Rice Today Vol. 8, No. 3

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Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009US$5.00ISSN 1655-5422

www.irri.org

International Rice Research Institute July-September 2009, Vol. 8, No. 3

Making rice less thirstyOvercoming the toughest stress

Saving watr wit nw tcnologisT promis o Latin Amrica

Ugandas ric rvolution

Callngs or IRRI in 2010


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BRUINS INSTRUMENTSPrecision NIR Analyzers for Agriculture

Accurate analysis of moisture and protein (


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contentsVol. 8, No. 3

cover photo R. Rama, Arica Rice Center

publisher Jerem Zwigerassociate publisher Dca Macioshmanaging editor V. Sbramaiaeditor Mia Ares

associate editor Laie Reescontributing writers Gee Heel, Sophie Clao, Sam Moha, Leah Baroa-CrzArica editor Saviri Mohapara (Arica Rice Ceer WARDA)copy editor Bill Hardart director Ja Lazaro IVdesigner and production supervisor Gra Leceaphoto editor Chris Qiaaphoto researcher William Sa. Claraadvertising manager Loga Wilsocirculation Lordes ColmbresWeb masters Forres Ordorf, Serge Gregorioprinter DHL Global Mail (Sigapore) Pe. Ld.

Rice Today is published by The Rice Trader Inc. (TRT) in association with theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

TRT, or 19 years, brought its subscribers crucial, up-to-the-minute inormationon rice trade through its weekly publication, The Rice Trader. Acknowledged asthe only source o condential inormation about the rice market, this weeklysummary o market data analysis has helped both the leading commercial ricecompanies and regional government ocials make inormed decisions, which arecritical in todays market.

IRRI is the worlds leading international rice research and training center. Basedin the Philippines and with oces in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous,nonprot institution ocused on improving the well-being o present and uturegenerations o rice armers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes,while preserving natural resources. It is one o the 15 nonprot internationalresearch centers supported, in part, by members o the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research (CGIAR www.cgiar.org) and a range o otherunding agencies.

Responsibility or this publication rests with TRT and IRRI. Designations usedin this publication should not be construed as expressing TRT or IRRI policy oropinion on the legal status o any country, territory, city, or area, or its authorities,or the delimitation o its rontiers or boundaries.

Rice Today welcomes comments and suggestions rom readers. Rice Todayassumes no responsibility or loss o or damage to unsolicited submissions, whichshould be accompanied by sucient return postage.

The opinions expressed by columnists in Rice Todaydo not necessarily reectthe views o TRT or IRRI.

Copyright International Rice Research Institute 2009

This magazine is copyrighted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and is licensed or use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License(Unported). Unless otherwise noted, users are ree to copy, duplicate, or reproduce, and distribute, display, or transmit any o the articles or portions o the ar ticles, and to make translations,adaptations, or other derivative works under the ollowing conditions. To view the ull text o this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

EDItORIA L ................................................................ 4Stressing the solutions

HIDDEn tREASuRE .................................................. 5

nEWS ......................................................................... 7Media campaigns used to communicate with armers

IRRI alumni homecoming

Filipino armers welcome new rice varieties

PEOPLE ...................................................................... 9Awards and recognition

Keeping up with IRRI staf

MAkInG RIC E LESS tHIRSty ................................. 12New drought-tolerant lines developed at IRRI give

hope to armers in drought-prone areas in easternIndia and the Philippines

EVERy DROP COuntS ........................................... 16Water scarcity is crippling the worlds ood supply

balance. So, IRRI has developed water-savingtechnologies to help armers cope with the problem

and, more importantly, to sustain global riceproduction

WORkInG tOGEtHER tO SAVE GRAInS .............. 20IRRI plays a crucial role in revitalizing global rice

production by engaging the public and privatesector in helping armers reduce pos tharvest losses

uGAnDAS RICE REVOLutIO n .............................. 22Sub-Saharan Aricas new kid on the block positions

itsel as the rice granary o the region by adoptingthe right policies and appropriate technologies,strengthening capacity building, and engagingboth the public and private sector

PIOnEER IntERVI EWS ........................................... 26Challenges or IRRI: a cross-section o opinions

OVERCOMInG tHE tOuGHESt StRESS In RICE:DROuGH t ........................................................... 30

Ecient GM technologies and an innovative drought-screening acility at IRRI increase the chanceso discovering new candidate genes or thedevelopment o drought-tolerant rice

MAPS ....................................................................... 34Ecosystems services or biological control in tropical

rice

O he cover:

A boy harvests NERICA4 in Deve, Benin, West

Arica. Rice is generally grown by smallholders

in Benin, which is a net importer o rice rom

East Asia. Rice production, in particular upland

varieties grown on dry land, has been boosted by

the introduction o NERICA varieties by the Arica

Rice Center.

Ieraioal Rice Research IsieDAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, PhilippinesWeb (IRRI): www.irri.org; www.irri.org/ricetodayWeb (Library): http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.orgWeb (Rice Knowledge Bank): www.knowledgebank.irri.org

Rice Todayeditorialtelephone: (+63-2) 580-5600 or (+63-2) 844-3351 to 53, ext 2725; ax: (+63-2) 580-5699or (+63-2) 845-0606; email: [email protected], [email protected]

the Rice trader Ic.2707 Notre Dame Blvd., Chico, CA 95928Web: www.thericetrader.com

BAnkInG OuR RICE knOWLEDGE ....................... 36A repository o best practice inormation about

rice arming, the Rice Knowledge Bank deliversresearch solutions to extension workers and armerworldwide, efectively and eciently

tHE PROMISE OF LAtIn AMERICA ....................... 38The Rice Americas 2009 unveils Latin America as an

emerging major rice exporter in the world

RICE FACtS .............................................................. 43A look at India

GRAIn OF tRutH ................................................... 46Doubled haploids: rom laboratory to eld


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Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009


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.Rice Todaypbler,JeremyZwger(stnng),aretemagazetopartcpatoteRceAmerca2009coereceMam,Flora.Otertepoto(frmlft t rght):BobPapao,TomaWy,aRamroVelaqez.

