members Emerlinda R. Roman and Arthur C. Yap (ex-officio members as UP president and Philippine secretary of agriculture, respectively) and Elizabeth Woods and Ralph Anthony Fischer (both from Australia). Also, on behalf of the BOT, Dr. Otsuka presented Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina a token of gratitude for serving as acting director general from 16 December to 20 March. In his response, Dr. Padolina thanked the board, management and the staff for their support and hard work during his tenure as acting director general. Dr. Otsuka also announced that IRRI now has a solid and sound financial foundation with a balanced budget predicted for 2005.
IRRI's activities and the Millennium Development Goals During the BOT Program Committee meeting, 30 March–1 April, IRRI Director for Program Planning and Coordination Mike Jackson presented some "food for thought" on how IRRI should be linking its activities with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Many donors have the MDGs on their "radar screens" such as, for example, the Department for International Development (DFID), which states at the top of its Web site's front page that its main objective is "to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the elimination of poverty." Dr. Jackson said that, "Achieving the MDGs begins with rice research and that soon IRRI needs to do more than just 'link' its activities to the MDGs, but to start enumerating the 'impact' that IRRI will have in helping to reach these goals."
Vethaiya Balasubramanian is IRRI Africa Coordinator At the request of Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina and Deputy Director General for Research Ren Wang, Vethaiya Balasubramanian, IRRI senior scientist, agronomy, IPMO, has accepted the responsibility of being IRRI's Africa Coordinator. During its meeting in April at the Institute, the IRRI BOT decided to allocate up to $1 million to support IRRI's strategic initiatives in certain key areas and countries, with the first priority being the development of a major program in Africa. Management has since then organized a series of discussions to bring this important decision into effect. A trip to East Africa by Dr. Wang, Glenn Gregorio and Dr. Balasubramanian in May this year was part of implementing this plan. IRRI aims to develop a viable Africa program with tangible research and training activities on the ground in the region before the next BOT meeting in April 2006. Under his new designation, Dr. Balasubramanian will provide the Institute with a "hub" for information gathering, analysis and appropriate dissemination on topics related to the IRRI Africa initiative; coordinate with partners in sub-Saharan Africa for the development ofthe IRRI program; and lead and facilitate the process of developing a proposal for a major IRRI program in sub-Saharan Africa targeting key donors for possible bilateral funding support by working closely with the DPPC. He will also convene meetings, discussions, and workshops as necessary among IRRI staff, and involve external experts as needed for the development of the Africa program; use IPMO expertise to develop the proposal log frame and project management structure; and work under IPMO and consult closely with IRRI management on progress and issues. The Africa program under development will be placed under the MTP Project 12. An initial allocation of $40,000 general operating cost has been made to support these activities in 2005.
Combined SPIA workshop and INRM Task Force meeting at IRRI The combined workshop of the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA) of the CGIAR and the 6th Meeting of the CGIAR Task Force on Integrated Natural Resources Management(INRM) was held at the IRRI Headquarters, 13-16 June. Specialists from 25 countries attended the combined workshop/meeting. The participants presented evidence of the impact of natural resource management (NRM) research in the CGIAR through selected case studies commissioned by SPIA and advanced methodologies for assessing the impact of NRM interventions within and outside the CG system. The participants also clarified the nature of international public goods produced by NRM research. Outputs included the finalized SPIA case studies for publication and the developed guidelines for implementing the INRM approach. Additionally, a suite of methodologies for NRM impact assessment was assembled. IRRI Acting Director General William Padolina welcomed the participants. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) Director General Adel El-Beltagy and SPIA Chair Hans Gregersen gave opening remarks during the inaugural session. Regional workshop for hybrid rice at ADB About 50 agricultural policymakers, researchers and scientists from 13 countries, plus representatives from Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agriculture Organization, IRRI, nongovernment organizations and the private sector attended the Regional Workshop for Development and Dissemination of Hybrid Rice Technology at the ADB headquarters, 6-8 June. Workshop participants discussed key results achieved so far and the challenges faced by hybrid rice programs in improving food security in Asia and the roles of government policies, public-private sector partnership, and technology advances in promoting hybrid rice technology. Chief guests were Mr. Kazi Abdul Kashem, Mrs. Radha Singh, Mr. Tissa Warnasuriya and H.E. Bui Ba Bong, secretaries of agriculture of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, respectively. As part of the workshop, the four ministers visited IRRI on 8 June for an overview of the Institute’s research work. They also visited the Genebank and the Golden Rice Greenhouse. The IRRI delegation included Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina, DPPC Mike Jackson, Deputy PBGB Head Sant Virmani, SSD Head and Program Leader Mahabub Hossain, PBGB Head David Mackill, Tomas Masajo, Visitors and Information Services Head Duncan Macintosh, Associate Scientist Rodolfo Toledo, Ms. Leni Nazarea, and Ms. Elma Nicolas.
Writers' workshop for water management book at IRRI IRRI is leading the development of the synthesis chapter on Water, Rice, and Livelihoods, which will be part of a high-profile synthesis book, Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. The first draft of text of the chapter was developed during a 1-week Writers’ Workshop at IRRI, 6-10 June. The workshop brought together experts from various disciplines and backgrounds to discuss key messages, outline, and create content for the chapter. Among the participants were former IRRI staff members such us Randolph Barker, David Dawe and Reiner Wassman. The workshop was coordinated by Water Scientist Bas Boumam, CSWS Head To Phuc Tuong and Liz Humphreys (scientist from CSIRO-Land and Water in Australia). During the plenary sessions, the participants discussed the trends, conditions, challenges, and response options on rice production in the context of economics, market and trade, social culture, consumption culture, multi-functions, irrigation systems, water management, breeding, and abiotic stresses (drought, salinity and waterlogging). Key messages, thematic synthesis and first draft texts were developed from the discussions. These will be the main inputs in the chapter, which will be presented for international peer review in September.