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Terrace,Plppe:(frntrw, lft t rght)CortaGerta,Velilao,aErcCltaro;(bk rw, lft trght)YeyetErqez,ZeyFeerco,aMkeJacko.

4.CAMBOdiAnYOuThsapplyreaR T.


Dear Duncan,

I just nished the April-June edition oRice Today. Great job!

I skim a lot o center publications, but I actually read and enjoy Rice Today. The story on

rice-wheat was particularly interesting and inormative.

Please send my congratulations to the team responsible or the publications production.

Edward W. Sulzberger

Galveston, Texas, USA

Dear Mr. Hettel,

It gives me great pleasure to inorm you that I got a copy oRice Today(Vol. 8, No. 2)

through a riend o mine rom the International Rice Research Institute oce in Delhi.

Once again, I thank you or publishing my two-page interview in your globally

renowned magazine. Messages and telephone calls rom old and new riends all over

the world poured in like rain. You have made me very popular. My riends have observed

that my photograph with Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and Dr. Gurdev S. Khush is rare, and

they have advised me to take special ca re o it since such an event is unlikely to be

photographed again.

As this issue oRice Todayis o great importance to me, I would like to request a ew

more copies or my library at home. I would gladly pay or these copies a nd other costs,

i there are any.

How about your visit to India in the near uture? I am very eager to meet you again soon.

With best wishes and personal regards,

J.S. Hara

Ludhiana, India

Dear Mia,

I wish to congratulate you, Jeremy Zwinger, and all your colleagues or the outstanding

get-up and contents oRice Today(Vol. 8, No. 2). I am happy to read your editorial,

Reasons for Hope, and also Jeremys piece on Hidden Treasure. I am also happy that you

have highlighted the value o Scuba rice.

I am glad that Gene Hettel has begun revisiting the outstanding armers I had

identied, with the help o the late Dr. Dioscoro Umali, or the 25th anniversary o the

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). As the then director general o IRRI, I elt

that an appropriate manner o commemorating the 25th anniversary was to honor 25outstanding rice armers in Asia (both men a nd women) and learn rom their insights.

My wie, Mina, had arranged to interview all o them, and compiled these interviews

into a book, which was published by IRRI under the title Insights of Outstanding Rice

Farmers (http://snipurl.com/L1HDE). This book was also translated into Tagalog and

several other languages.

Mr. Hettel will do a great service by ollowing the subsequent work o the other

outstanding rice armers o 1985. I was sorry that we could identiy only 14 armers.

We wanted to honor at least 25 arm women and men.

I wish you continued success in making Rice Todaythe fagship o the movement or

rice or all and orever.

With warm personal regards.

Yours sincerely,

M.S. Swaminathan

Chennai, India

1 2

3 4

Letters should be sent with the writer's name, address, and e-mail address to

[email protected] or [email protected]. Letters may be edited for

length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. All letters become the

property ofRice Today.


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NEWS http://ricenews.irri.org


Three new rice varieties designedto help Filipino farmers growmore rice in difcult conditions havebeen ofcially recommended forapproval for commercial cultivation

in the Philippines and are expectedto help the Philippines become lessdependent on rice imports.

Bred by the International RiceResearch Institute (IRRI), one varietyis ood-tolerant, one is drought-tolerant, and one is salt-tolerant.

In the Philippines, about400,000 hectares of rice-growingland are affected by salinity, andin any year up to 370,000 hectarescan be ood-affected, said Dr.David Mackill, program leader and

plant breeder at IRRI. Both theseconditions can completely destroy arice crop or decrease yield.

Yield is also reduced by droughtthat occurs in upland and rainfedareas where rice is not irrigated.Having rice varieties that can copewith difcult growing conditions suchas ood, drought, and salinity will beparticularly helpful for poor farmerswho rely on marginal land to growtheir rice.

Rice-growing land that haslimited productivity will becomemore productive when these new ricevarieties are used, and this will helpFilipino farmers produce more rice.

The Rice Technical WorkingGroup of the National Seed IndustryCouncil will now recommend thevarieties for ofcial approval, whichis expected to occur sometime in late2009, said Ms. Thelma Padolina,NCT national coordinator at PhilRice.

Filipino farmers welcome newrice varieties

IRRI alumni homecoming

As part of IRRI's 50th anniversarycelebrations, IRRI is hostingan alumni homecoming. All past

employees and those who haveworked with IRRI in other ways,as well as their families, areinvited to return to participatein two weeks of alumni activitiesfrom 18 April to 2 May 2010.

There will be tours of localsites, including the IRRI campus,IRRI staff housing, the Universityof the Philippines Los Baos,and tourist sites in Laguna andTagaytay. Tours elsewhere in the

Following the success of theThree Reductions, Three Gains(3R3G), orBa Giam, Ba Tang,

campaign in Vietnam, the An GiangDepartment of Agriculture andRural Development (DARD) andIRRI, through the Irrigated RiceResearch Consortium (IRRC), areworking together to carry out thenew campaign,Five Reductions, OneMust Do, orMot Phai, Nam Giam.

Three Reductions, Three Gainssuccessfully used a radio drama, atelevision drama, a 30-second TVcommercial, posters, yers, andextension efforts to encourage ricefarmers to reduce unnecessaryinsecticide, seed, and fertilizer use.The reduced inputs resulted in similaror higher rice yields and net incomes.Three Reductions, Three Gains

has won multipleawards, includingmost recently theUnited NationsHabitat DubaiInternational Award

for Best Practices.The newFive

Reductions, One MustDo program addsrecommendations onreducing postharvestlosses and water use,and timely use offertilizers. The onemust do is to use

certied seeds. An Giang Provincehas become a national model forimplementing this program.

In a similar project, IRRI,as part of the Food Security forSustainable Household Livelihoods(FoSHoL) project funded bythe European Commission,has produced an experimentaldrama series for television thatis being aired in Bangladesh.

Jiboner Jolchobiwill be usedto test the effectiveness of usinga TV drama series as a means ofcommunicating to Bangladeshifarmers and other stakeholdersmessages related to agricultureand livelihoods.Jiboner Jolchobiis now airing on ATN Bangla everyWednesday, except on 15 July, at5:30 p.m. until 5 August 2009.

Media campaigns used to communicate with farmers

Philippines, including Banaue,Boracay, Batangas, and Palawan,will also be included as options.

Photo exhibitions, opportunitiesto meet the current batch of IRRIscientists, and Philippine culturaleventsincluding food and dancingare all on the program, makingthe IRRI alumni homecoming anentertaining event not to be missedby anyone with a connection withIRRI sometime in the past 50 years.

For more information, visit www.irri.org/alumnihomecoming2010.

irri


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NEWS http://ricenews.irri.org


Wrd hunger 'hits ne biin'

One billion people throughout theworld suffer from hunger, a gurewhich has increased by 100 millionbecause of the global nancial crisis,says the UN. The UN's Food andAgriculture Organisation (FAO) saidthe gure was a record high.

Persistently high food prices havealso contributed to the hunger crisis.Jacques Diouf, FAO director general,said the level of hunger, one-sixthof the world's population, posed a"serious risk" to world peace andsecurity.

The UN said almost all of theworld's undernourished live in

developing countries, with the most,some 642 million people, living in theAsia-Pacic region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the nextworst-hit region, the gure stands at265 million. Just 15 million people areleft hungry in the developed world.

"We urgently need to forge abroad consensus on the total andrapid eradication of hunger in theworld and to take the necessaryactions," said Dr. Diouf.Source: BBC News

Wrd far frm having verty by2015

The world is far from reachingthe 2000 Millennium Declarationof halving the proportion of theworld population facing povertyand undernourishment by 2015.

Such was the conclusion reachedby the ministers of agriculture ofthe G8 countries when they met

in Italy in April 2009 and receivedalarming data provided by relevantinternational bodies.

As part of their statement toworld leaders, the ministers saidthat agriculture and food securityare at the core of the internationalagenda. They called for increasedsupport and action to alleviatepoverty and hunger, encouragesustainable agriculture, avoidunfair competition, and increase

Gba fd suy better this year

With the second-highest global cerealscrop expected this year and stocksreplenished, the world food supplyappeared less vulnerable to [external]shocks than it was during last yearsfood crisis, the Food and AgricultureOrganization said in its Food Outlookreport released in early June 2009.

International prices of mostagricultural commodities have fallenin 2009 from their 2008 heights,an indication that many marketsare slowly returning to balance, thetwice-yearly report said.

In 2009-10, reductions wereforecast for wheat and coarse grains,

whereas the global rice crop mayregister another marginal increase.Sizable increases were expected in riceoutput in Cambodia, India, Indonesia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka, andVietnam, the report said.Source: www.hindu.com/2009/06/05/

stories/2009060560332400.htm

Asian rice rducers ffer surtt dube African rice utut by2018Five Southeast Asian rice-producingcountries as well as Egypt and Braziloffered their support for sub-SaharanAfrica to achieve a goal of doublingannual rice output in the area by 2018from the current level of about 14million tons, ofcials of Japan's aid

agency said.Major rice producers Indonesia,

the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand,and Vietnam highlighted theirexperience in developing the staplefood at a Tokyo meeting of theinternational network, the ''Coalitionfor African Rice Development, whichwas set up in 2008 by Japaneseand international agencies to helpAfrican nations realize the target.Source: MCOT English News

UsrPA

Vietnam aims fr bitech crsVietnam strives to turn its agriculturalbiotechnology into one of the best in

investments in agriculture andresearch.Source: www.g8agricultureministersmeeting.

mipaaf.com/en/

Southeast Asia, as it aims to make thesector world-class by 2020, said PhamVan Toan, chief administrator of theBiotechnology Programme.

Based on the plan, new cropvarieties developed by biotechnologicaltechniques will account for around 70%of cultivated area across the nationbetween 30% and 50% of which will begenetically modied plants.

Source: Viet Nam News


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Awards and recognition

IRRI Director General RobertZeigler received the 2009 E.C.Stakman Award from the Universityof Minnesota Plant PathologyDepartment. Created in 1955 byE.C. Stakman, the award recognizes

individuals for outstandingachievements in and contributionsto plant pathology in research,teaching, outreach, internationaldevelopment, or any combination ofthese. Past award winners includeNorman Borlaug, George Harrar, E.J.Wellhausen, Sanjaya Rajaram, andSir Bent Skovmand.

William Padolina, deputydirector general for operationsand support services, received the2009 Communication Excellence

in Organization Award (academic,research, and training category)from the International Associationof Business Communicators. TheCEO Excel Award is given to seniorexecutives who have successfully usedcommunication for the goals of theirorganization.

The 2008 IRRI Awards fornationally recruited staff went toassociate scientistsAnita BolingandAlvaro Pamplona for theiroutstanding scientic achievement,research technicianAnicio Macahiafor his outstanding research support,and the Program Planning andCommunications (PPC) team for itsoutstanding administrative support.The PPC team members are CorintaGuerta, Zeny Federico,VelindaIlao, Eric Clutario, MarilethEnriquez, and Sol Ogatis.

Keeping up with IRRI staff

New BOT member. P. StephenBaenziger, a professor at theUniversity ofNebraska-Lincoln(UNL) Departmentof Agronomy andHorticulture, hasbeen selected as amember of the IRRIBoard of Trusteesand he will begin

his 3-year term in January 2010. Dr.Baenziger is the primary small grainsbreeder at UNL, where he has workedsince 1986. He studied biochemicalsciences and graduated magna cumlaude from Harvard University.He received his masters and Ph.D.degrees in plant breeding and geneticsin corn from Purdue University.

Elizabeth Humphreys is nowa senior scientist (water managementspecialist) in the Crop andEnvironmental Sciences Division. Shewill lead IRRIs eld-scale research

on water-saving irrigation techniquesand conservation agriculture systems,with emphasis on South Asia andChina. Mahesh Kumar Gathala(research platform coordinator) ofthe IRRI India Ofce is also nowa senior scientist. A new scientistat IRRI headquarters is JauharAli, who is the regional projectcoordinator (Asia) for DevelopingGreen Super Rice. New scientists atthe IRRI India Ofce are Parvesh

Kumar Chandna (remote sensingand GIS),Virender Kumar (co-facilitator, Rice-Wheat Consortium),and Sharma Sheetal (soil health).Mr. Alfred SchmidleyjoinedIRRI as consultant on Grain Quality,Nutrition, and Postharvest.