Marginal lands workshop at IRRI The first planning workshop for a project on Revitalizing Marginal Lands: Discovery of Genes for Tolerance for Saline and Phosphorus-deficient Soils to Enhance and Sustain Productivity was held at IRRI, 17-18 May. Thirty-five participants from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, USA, the Philippines, and IRRI prepared a 2-year work plan, formulated research strategies, defined team roles, learned from each others’ experiences and discussed other issues relevant to the project's implementation. Mineral toxicities and deficiencies are major obstacles that persist in vast agricultural areas of the world. In Asia alone, more than 12 million hectares are currently affected by salinity and about half of all rice lands are P-deficient. However, solutions through improved germplasm are affordable to farmers and are becoming more feasible with the progress made in developing efficient molecular tools that can help unravel and tag genetic determinants to transfer and/or combine mechanisms underlying tolerance of complex traits. With funds from the Generation Challenge Program, this project will attempt to tag two major QTLs associated with salinity and P-deficiency tolerance and to identify candidate genes involved in an effort to develop efficient markers for breeding.
Generation Challenge Program holds informatics workshop The Generation Challenge Program (GCP) Platform Development Workshop was held at IRRI, 10-20 May. Focused on Subprogram 4 - Informatics: 2005 Domain Modeling and Data Quality Tasks, the workshop was hosted by the Biometrics and Bioinformatics Unit (BBU). It brought together 40 software developers to discuss, design and begin implementation of a common crop information system for the project. Workshop participants aimed to accelerate software engineering work on the GCP platform, in particular, the core Java middleware and domain model implementations as defined by discussions during the February GCP domain modeling and data quality workshops in Wageningen and in approved software engineering project proposals. The workshop had the following outputs: specification, initial prototyping and GCP partner adoption of a consensus architecture for a GCP crop information platform;
International workshop on genetic diversity at IRRI About 70 participants from China, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines, plus scientists from IRRI attended a workshop on Research Prioritization on Genetic Diversification to Sustain Rice Productivity, 9-11 May, at the IRRI headquarters. Workshop participants discussed theoretical principles on the use of genetic diversity for sustainable pest management and improved productivity; shared information and experiences gained from research activities on genetic diversification; identified and prioritized research issues; and established and fostered collaborative research among scientists and institutes in areas where genetic diversification can be adopted. The participants also identified knowledge gaps and research needs to further the application of genetic diversity, identified collaborative research activities, formulated strategies, and established institute and/or country work plans.
SSD conference on labor out-migration and gender issues at IRRI When men migrate to rural and urban areas, women are left behind to manage the farms. This was one of the key messages during the Social Sciences Division’s final conference on Impact of labor out-migration on the rice household economy with emphasis on gender issues held at IRRI, 26-27 April. Led by IRRI Senior Scientist Thelma Paris, 15 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines attended. The conference brought together researchers, extension workers and agricultural scientists to discuss the prevalence and patterns of labor out-migration and their impact on livelihood, rice farming efficiency and gender roles. They also shared results of studies on the impact of technologies and micro-credit on rural women, and identified gender-responsive approaches in research, technology development, training, extension and policies to improve women’s livelihood and well-being.
Inception and planning meeting on managing rice landscapes The inception and planning workshop on the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-supported project on Managing Rice Landscapes in Marginal Uplands for Household Food Security and Environmental Sustainability was held at IRRI headquarters, 18-20 April. The project aims to improve the livelihoods of upland farmers while conserving fragile natural resources through identifying, validating and disseminating improved rice-based agricultural technologies more suited to the diverse livelihood strategies of upland farmers. The workshop had 24 participants from collaborative partner countries ( India, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam), representatives of IFAD loan-funded projects in these countries, IRRI staff members and an IFAD representative. IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler, in his opening address, highlighted the importance of the project in addressing food insecurity and poverty issues in the uplands. Sushil Pandey, project leader and workshop organizer, presented the project background, objectives and expected outputs of the workshop. Dr. Ganesh Thapa, representative of IFAD, outlined the expectations of IFAD in this project. The 3-day workshop developed a revised log-frame for the project, a general program for research for the next 3 years, a detailed research program for 2005 and project implementation mechanisms.