New senior associate scientistsareVioleta Bartolome, NancyCastilla, Mary JacquelineDionora, Antonio Evangelista,Alvaro Pamplona, RodolfoToledo, and Joel Janiya; IreneoPangga is a new associate scientist;

and Rowena Castillo andArleneJulia Malabayabas are newassistant scientists.

Yashpal Saharawat, a newpostdoctoral fellow based in NewDelhi, India, is working as part ofthe Cereal Systems Initiative forSouth Asia.

Moved on. IRRI bid farewellto postdoctoral fellows MatthieuConte,Yann Chemin and Jacobvan Etten.

dR.PAdOLinA(2romlet)receveteCEOExcelAwar.

200iRRinRsawaree

9Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009

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Mixed Model Analysis Using CropStatIRRI Training Center, Los Baos, Philippines,

5-9 October 2009

This course is designed to help researchers

know when and how to perorm mixed model

analysis. It also introduces CropStats module

on Mixed Model Analysis using restrictedmaximum likelihood (REML). It employs

a combination o lectures, and hands-on

exercises on CropStat.

Participants should be amiliar with basic

statistical methods: computing descriptive

statistics, hypothesis testing, and analysis

o variance. They should be amiliar with

Windows and must have experience in data

analysis using at least one statistical sotware.

Leadership Course for Asian Women inAgricultural R&D and Extension

IRRI Training Center, Los Baos, Philippines,12-23 October 2009

Topics include Asian women in the workplace;

mainstreaming gender concerns in the

workplace; leadership and management;

personality development; developing work-

related knowledge and skills; and relating to

others.

Rice Post Production CourseIRRI Training Center, Los Baos, Philippines,

19-30 October 2009

The course is action oriented and consists o

introductory lectures ollowed by hands-onpractices in which participants are assigned

tasks to accomplish during the practice.

Participants will be supported by Asian

Development Bank (ADB) and Irrigated Rice

Research Consortium (IRRC) projects. The

course aims to cater to project counterparts

o the two projects and tries to get a mix o

participants rom the public and private sector.

Rice Breeding Course: Laying theFoundation for the Second GreenRevolution

IRRI Training Center, Los Baos, Philippines,

24 August-8 September 2009

This course aims to develop the next

generation o rice breeders adept in usingmodern tools or enhancing the precision and

efciency o their breeding programs. It will

provide the (a) theoretical background on

modern breeding methods and techniques,

including the use o biotechnology; (b)

planning and inormation management tools

and experimental techniques and sotware;

(c) opportunity to share experiences with

other rice breeders; and (d) latest updates

on areas relevant to rice breeding and the

worldwide exchange o rice genetic resources.

The course is or breeders and agronomists

working on variety development or testing in

the public and private sector.

Rice Technology Transfer Systems in AsiaRural Development Administration (RDA),

Suwon, South Korea, 14-25 September 2009

This training workshop was developed

and implemented in view o the Rural

Development Administrations (RDA, Korea)

and IRRIs common interest in enhancing the

capacity o developing countries to improve

their rice productivity and proftability

through better technology transer. The

course will be held in Korea to showcase

the countrys success in technology transer.Workshop participants will see the model

frst-hand, and that will help them better

understand the processes involved in

successully moving technology rom its

development, by researchers and successul

armers, to its adoption by armers. Moreover,

by being appraised o each others technology

delivery systems, the participants will be

able to identiy success actors, compare

results, and analyze their respective systems

and recommended ways to improve their

eectiveness.

For more details, contact Dr. Noel Magor, head,

IRRI Training Center ([email protected])

or seewww.training.irri.org.

0 Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009

pEoplE

The 3rd International Rice Congress (IRC2010), set or 9-12

November 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam, is the world's largest

gathering o the rice industry. With the theme Rice for

Future Generations, it will include the 28th International

Rice Research Conerence, the 3rd World Rice Commerce

Conerence, the 3rd International Rice Technology and

Cultural Expo, and 50th anniversary activities o the

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Watch or more

details in uture issues oRice Today.

Rice scientists and students no longer

have to tediously ip through an

entire book when they do literature

research. Now available online is the IRRI

Rice Thesaurus, a searchable electronic

database o terms re lated to rice. It is

accessible at http://agclass.nal.usda.

gov/irri/rice_search.shtml.

The Thesaurus, which went online

in April 2009, contains more than

3,200 standard terms pertaining to

rice and other related subjects. It is

a controlled vocabulary source or

subject descriptions o books, journal

articles, conerence papers, and other

inormation materials. The system also

makes comprehensive searches possible

by providing the contexts or subjects in

which a term is used, and by including allthe other related terms as well.

The International Rice Research

Insitutes (IRRI) Library and Documentation

Services (LDS) and Communication and

Publications Services (CPS) joined orces

in December 2006 and worked or a year

and a hal to produce the Thesaurus. Since

then, the team has continued to work

on its content development through

the unding support o CPS, which also

unded the compilation o the initial

volume.

The publication o the Thesaurus isthe product o an agreement between

IRRI and the National Agricultural Library

(NAL) o the Agricultural Research Service,

U.S. Department o Agriculture. LDS

provides the content while NAL enables

Web access, using servers in Beltsville,

Maryland. The collaboration came

through the initiative o Ms. Lori Finch,

thesaurus coordinator o NAL, and Ms.

Mila Ramos, chie librarian o IRRI.

Rice Thesaurus now on the Web! TRAINING COURSES AT IRRI


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Since the dawnof agriculture,drought hasbeen the bane of

farmers, especially those

who grow rice, a cropthat has special waterrequirements. Droughtstress severely limits riceproductivity in the rainfedecosystem in which farmersoften experience total cropfailure because of a lack ofwater at one critical plantgrowth stage or another,according to ArvindKumar, a plant breederat the International RiceResearch Institute (IRRI).

Most rainfed areasreceive a reasonableamount of rainfall duringthe growing season.However, says Dr. Kumar,its erratic distribution andshortage, particularly at owering andagain at grain-lling, can seriouslycurtail productivity. He adds thatAsia alone has around 23 millionhectares (20% of the total rice area)

that are prone to drought under theseconditions and where climate changemay make matters, particularlywater scarcity, only worse.

Without assured irrigation,farmers are completely dependenton rainfall to water their crops. Thepossibility of drought has made ricefarming a risky endeavor. Because ofthe risk, farmers do not invest enoughin inputs to increase rice production.

To help farmers cope with water

by Lanie C. Reyes

scarcity, IRRI has bred several newlines that are as high-yielding asany normal varieties with sufcientwater. They have a 0.8 to 1 ton perhectare yield advantage whenever

drought occurs. Two of these drought-tolerant breeding lines have beenrecommended for ofcial release:IR74371-70-1-1 in India and its sisterline IR74371-54-1-1 in the Philippines.

IRRI has intensied effortsto develop drought-tolerant andaerobic cultivars to cope with thislooming water shortage, says DavidMackill, leader for IRRIs rainfedprogram. Drought has been acomplex trait to improve, and I am

very happy to see the recentadvances and progressin developing drought-tolerant lines at IRRI.

Most farmers in

rainfed/drought-proneareas grow varieties bredfor irrigated conditionssuch as IR36, IR64,Poornima, MTU1010,Lalat, Swarna, andSambha Mahsuri, amongothers. Unfortunately,these varieties are highlysusceptible to drought.Whenever a severe droughtoccurs, these irrigatedvarieties suffer high lossesand farmers are lucky toharvest even half a tonper hectare from them.With the cultivation ofthe newly bred drought-tolerant lines, in normal-rainfall years, farmers

will have the same high yield ofirrigated varieties, and in droughtyears they can harvest 1.5 to 2 tonsfrom 1 hectare, says Dr. Kumar.

IRRI works with the national

agricultural research and extensionsystems (NARES) for the evaluationof newly developed breeding lines.Before a breeding line is identied forrelease, it undergoes testing in thenational system and is recommendedfor release after its superiorperformance in the national trials.The newly developed drought-tolerantlines IR74371-70-1-1 and IR74371-54-1-1 outperformed the current varietiesin national trials in India and the

New drought-tolerant lines developed at IRRI give hope to armers in drought-prone

areas in eastern India and the Philippines

irri(2)


LeSS ThIRSTyMaking rice


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Philippines and havebeen recommendedfor release forfarmers cultivation.The two breedinglines also performedwell under aerobicand alternate wetting

and drying (AWD)situations (see The bigsqueeze,pages 21-31ofRice TodayVol. 7,No. 2 andEvery dropcounts, pages 16-18).

IRRIs Systemfor Temperate andTropical AerobicRice project under the ChallengeProgram for Water and Food has beenbuilding a network on participatoryvarietal selection (PVS) testing

and evaluation since 2004. Theproject aims to develop prototypeaerobic rice production systemsfor water-scarce environments.

According to Ruben Lampayan,water management scientistat IRRI, a major component ofthe project was to identify ricevarieties with high yield potentialunder aerobic conditions fromamong IRRIs advanced linesthrough PVS. They tapped theirproject partners to collaborate inimplementing PVS with farmers.

In th PhilippinsDr. Lampayan has found in JunelB. Soriano, director for research,extension, training, and productionat Bulacan AgriculturalState College (BASC), theheart and passion to reachout to more partners andstakeholders with aerobicrice and other water-saving

technologies. Hence, inthe Philippines, IR74371-54-1-1 has been tested atBASC since 2004 and infarmers elds in Bulacan,La Union, Bataan, andPalawan since 2006.

Dr. Soriano recallsa time during the dryseason of 2004 when atrial was conducted in asmall testing plot at BASC

in coordination with IRRI. Theyinvited farmers, technicians, andresearchers during the PVS.

During that PVS, one

impressed farmer eagerly asked,Can I reproduce that line on myfarm? That farmer was NemencioConcepcion, 49, of San Ildefonso,Bulacan. He became interestedin the drought-tolerant varietybecause it seemed tailor-made forhis drought-prone upland area.

On his own initiative, hereproduced the line and was happywith the results. His neighboringfarmers were eager to try it ontheir farms. Eventually, the linebecame popular among farmers,and is known among them as 5411(instead of IR74371-54-1-1).

According to Dr. Soriano, 5411matures 2 weeks ahead of theirpreviously used variety, which takes

120 days to mature.The new line yieldsan average of 4.5tons per hectare.Also, it is veryresistant to pestsand diseases and, sofar, farmers have not

experienced tungroor any other disease.

Mr. Concepcionproudly announcesthat the rice heplanted in Februarywas harvested inMay. Because of itsshorter duration, it

allows me to harvest not just two butthree times a year, he says. And, asthis variety is tolerant of drought, Ican plant the crop even during the dry

season without any fear of crop loss.Since his farm is on higher

ground, he needs to pump in water.With AWD technology, he is thankfulthat he does not need to ood hispaddies. He pumps water only afew times a month and only whennecessary. I save much on water andon gasoline for the pump, even duringthe dry season, Mr. Concepcion says.

His recent crop experiencedmore than 2 weeks of drought. So,he pumped water to his uplandrice area. However, there was onerice area where he was not able topump water because of insufcientavailable water. I sacriced thatarea and accepted its fate becausethe rice plants wilted already, he

stated. But, when raincame, he was surprisedto see that his plantsrecovered from wilting.

Although the rice thatrecovered from drought is

expected to be harvestedabout 2 weeks later thanthe rest of the 5411, it isstill within an acceptableduration. Above all, he is justglad to be able to harvestrice despite the drought.(For drought-susceptiblevarieties, more than 2weeks of drought in uplandelds may yield almostnothing for farmers.)

MR.COnCEPCiOn(rght)aarmerBlaca,explatodr.soraooBAsC,tattpartorcearmwltebecaeorogt.Bt,weracame,t

llyrecovere.

dOZEnsopromgrogt-toleratcltvararebegteteoteiRRiarmtePlppe.here,dr.Kmarowrogt-toleratrceorgtcomparewtaceptblevaretyommeatelet.

lAniec.reyes

genehettel

Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009 3


14/48

Mr. Concepcions experienceis consistent with what Dr. Kumarsays about the new drought-tolerantlines: They withstand drought atany stage of the crop cycle. Moreover,they withstand drought even at thereproductive stage, when the plantsuffers more loss due to drought.