Nine Bangladeshi agri extension workers finish 12-day scientific study tour IRRI completed a scientific study tour for nine Bangladeshis from the Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh, from March 21 to April 1, focused on agricultural improvement activities, particularly in agricultural extension and livelihood projects, that would benefit farmers. Sponsored by the Smallholder Agricultural Improvement Project (SAIP), the group visited various offices, research organizations and agricultural universities in Laguna, Manila , Nueva Ecija, and Benguet, Philippines. The study group visited the agricultural offices in Bay and Sta. Cruz, Laguna, and the Department of Agriculture in Quezon City to learn more about agricultural extension activities on rice and other crops at the municipal, provincial and national levels. They also toured the Farming Systems and Soil Resource Institute (FSSRI), Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), National Crop Protection Center (NCPC), all in the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development for information on farming systems, crop protection and research, and livelihood activities on crops other than rice. Part of their tour also involved visits to Benguet State University to observe food preservation activities and cold storage systems for vegetables, fruits and flowers; PhilRice on rice research, the Palayamanan integrated crop-livestock system, and using biomass from rice hulls as alternative power sources; and, to the Central Luzon State University on their research on goats and tilapia. The group also toured three rice mills in Calauan and Sta. Cruz to compare milling activities of small to large mills; visited the Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Bay (Farmers Association of Bay), Laguna, and the San Benito Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Victoria to discuss microcredit activities and income-generating activities of the cooperatives; and went to Infanta, Quezon, to see the devastation wrought by the recent landslides in the towns of Real, Infanta and General Nakar as well as to discuss the collaborative activities of the Integrated Community Development Assistance, Inc. and IRRI.
IRRI scientists win awards at international sustainability symposium IRRI scientists and partners from University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), PhilRice, India, and Vietnam won the top three awards in the poster contest during the International Symposium on the Sustainability of Paddy Farming Systems, 1-2 June, organized by the 7th International Conference of the East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies in Quezon City, Philippines. The first prize went to the poster on Economic and Environmental Assessment of Site-specific Nutrient Management in Irrigated Rice Systems, authored by Dr. Ireneo Manguiat from UPLB and coauthored by Gil Gines from PhilRice, Mira Pampolino and Roland Buresh from IRRI, S. Ramanathan and Ramasamy Rajendran from Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (India), and Pham Sy Tan and Truong Thi Ngoc Chi from Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (Vietnam). This poster reported findings from the Philippines, southern Vietnam, and southern India on economic benefits derived by farmers from use of SSNM and impacts of SSNM on greenhouse gas emissions as estimated with a simulation model Second prize went to the poster, Soil solution sampling methods for organic acids in paddy soils, authored by IRRI scientists Olivyn Angeles, Sarah Johnson and Roland Buresh. This paper reported the systematic development and evaluation of procedures for collecting and determining organic acids derived from anaerobic straw decomposition in flooded soils. A manuscript prepared on the research findings will appear soon in Soil Science Society of America Journal. The third prize went to the poster “ Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) for rice in the Philippines,” authored by Gil Gines and Leocadio S. Sebastian from PhilRice, and Mira Pampolino and Roland Buresh from IRRI. This poster illustrated how the site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) approach for rice was used to develop a locally adapted recommendation for field-specific nutrient management, which includes use of the new four-panel leaf color chart and is being promoted by the public and private sectors in the Philippines.
Sant Virmani recognized during two events in India For contributing to the development and dissemination of hybrid rice, IRRI Principal Scientist Sant Virmani was recognized by the Government of India during the 40th Rice Research Group Meeting, 6-8 April in Bangalore and by the Indian Seeds Industry Association (INSIA) and Seedmen Association in a special ceremony, 13 April at the Acharya N. G. Ranga (ANGR) Agricultural University, Rajendra Nagar, in Hyderabad. Dr. Virmani received a plaque and a citation at the Hyderabad meeting from Dr. Yogeswara Rao, President of the Seedmen Association in the presence of Dr. Raghu Vardhan Reddy, vice chancellor of ANGR Agricultural University, Dr. A. Padma Raju, director of research, ANGR Agricultural University, and Mr. S. Venkat Reddy, honorary secretary, Seedmen Association. The Hon. M.V. Rajashekharan, minister of state for planning, Government of India; Hon. K. Srinivasan Gowda, minister of agriculture, Government of Karnataka, India; Dr. M.N. Sheelavantar, vice chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore; Dr. B. Mishra, project director, Directorate of Rice Research, and Dr. B. Vidyachandra, leader of Hybrid Rice Program in Karnataka, also participated in the recognition ceremony. Representatives of several seed companies currently commercializing hybrid rice in India also recognized Dr. Virmani by presenting him with bouquets.
Sant Virmani receives plaque of gratitude from Philippine agriculture secretary For devoting more than 25 years to developing hybrid rice technologies suited to the Philippines and doing extensive research on hybrid rice, IRRI Principal Scientist Sant Singh Virmani received a plaque of gratitude from Philippine Agriculture Secretary (and ex-officio IRRI BOT member) Arthur Yap. The ceremony took place on 7 June at the Bayview Park Hotel during the 3r d National Workshop on Hybrid Rice.
Sant Virmani jumps last hurdle: gives farewell seminar at IRRI After 26 years as a rice breeder at IRRI, Principal Scientist Sant Singh Virmani will be retiring in July. He gave his farewell seminar, Progress Despite Hurdles: The Story of Hybrid Rice Outside China , at IRRI on 19 May. Dr. Virmani talked about the major hurdles that were overcome and the strategies used in the effort to develop hybrid rice in the tropics outside of China. He mentioned that India's support to the hybrid rice seed industry provides a good example to follow for developing countries interested in getting a strong hybrid industry established. In 2005, farmers in nine countries outside of China ( Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA and Vietnam), have planted around 2.05 million hectares of hybrid rice. Dr. Virmani projected that, by 2010, around 6.1 million hectares of hybrid rice will be planted annually in these countries.
IRRI assistant scientist wins PMCP Best Paper Award Teodoro R. Migo, assistant scientist in CSWS, won the Best Paper Award (weed science) at the P est Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP) Conference held in PhilRice, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on 2-6 May. The paper "Response of lowland rice weeds to submergence and the effect of herbicide dose” was coauthored by O.S. Namuco, A.M. Mortimer and D.E. Johnson.
Environment Radio Drama project wins World Bank’s Development Marketplace 2005 Award Environmental Radio Soap Opera for Rural Vietnam , a project developed by Deputy EPPD Head K.L. Heong of EPPD and M.M. Escalada of IPMO, in collaboration with Nguyen Huu Huan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vu Huu Ky Ba of the Voice of Ho Chi Minh, won a World Bank Development Marketplace Award for 2005 in Washington, D.C. on 25 May. Using entertainment-education (E-E) principles, the project will focus on promoting “best practices” to enhance environmental sustainability in rice ecosystems. The new soap opera will build on the success of the current Rockefeller Foundation-funded “Farm IPM Radio”. Launched in July 2004, the soap opera “Chuyen Que Minh” (or My Homeland) ( www.irri.org/radio) has gained popularity among rice farmers in the Mekong Delta. The new Environmental Radio program will develop another 104 episodes featuring environmental health in rice ecosystems, including soil health, crop residue management, natural biological control conservation, and reduction of farm chemicals. The project team, in a unique collaboration with social scientists, ecologists and creative writers, will create an informative and motivational radio soap opera that appeals to its rural audience. Complimentary on-the-ground extension support will reinforce the programming through activities such as local competitions, radio clubs, printed materials and video, thus expanding the radio audience to 10 million farm households. Through the Development Marketplace (DM) competition, the World Bank seeks to identify and support innovative development ideas. The theme for 2005 is environment and the objective is to engage rural communities in productive environmental initiatives and inventive partnerships. The competition attracted more than 2,700 entries and the panel of judges selected 78 DM finalists who were invited to the World Bank to present their projects.
Two IRRI staff members recognized during national FCSSP Conference In recognition of her outstanding contributions in the field of agriculture, giving new perspective to social sciences, merging together technical and social concerns of research and using new methods for conducting applied research in rice-based livelihood systems, Thelma Romero Paris, senior scientist-gender specialist in IRRI’s Social Sciences Division (SSD), received the Honorary Fellow Award given by the Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines (FCSSP) during its 18th Scientific Conference held in Grand Caprice Convention Center, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City, 2-6 May 2005. Dr. Paris was also honored for her extensive studies on farming practices and indigenous knowledge to assess farmers’ technology needs and to identify interventions for technology development in fragile rice environments; promoting participatory research for technology validation and eliciting farmers’ responses to new technologies; and socioeconomic research on gender issues in rice-based systems particularly for assessing strategies, policies and technology options for reducing gender inequity and improving livelihoods of low-income households. She initiated the first “ Leadership Training Course for Asian Women in R&D and Extension” for women researchers, research managers and extension leaders in institutions engaged in rice research. Marianne Samson, assistant scientist in Crop, Soil, and Water Sciences (CSWS), won the best paper competition in the downstream research category during the FCSSP Conference. The paper, Benefits of real-time N-fertilizer management during four years in two long-term experiments, was coauthored with E.V. Laureles, W.M. Larazo and R.J. Buresh from IRRI and H.C. Gines from PhilRice. The paper reported on the benefits of increased yield and reduced sheath blight with improved N management during 4 years of research at IRRI and PhilRice. Results of this and other research in the Philippines has led to a locally adapted recommendation for site-specific nutrient management for rice that is being promoted together with the new four-panel leaf color chart by the public and private sectors in the Philippines.
Ruben Lampayan is 2005 Outstanding Agricultural Engineer IRRI associate scientist Ruben Lampayan is this year’s Outstanding Filipino Agricultural Engineer in the field of Irrigation Research and Development. The award was presented to Dr. Lampayan during the 55th Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers Annual National Convention held at General Santos City, 18-21 April. Dr. Lampayan has done scientific work on groundwater hydrology and modeling as a PhD student in the Australian National University. He was also cited for his leading role in the implementation of R&D activities on water-saving technologies for rice production in the Philippines and in the dissemination of these technologies to stakeholders in the national agricultural research and extension systems.
IRRI entries win recognition in SDC Success Stories competition Two success story entries with IRRI ties have won major awards in a competition sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for countries in its East Asia Division. Markus Schafer, program manager of SDC East Asia Division, announced on 30 March that the entries, Three Reductions, Three Gains Program to improve environment and livelihood of millions of rice farmers in Vietnam (IRRI, Vietnam) and Genuinely Lao, the story of the project that revolutionized rice production in Laos (IRRI, Laos), had won 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. SDC received 19 stories from the region. A five-member jury of representatives from SDC headquarters screened and assessed the entries based on success, structure, language, form, realism and credibility, reference to cultural context and empowerment, gender sensitivity, impact, messages, lessons, and processes, and tools. The 1st place story came out of Nepal: The silent revolution of Nepali women: Sustainable Soil Management Program. Fourth through 6th places also came from Nepal.
Vice chancellor of Charles Sturt University visits IRRI to sign MOU Ian Goulter , vice chancellor of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Australia, visited the I nstitute on 25 April to co-sign an IRRI-CSU Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) . CSU is an innovative leader in providing an accessible, adaptable and challenging learning environment to develop graduates and research that meet the needs of its regional, national and international communities. Through the MOU, CSU has made IRRI an affiliate institute , which will provide the basis for future collaboration in rice research and training.