Since that line can bebroadcast-seeded instead oftransplanted, I saved a lot on laborcosts, relates Mr. Concepcion.I dont need to hire laborers toplant seedlings in the nursery, pullthem from the seedbed, tie themtogether, and transplant them.

Every harvest, Mr. Concepcionearns around US$638 to $850per hectare from his rice eld(of 4 ha) planted with 5411.

Mr. Concepcion is indeed

one happy and satised farmer.His inuence on other farmers toadopt 5411 reaches Nueva Ecija andPampanga provinces. Even if riceelds in these areas are irrigated,there is no problem because 5411still performs well in wet areas.

According to Dr. Soriano,Mr. Concepcion is so effective ininuencing other farmers to adopt5411 and increase the productivityof their lands that he considersMr. Concepcion not just a farmercooperator but a partner in BASCsextension efforts.

Mr. Concepcion was one of therst 13 farmer cooperators in 2004.They increased to 50 in 2005, to70 in 2006, and BASC now hasmore than 100 farmer cooperators.According to Dr. Soriano, the successof adoption can be attributed tofarmer-to-farmer inuence andsupport from the local government.

Dr. Soriano is more than

encouraged in sharing the benetsof 5411 along with its managementtechnologies, the aerobic system, andthe AWD system in the Philippines,because he believes that morefarmers can benet from all this,particularly those in rainfed areas.

He plans to expand extensionactivities at BASC by involvingother state universities and collegesall over the country. He hasstarted to coordinate with other

state universities such as BataanPolytechnic State University, PalawanState University, and MindanaoFoundation College, among others.

In astrn IndiaSimilarly, in eastern India, IRRIintroduced a drought-tolerant

breeding line, IR74371-70-1-1, whichhas also consistently performedwell both at research centers and infarmers elds. Since eastern Indiais one of the largest drought-affectedareas, a variety that can cope with adry spell is a welcome change in ricefarming.

IR74371-70-1-1was initially testedunder an India-IRRIcollaborative project,the Drought Breeding

Network (DBN),whose partners arethe Central RainfedUpland Rice ResearchStation (CRURRS)in Hazaribag; IndiraGandhi KrishiVishwa Vidyalaya,Raipur; BirsaAgricultural Univ.,Ranchi; NarendraDev Universityof Agricultureand Technology,Faizabad; Tamil NaduAgricultural University,Coimbatore; University of AgriculturalSciences, Bangalore; and BarwaleFoundation, Hyderabad, India.Courtesy of the DBN, researchers haveidentied this entry as promising forthe drought-prone ecosystem.

Since this line is a product ofa joint endeavor, the team fromCRURRS suggested the name

Sahbhagi dhan, which means, inHindi, "rice developed throughcollaboration." Recently, theVariety Identication Committee(VIC) recommended it for releaseto the Central Subcommittee onCrop Standards, Notication,and Release of Varieties.

Nimai P. Mandal, a plant breederat CRURRS, tested Sahbhagi dhanduring the wet season of 2004. Ithas consistently performed well,

better than any other entries of thatduration, since then. In 2007, westarted testing this variety in farmerselds in two villages near Hazaribag,he says.

Kailash Yadav, 34, and NareshPaswan, 38, of Mahesha, Hazaribag,Jharkhand, are two farmers who

had the opportunity to observe ademonstration using Sahbhagi dhanconducted by CRURRS and theytried it on their respective farms.As a result, they were delighted toharvest 4.5 tons of rice per hectarein a good monsoon year. Beforeusing the drought-tolerant variety,

they harvested only 3 to 3.7 tonsper hectare. They are also pleasedwith its traits such as the ability totolerate a month-long drought, earlymaturity, and good eating quality.

Farmers in rainfed areas suchas Mr. Yadav and Mr. Paswanlargely depend on rain for a goodharvest. But, good years may be

few and as unpredictable as theonset of drought. If the rains arepoor, this can spell catastrophe forall. Mr. Yadav still remembers the2006 drought that affected theirvillage. Without any income fromfarming, he somehow managedsome earnings from his smallgrocery store. But, many villagersmigrated to town to work as dailylaborers. One was Mr. Paswan.Though he describes the drought

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MR.shAshiKAnTYaav(lft),CRuRRsagrclfelatat,tervewMr.narePawa(ntr)aMr.KalaYaav(rgt),armeravetetesabagaoterarm.


15/48

as not so severe, it still affectedthe people of his vil lage. Financeswere so difcult then that he neededto borrow money from anotherfarmer for his transportation.

Sahbhagi dhan gave the twofarmers opportunity and hope inrice farming. I have condence that

this variety will be a blessing forfarmers in drought-stress situations,says Mr. Paswan. And, we canmanage the problem of droughtby growing this variety, adds Mr.Yadav. Because both are impressedby the qualities of Sahbhagi dhan,they are going to recommend it

and share it with their neighbors assoon as they have sufcient seed.

Drought-tolerant lines havereceived high farmers preferencescores in both normal and droughttrials and farmers look convincedof adopting such superior varieties,says Dr. Stephan Haefele, IRRI soilscientist and agronomist who is

responsible for testing the lines infarmers elds under PVS in India.

More farmers besides Mr. Paswanand Mr. Yadav will benet fromSahbhagi dhan. According to Dr.Mandal, the rainfed upland area inIndia occupies about 6 million hectares.But the target area for Sahbhagi dhancould be more because it is also suitablefor drought-prone shallow lowlands.

U.S. Singh, the regionalcoordinator for South Asia of the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-supported project on Stress-tolerantrice for poor farmers in Africa andSouth Asia and responsible forseed production and disseminationof Sahbhagi dhan, plans to havelarge-scale seed multiplicationof this line in 2009 and produce

100 tons of seed to distribute toas many farmers as possible bythe next wet season in India.

National Food Security Missionof India, National Seed Corporation,various public- and private-sectorseed corporations and companies,research organizations, and NGOs

are interested inreproducing anddisseminatingSahbhagi dhan seeds.Our purpose is to

take this varietyto the maximumnumber of farmers inthe shortest possibletime, says Dr. Singh.