Dutch parliamentarians visit IRRI Four members of the House of Commons from The Netherlands, two spouses, and two staff members from the Royal Netherlands Embassy visited the Institute on 7 April. The parliamentarians were attending the conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Manila, 31 March-8 April, and came to IRRI to have a general idea of the Institute's research agenda and the IRRI-Netherlands collaboration and research. The delegates were Mr. J.M. Geluk, member of the Second Chamber of the States General (Liberal Party); Mrs. E.N.A. Kalsbeek, member of the Second Chamber of the States General (Labour Party); Mrs. I.Y. Tan, member of the First Chamber of the States General (Labour Party); Mr. J. J. van Heukelum, member of the First Chamber of the States General (Liberal Party); Mrs. T. Geluk-Hjelt, spouse of Mr. Geluk; Mrs. B. Geerse-Jasperse, company of Mrs. Kalsbeek; Mr. M.F. van den Bogaard, second secretary, Royal Netherlands Embassy; and Mrs. Ma. L. Valledo, budget administrator, Royal Netherlands Embassy.
IRRI to be first on CGIAR Video Access Grid In a few weeks’ time, IRRI will be the first CGIAR center on the Access Grid when a new 6-Mbps connection to the Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) is commissioned with a new "local loop" to the national termination point at the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City. Access Grid is video conferencing on steroids (or multipoint videoconferencing) using Internet technology. Video conferencing today is roughly where email was in 1991 (email took off in 1992). IRRI Information Technology Head Paul O'Nolan currently leads a World Bank-funded CGIAR ICT-KM project to connect sister centers to advanced research networks such as Internet2 and APAN.
On 13 May, IRRI and the International Potato Center (CIP) became the first two CGIAR Centers between which "corporate" instant messaging is now possible, that is, with automatically updated directories on both sides. CIP also uses e/pop, both at headquarters and outposted offices. Only a few IRRI and CIP staff need to communicate often, those involved in genetic resources issues, GIS and high-performance computing applications mainly, and the 13-hour time difference makes it difficult. Staff in both institutes who collaborate can now add colleagues to their "My Shortcuts" directory and then can know immediately if those colleagues are online or not, and they can then make an IVDN phone call or send an instant message. The instant messaging software in both centers uses the CGIAR's new global "Active Directory" network software for identifying and authenticating users. This intercenter connection is one of the first visible signs of the re-networking that has gone on across the system over the last 2 years. It will become increasingly apparent in future as more collaborative tools and a CGIAR Intranet become available.
IRRI Environmental Agenda Web site now online Recently in Japan, Director General Bob Zeigler launched the Web site of IRRI's Environmental Agenda, GreenRice.net BETA. As “beta” in the name implies, the basic content and functionality of the siteare being refined. However, the site has already provided an online collaboration system for participants in a recent workshop and received more than 1,000 hits from visitors in 14 countries. Rather than promote a specific interpretation of what an environmental agenda should or should not be, the purpose of GreenRice.net BETAis to reflect the fact that solving environmental problems requires information from a wide range of sources and input from many partners. Thus, the focus of the site is to provide users with functionality that gives them the chance to interact dynamically with information and collaborate to forge a broad-based environmental agenda for rice. GreenRice.net BETA will provide users with discussions of key issues associated with developing an environmental agenda for rice; newsroom features such as headlines, events and an instant news aggregator; tools for online collaboration; a repository of useful documents and datasets; and a meta-site offering templates and hosting for small environmental projects that might not have the resources to produce their own Web sites. GreenRice.net BETAhas communication tools to allow users to send comments to the site administrators. Users can also register with the site to receive periodic updates about important developments on the site. Eventually users will be able to define their own profiles and control what information is displayed in certain areas of the site. GreenRice.net BETA was conceived by K.L. Heong and Greg Fanslow of the IRRI Environmental Council's secretariat with programming support provided by Mutya Aller in CPS. Departing and new staff members recognized On 15 April, the IRRI community bade farewell to departing staff members and formally welcomed the new DG and five other new arrivals. Departing IRRI are Humnath Bhandari, postdoctoral fellow in SSD; Mark Bell, head of IPMO and the Training Center; Devendra Dwivedi, postdoctoral fellow in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology (PBGB); and Renee Lafitte, senior scientist in CSWS. Already departed and not present were PBGB Senior Scientists Karabi and Swapan Datta. Also departing after the current school year are ISLB teachers Florence Bradford and Bruce North. Welcomed were Director General Robert Zeigler and his wife Crissan and daughter Claire; PBGB Postdoctoral Fellow Bertrand Collard; PBGB Scientist Nobuya Kobayashi; Entomology and Plant Pathology Division (EPPD) Postdoctoral Fellow Chitra Raghavan; PBGB International Research Fellow Rakish Kumar Singh and his wife Abha; and SSD Social Scientist/Economist Deborah Templeton and her husband Timothy Overett. Bert Collard, from Australia, is working with David Mackill on incorporating genes for abiotic and biotic stress resistance into elite varieties via marker-assisted selection (MAS). Nobuya Kobayashi is responsible for the IRRI-Japan Collaborative Research Project. Chitra Raghavan will be working on Project 2--functional genomics under the supervision of plant pathologist Hei Leung. Her research experience as a graduate student has been in examining the whole genome response of Arabidopsis to an exilic herbicide. Her current goal is the functional analysis of candidate genes involved in abiotic and biotic stress response. Her office is at L225 Umali and she can be reached at extension 2516. Rakesh Kumar Singh is working under plant breeder Glenn Gregorio for the salinity project and Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)-funded research project 7. Adam Barclay joined IRRI on 21 June as an International Research Fellow (IRF)-writer/editor under the Communication and Publications Services (CPS). Mr. Barclay will be primarily responsible for producing the Rice Today magazine, the Annual Report of the Director General and other writing assignments. Before joining CPS, he had worked at IRRI as a volunteer on the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (September 2003-04), responsible for increasing public awareness of the Institute and the importance of rice and rice research during the International Year of Rice 2004.
Rice scientists help fight poverty in salt-affected areas of Asia and Africa The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food Project No. 7, Development of Technologies to Harness the Productivity Potential of Salt-affected Areas of the Indo-Gangetic, Mekong, and Nile River Basins, being led by IRRI Senior Scientist Abdelbagi Ismail, recently completed its First Annual Review and Planning Meeting, 20-23 April, at the BRAC Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sixty-two scientists from IRRI, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, India, Dubai, and Vietnam attended the event. Dr. Ismail presented an overview of the meeting. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, The Honorable State Minister for Agriculture of Bangladesh, Mr. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, manifested his full support for the project and expressed keenness on adopting technologies to increase the productivity potential of salt-affected areas in south Bangladesh. Mr. Alamgir personally visited the project site at Batiaghata Upzila in Khulna, where high-yielding varieties of boro rice were successfully grown through wise use of river water. Through collaborative research between IRRI and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, growing boro rice in saline-prone areas was made possible, with yields of 3.5−5.5 tons ha -1. The project is also progressing at other project sites in participating countries. These project sites have screening techniques in place, breeding materials that have been evaluated and on-farm and on-station trials ongoing for water management options, optimum crop management and dry-season crops, among others. IRRI scientists Mahabub Hossain, Glenn Gregorio, Stephan Haefele, Thelma Paris and R.K. Singh attended. Other participating institutions were the Central Rice Research Institute-India, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute- India, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology-India, Rice Research Institute of Iran, Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute-Vietnam, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, University of California-Davis and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in Dubai.
IRRI Bangladesh Office holds field day on HYV rice To demonstrate that high-yielding rice varieties (HYVs) have great potential to increase production, the IRRI Bangladesh Office held a field day and crop-cutting ceremony on 7 May at Homna, Comilla, Bangladesh. Supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) project and led by IRRI SSD Head Mahabub Hossain, the event was attended by the Honorable Minister for Agriculture Mr. M.K. Anwar MP, and guest speakers Noel P. Magor, IRRI representative for Bangladesh; M. Mahiul Haque, director general of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI); Mukhlesur Rahman, chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC); Nazira Quraishi Kamal, BRRI director for research; Mallik Sayed Mahbub, Upazila Nirbahi officer; and selected farmers. Dr. M.A. Hamid Miah, IRRI liaison scientist for Bangladesh; and Dr. M. Ishaque of BRRI presented the technical aspects of the demonstration. Based on the records of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), HYV rice does not have high potential as claimed by scientists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). BBS records show only 3.5 tons ha -1 of paddy. During the field day, it was identified that 71-80-day-old seedlings and unbalanced fertilizer were the most important factors for low yields. Farmers had to use old seedlings because they were at the mercy of tube well owners, “the water lords,” as the minister said, who have the tendency to start tube wells very late to save cost of fuel. The minister was convinced of the yield potential, provided the recommended practice is followed, and commented that Bangladesh can be a rice exporter if the average yield of paddy reaches 7 tons ha -1. He also realized that knowledge gap at the farmers’ level contributed substantially to yield loss and directed concerned agencies to prepare a plan to address the causes of yield gap. He committed to provide all policy and administrative support toward harnessing the yield potential of rice.
Publication ceremony of IRRI-PETRRA book held in Dhaka The IRRI Bangladesh Office organized a publication ceremony for its recently published book Innovations in Rural Extension: Case Studies from Bangladesh on 19 June at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) Auditorium in Dhaka. The book is a documentation of major areas of research and extension methods under the Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance (PETRRA)-a project funded by DFID and managed by IRRI in close collaboration with the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). The project explored the development of innovative extension mechanisms through a learning-by-doing process with multiple service providers. Topics included seed production, marketing and distribution systems, crop and soil fertility management, postharvest technologies, mobile pump production and marketing, aromatic rice value-added chain, and integrated rice duck-farming. The Honorable State Minister for Agriculture Mr. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, MP, attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Dr. Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), chaired the ceremony, while Ms. Yolande Wright, Environment and Livelihoods Adviser of DFID Bangladesh, was present as a special guest. BRRI DG Dr. M. Mahiul Haque and the director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Mr. Ibrahim Khalil were also present. IRRI liaison scientist for Bangladesh Dr. M.A. Hamid Miah made the welcome speech and IRRI representative for Bangladesh Dr. Noel P. Magor made a brief presentation on the book, highlighting its salient features. Dr. Golam Rahman, professor and chairman, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University, presented a review on the book. Dr. Abdul Halim, professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, Bangladesh Agriculture University, discussed the book. Mr. Reaz Ahmad, chief reporter, The Daily Star, also discussed the book critically. At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Alamgir distributed the book to the authors and contributors.
China University appoints K.L. Heong as visiting professor On 10 April, the China Jilian University in Hangzhou appointed K.L. Heong as visiting professor to the University’s School of Life Sciences. The certificate and plaque were presented to Dr. Heong by Vice President and Professor Lu Jin. Dr. Heong will work with the School’s dean, Professor Yu Xiaoping, to develop new curricula and research themes that will focus on environment and sustainable development.