As the scientistnow responsible fordeveloping drought-tolerant varieties,Dr. Kumar says thathe is very lucky towitness the successof this teamwork.

When askedwhether thisis his greatest

accomplishment as a scientist, hesays, This is IRRIs achievement.Other scientists before me have beenworking for about 40 years to achievethis. Dr. Brigitte Courtois attemptedthe crosses, which had led to thedevelopment of these two lines. Andit was Dr. Gary Atlin, who introducedthe concept, initiated and conducted

experiments on direct selectionfor grain yield under droughtstress. He combined high yieldpotential under irrigated situationwith good yield under drought.

Forty years? What turning pointalong the way led to high-yieldingdrought-tolerant rice? IRRI scientistsstarted working in a different way:working directly on improvinggrain yield in rice under drought.

Dr. Rachid Serraj, a drought

physiologist involved in dissectingthe mechanisms of drought toleranceand its genetic variation in rice, saysthat combining high yield potentialand drought tolerance through directselection for grain yield is one ofthe right approaches for developingdrought-tolerant lines, in addition

to marker-assisted selection (see Onyour mark, get set, selecton pages28-29 ofRice Today Vol. 3 No. 3) andGM (genetic modication) approaches(see Overcoming the toughest stressin rice:droughton page 30).

In the years before that,scientists had been working onimproving the traits thought to berelated to drought tolerance suchas leaf rolling, rooting depth, andother traits. They believed that yieldunder drought could be increased by

improving these secondary traits.In 2004, IRRI breeders started to

work on direct selection for grain yieldunder drought stress. At rst, theywere not sure that this would showresults. But, subsequent experimentsconrmed that this approach worked.

For a plant breeder like Dr.Kumar, developing drought-tolerantcultivars is the most efcient wayto stabilize rice production indrought-prone areas. Higher yieldof drought-tolerant lines in droughtyears should encourage farmers toapply more inputs such as fertilizerthat further raise the productivity ofthe rainfed drought-prone system.Because of drought-tolerant lines,farmers will indeed lower theirrisks of investing their money andtime in drought-prone areas.

Sahbhagi dhan and 5411 andother similar drought-tolerant linesthat may be developed in the futurewill benet and provide condence to

rice farmers not just in India and thePhilippines but also in other drought-prone areas in Asia, Africa, and otherparts of the world. In fact, a few otherpromising drought-tolerant linesand aerobic cultivars are now beingtested in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,and the Philippines under projectssupported by the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, Rockefeller Foundation,Generation Challenge Program,and Asian Development Bank.

ThEsOOn-to-be-releaerogt-toleratsabagaeateriatrveerrogtcoto.



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by Bas Boma and Mia Aresevry dr p counts

Water makesup 70% ofour planet.But in spite

of this vast availability,our fresh water reserveis nite. Over the years,improper use has led manyto waste this preciousnatural resource, unaware

of its dire crippling effectson the worlds food supplybalance, particularly forricethe staple food ofabout 3 billion peoplearound the world.

Like all other plants,rice needs water tosurvive. However, unlikemost plants, it needstwice as much water toproduce good yields. For1 kg of rough rice, forexample, an average of2,500 liters of water needsto be supplied by rainfalland/or irrigation (seeHow much water doesrice use?on pages 28-29ofRice Today Vol. 8, No.1). About 1,400 liters areused up in evaporationand transpiration, whilethe remaining 1,100 liters are lostby seepage and percolation. A

farmer, then, constantly needs toensure that sufcient irrigationwater is provided (to complementrainfall if that is insufcient) tomatch all these outows. Note thattranspiration (the process by whichthe rice plant absorbs water, takesit up to bring essential nutrientsfrom roots to leaves, then releasesit to the atmosphere) is the onlyproductive water use, as it helpsthe plant stay alive and healthy.

Growing watr scarcityFresh water for agriculture around

the world, however, is becomingincreasingly scarce, therebythreatening rice productivity and,consequently, the worlds food supply.In the next 25 years, some 1520million hectares of irrigated riceare projected to suffer some degreeof water scarcity, particularly thewet-season irrigated rice regionsof China, India, and Pakistan.Dry-season irrigated rice areaseverywhere in Asia rely on expensive

irrigation water andneed to be managed inthe most water-efcientway. The causes forincreasing water scarcityare diverse and location-specic. They includefalling groundwatertables, chemical pollution,malfunctioning of

irrigation systems, andincreased competitionfrom other sectors such asurban and industrial users.

In the face of thistroubling reality, theInternational RiceResearch Institute (IRRI)has developed severalwater-saving technologiesto help farmers copebetter with water scarcityin their paddy elds.Farmers primarily need toreduce the nonproductiveoutows (percolation,seepage, and evaporation),while maintainingtranspiration ows.This can be done duringland preparation, cropestablishment, and theactual crop growth period.

Gt th basics right

In preparing the landthefoundation of the whole croppingseasonit is crucial for farmers toget the basics right. To establishgood water management early on,they need to properly build eldchannels, level the land, prepare solidbunds, and effectively implementtillage operations (puddling).

In most irrigation systems inAsia, water ows from one eldinto another and there are nofeld

Water scarcity is crippling the worlds food supply balance. So, IRRI has developed water-saving

technologies to help farmers cope with the problem and, more importantly, to sustain global riceproduction

AniRRiGATiOncaalorterCarepbecaeowatercarcty.

bAsboUmAn(3)


17/48

channels to convey irrigation water to,and drainage water from, individualelds. So, farmers usually have a hardtime controlling the ow of waterin and out of the elds. Either thefarm loses much of its water to otherfarms or it gets too ooded as waterfrom other farms pours in. Water

that continuously ows throughthe rice elds may also removevaluable nutrients. Constructingseparate channels to convey waterto and from each eld will helpimprove individual control of water.This is the recommended practicein any type of irrigation system.

Another prerequisite for goodwater management is a well-leveledfeld. Logically, when elds arenot even, water cannot be equallydistributed. Some parts may suffer

from water stagnation, while othersections may become dry. This resultsin uneven crop emergence, unevenearly growth, uneven fertilizerdistribution, and weed problems.