Asian drought triggers surge in poverty - but help is on the way The drought that is desiccating and devastating much of Asia this year will not only cost the region hundreds of millions of dollars in lost agricultural production but will also drive millions of people into poverty. New research on the impact of drought in rural India has shown that total farm household income can drop by 40−80 percent in drought years relative to normal years. A drought in 2002−03 in the three eastern Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa pushed another 13 million people below the poverty line. The research-funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by scientists at the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as well as partners in India--is one of the first major efforts to fully understand the economic impact of drought in Asia, especially in relation to rice. The research results also come as much of Asia is gripped by a severe drought that is devastating rice crops and agricultural production. The new technologies to help Asia’s rice farmers combat drought can be divided into two main categories:
“What we are doing now is integrating all these various components into simple, easy-to-adopt technology packages for farmers,” Dr. Zeigler says. “Of course, droughts will still be with us, but we hope to help farmers adapt successfully so that droughts will make as little difference to them as the sun rising or setting.”
J.K. Ladha delivers Delhi Chapter of Indian Society of Soil Science lecture at IARI Upon invitation from the Delhi Chapter of the Indian Society of Soil Science, IRRI Senior Scientist J.K. Ladha delivered a lecture, Managing Nitrogen for Crop Productivity and Environmental Quality, at the Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, on 26 April. Several soil scientists from the division, society members, and IRRI-India Office staff members B. Sivaprasad and Y.S. Saharawat attended. Dr. Ladha spoke on global trends of food production and N use, declining N-use efficiency, increasing trends of N use and the consequent challenges. While indicating that N-use efficiencies declined over the year, he highlighted political, economic and environmental challenges that cereal production faces. He discussed the factors controlling fertilizer N-use efficiency and suggested measures that could reverse the trends of declining N-use efficiency. Synchronization of N demand by the plant and supply from the soil was suggested as a major approach in this direction. He suggested that N losses could be least when synchronization is highest. Dr. Ladha suggested resource management strategies such as plant need-based application of N using SPAD or leaf color charts, use of slow-release N fertilizers and manipulation of residue lignin:N ratio; and genetic improvement for better use of soil N and ability to fix atmospheric N 2 to enhance N-use efficiency. Also, he showed a N-sustainability framework that aims at achieving optimum economic returns and sustained quality of air and water while maintaining total and available N pools in soil. Dr. Ladha concluded that one could enhance N-use efficiency by minimizing soil disturbance, avoiding cycles of soil flooding/drying and dry fallows, practicing crop diversification, using higher quality residue, replenishing soil nutrients and applying N on a plant-need basis. There was a discussion at the end of the presentation, and several researchers actively participated in it by asking questions and seeking clarifications.
New agreement provides rice research vision until 2008 The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has announced details of an important new international agreement to support and facilitate its national rice research efforts over the next 3 years. The new ICAR work plan agreement (2005-08) with IRRI ensures that India will continue to have access to the very best and latest public rice research and technologies being developed in other countries. Since the first such agreement in 1991, the number of Indian institutes involved has doubled from 26 to 52 institutes and projects developed have gone from 27 to 47. During a seminar on the new agreement in Delhi on 22 June, IRRI previewed some of the new technologies that it has been working on with ICAR and other partners in Asia. Some examples follow:
Most importantly, the ICAR-IRRI collaborative work plan agreement ensures that Indian rice farmers will continue to have access to the best new rice varieties being developed internationally for adaptation and development for Indian conditions. Such work particularly focuses on higher yields and greater productivity, drought tolerance, disease and insect resistance, as well as improved nutrition and the development of new hybrid rice varieties. ICAR-IRRI research has also looked at the increasing importance of nonrice and nonfarm income in farmers’ livelihoods as well as diagnosed the constraints to the adoption of improved technologies in unfavorable environments like those in eastern India. Additionally, the new agreement allows for the continuation of training programs at IRRI for young Indian scientists and researchers. The ICAR-IRRI agreement has three main focuses: genetic enhancement or the development of improved rice varieties, natural resource management with a particular focus on environmental sustainability and training and technology transfer. In all three areas, the main aim is to make sure the very latest technologies and ideas are made easily available to India’s rice farmers as quickly as possible.
IRRI and TNAU hold scientific writing and presentation skills course IRRI and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) conducted a Scientific Writing and Presentation Skills Training Course for 23 university associate and full professors from the different institutes and colleges of TNAU. The workshop, 13-18 June, enabled the participants to learn the intricacies of scientific writing and to refine their individual papers for publication, as well as turn them into presentation materials that they delivered during the course. Based on the course evaluation, the participants appreciated the course very much because they learned a lot about scientific writing and publishing papers internationally. The challenge is for them to have their papers accepted for publication after 6 months and for them to be able to echo the training to their colleagues. During the graduation, special prizes were given to those who excelled in the presentation. TNAU Director for Research Dr. S. Ramanathan gave them special assignments. Dr. Vethaiya Balasubramanian coordinated the course and Ms. Gina E. Zarsadias facilitated the training. Following the IRRI training principle, structured learning activities and group dynamics were added to enliven the training.
CURE Steering Committee wraps up annual meeting in Indonesia The Steering Committee of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) concluded its fourth annual meeting, held on 24-27 May at Lombok Island, Indonesia. More than 80 scientists from IRRI and NARES partner institutions gathered for the 3½- day event at Senggigi Beach Hotel. The governor of West Nusa Tenggara Province, H.E. Dr. H. Lalu Serinata, prepared a welcome presentation, which was given by Mr. Nanang Samudra, secretary of the provincial government, at the inaugural ceremony. Participants visited the former food-deficit area in South Lombok during a field tour that preceded the meeting. The meeting included a special workshop on advances in crop improvement research since 1991, followed by Working Group presentations on the recent year’s progress in CURE rainfed research. The research is supported by the Asian Development Bank’s Regional Expertise Technical Assistance program (ADB-RETA). Representing the ADB was its senior agricultural specialist, Dr. T. Bayarsaihan. The Steering Committee meeting concluded with a business meeting. Steering Committee Chair Dr. Suthep Limthongkul of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand presided with the assistance of CURE Coordinator Mahabub Hossain, IRRI Program 3 leader. The Steering Committee named Dr. Djoko Damardjati, director of the Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development (ICFORD) as its 2005-06 chair. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute will host next year’s meeting. IRRI co-hosted the Steering Committee meeting with ICFORD, the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, with local support from the West Nusa Tengarra Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology.
IRRI DG describes challenges of feeding Asia before Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan During a professional luncheon of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Tokyo, 3 June, IRRI Director General Bob Zeigler described the challenges of feeding Asia, such as growing population and land and water scarcities, and how IRRI is tackling them. According to Dr. Zeigler, while Asia does seem to be on track to meet MDG#1 (eradicating extreme povety), the recent United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) task force report on Halving hunger: it can be done, points out that there are still more than 521 million food-insecure Asians in deep poverty traps."These traps are ensnaring people who often live on unfavorable lands with poor soils and lack of water and have poor access to markets and information," he said. More than 40 journalists and other interested people attended the event, including representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). During his presentation entitled Can Asia Feed Itself Sustainably?, Dr. Zeigler also announced the launching of a new Web site for IRRI’s Environmental Agenda in time for World Environment, 5 June. The Web site is the latest important step in the development of an Environmental Agenda for rice research at IRRI and for rice production in Asia.
Thirty-five attend Myanma Training Course in Communication Thirty-five participants from different agricultural institutes around Myanmar attended a 5-day Training Course in Communication, held at the Central Agriculture Research and Training Centre (CARTC) at Hlegu, Myanmar, 18-22 April. The course, which was jointly sponsored by the Myanma Agriculture Service (MAS) and IRRI, aimed to discuss the role of communication in obtaining impact from research, analyze a particular audience and identify the factors relevant to communication, write simple and effective descriptions of science for nonscientific audiences, describe how people learn and the implications of this for communication, prepare and deliver an effective presentation on a science topic and understand the role of the Internet in communication. Topics included an overview of communication, audience analysis, how do people learn, writing for nonscientists, plain language, presentation skills, communication strategy, what is the Internet and the Rice Knowledge Bank. The course was highlighted by the preparation and delivery of each of the participants' presentations. Mr. David Shires and Ms. Achu Arboleda, both from the IRRI Training Center, were the course coordinator and course facilitator, respectively.
1st International Conference on Nutrigenomics-opportunities in Asia Nutrigenomics is an exciting new scientific frontier integrating genomic technologies with nutrition knowledge. It has the potential to lead to the development of new foods to deliver personalized nutrition for optimal health. The conference, sponsored by the International Life Sciences Institute and to be held 7-9 December in Singapore, will highlight global scientific development and research in the area of nutrient-gene interactions and how they are influenced by genetic diversity, dietary patterns, food availability and choices. It will address the relevance of nutrigenomics to meet public health needs of Asian populations. IRRI Deputy Director General for Partnerships William Padolina and Gerard Barry are attending. Dr. Barry will speak on Agricultural Fortification--Improving the Nutrient Profile in Food Crops.
Thirty-five complete training workshop on production technologies for rice Thirty-five Sri Lankan agricultural instructors, monitoring officers, lecturers, and officers from the Department of Agriculture of Sri Lanka (DOASL) have successfully completed the 6-day training workshop on Production technologies for better quality rice held at the In-Service Training Institute of DOASL in Gonaruwa, Sri Lanka, 30 May-14 June. The course was part of IRRI-DOASL partnership to further enhance human resources capacity of the DOASL in improving rice grain quality for better income of farmers in the Granary Area Program. Resource persons for the course were IRRI staff members Joe Rickman, V. Balasubramanian, Eugene Castro, and Jojo Lapitan, and senior scientists of the Rice Research and Development Institute of DOASL, Entomologist C.M.D Dharmasena, Pathologist D.M.N. Dissanayake, and Soil Scientist W.M.D.B. Wickramasinghe. The course was facilitated and coordinated by IRRI staff Mr. Castro and Mr. Lapitan, respectively, and Mr. Shantha Emitiyagoda and Mr. C. Aberatne from DOASL. This is the first time that this type of course and its engaging approach was held in Sri Lanka. The course enabled the participants to determine the different factors that affect seed grain quality and yield; understand the important production technologies and practices of rice culture; and detect, identify, and solve common field problems of rice production using the Rice Knowledge Bank. The participants were exposed to various practical laboratory and field exercises emphasizing the production and postharvest factors affecting grain quality, which eventually determine price of paddy and income. They were also given some tips on effective presentation and the evolution of extension. |
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