Most farmers puddle their eldsto prepare the land for transplantingof seedlings.Puddling is the repeatedharrowing of the soil under oodedconditions and it results in a muddylayer 1520 cm thick. Before puddlingtakes place, farmers need to soak theland at the end of the previous fallowperiod. Sometimes, large and deepcracks are present in the soil and alot of water is lost at soaking by waterowing down these cracks. A shallowtillage to ll the cracks before soakingcan greatly reduce this water loss.

Puddling creates a so-calledplow layer of some 5-cm thicknessjust below the muddy layer. Thisplow layer is very compact and itprevents water from percolatingdownward, where the roots of

the rice plants cannot reach itanymore. Thorough puddling aftersoaking the eld results in a morecompacted soil. Puddling is especiallyeffective in clay soils that formcracks during the fallow period.

Good bunds orpaddy dikesalso help limit water losses byseepage and underbund ows. Bundsshould be well compacted. Anyrat holes should be plastered withmud at the beginning of the crop

Watr scarcit

Worldwide, water or agriculture is

becoming increasingly scarce. By 2025,

15 to 20 million hectares o irrigated

rice may sufer some degree o water

scarcity. Interventions to respond to

water scarcity are called water savings

and imply a reduced

use o irrigation water.

Wat is AWD?

Alternate wetting and

drying (AWD) is a water-

saving technology that

lowland (paddy) rice

armers can apply toreduce their water use

in irrigated elds. In

AWD, irrigation water

is applied to ood the

eld ater a certain

number o days have

passed ollowing the

disappearance o

ponded water. Hence,

the eld is alternately

ooded and not

ooded. The number

o days o nonoodedsoil in AWD in between

irrigations can vary

rom 1 day to more

than 10 days.

how to implmnt

AWD?

A practical way to

implement AWD is

to monitor the depth

o ponded water in a

eld using a eld water

tube. Ater irrigation,the depth o ponded

water will gradually decrease. When

ponded water drops to 15 cm below the

soil surace, irrigation should be applied

to re-ood the eld up to 5 cm. From a

week beore until a week ater owering,

ponded water should always be kept at

5-cm depth. Ater owering and during

grain lling and ripening, the water level

can be allowed to drop again to 15 cm

below the surace beore re-irrigation.

A armer can start AWD a ew da

ater transplanting (or with a 10-cm

crop in direct seeding). I there are

many weeds, AWD can be postpon

or 23 weeks, until the ponded wa

suppresses weed growth. Local ert

recommendations or ooded rice

be used. Apply nitr

ertilizer preerably

the dry soil just be

irrigation.

Sa AWD

The threshold o 15

cm is called Sae AW

as this will not reduyields. In Sae AWD

water savings are o

order o 1530%. O

armers eel conde

that Sae AWD will

reduce their yields,

they can try to drop

the threshold level

irrigation to 20 cm,

25 cm, 30 cm, or ev

lower. This will help

more water, althou

production may beslightly afected. Th

minor setback may

acceptable when th

price o water is hig

or when water is ve

scarce.

T fld watr tu

This tube can be m

o a 40-cm-long pla

pipe or bamboo, w

a diameter o 15 cm

more, to allow armto see and monitor

water table. Put holes on all sides o

the tube. Stick the tube into the soi

but leave 15 cm above the soil sur

Remove the soil inside the tube so

the bottom will be visible. Make su

that the water table inside the tube

the same as that on the outside. Th

tube can be placed in a at part o

eld close to a bund so that it is eas

monitor the depth o ponded wate

ThEsOiLetetberemoveatertckgttotegro.

AsAMPLEfelwatertbemaerompolyvylclore.noteteoleoalle.

Saving water:altrnatwtting and dring


ednAreyes(2)


18/48


season. Farmers need toalso check for, and repair,new rat holes, cracks, andpores dug by earthwormsthroughout the growingseason. Plastic sheets canbe used to x permeablesections of the bunds.

During the crop growthperiod, farmers are bestadvised to keep theirponded water at a 5-cmdepth to minimize the lossof water by seepage andpercolation. This is also theadvised level in anotherwater-saving technologycalled alternate wetting anddrying (AWD) (see The bigsqueeze on pages 26-31 ofRice Today Vol. 7, No. 2).

AWD, also known ascontrolled irrigation, doesnot require rice elds tobe continuously ooded.Farmers ood the elds upto 5 cm for a fewdays, and thenlet them dry toa certain extent,before re-oodingthem. This cyclegoes on throughoutthe season, butwith a period ofcontinuous oodingduring oweringto prevent sterilityfrom occurring.In the practice ofsafe AWD, farmersuse a eld tubeto monitor theunderground waterlevel in the eld:when the ponded

water has droppedto 1520 cm belowthe surface of thesoil, it is time toood the eld again. It was found thatthis technology reduced the amount ofwater required by a quarter and, moreimportantly, it did not reduce yields.

Arobic ricWhen water is really very scarce,and there is not enough water to

FARMERsPuddLEterfeltopreparetelaortraplatgeelg.

FARMERsMusTmakeretattebarewellcompactetolmtwaterlo.

drained, nonpuddled,and nonooded soils.With good management,aerobic rice can produceup to 46 tons per hectarewhile using less thanhalf the water requiredin ooded paddy rice.

evry drop countsTodays problem of waterscarcity reminds everyoneof waters nite nature.IRRI continues to furtherdevelop and rene water-saving technologies to helpfarmers cope. As waterscarcity increases andclimate change aggravatesthe problem, IRRI is alsostepping up its efforts

in disseminating thesetechnologies to farmers.Outreach efforts include anarray of training activitiesand the production of

informationmaterials such asleaets, brochures,posters, manuals,and eventuallye-learning coursesto reach out toas many peopleas possible. Newpartnershipsare being forgedamong scientists,extension agencies,irrigation systemmanagers, andfarmers to jointlytackle the problemof water scarcityand implementsolutions. To help

the fate of water-scarce farmers andto ensure globalfood security, every

drop of water counts.

Dr. Bouman is a senior waterscientist and head of the Crop andEnvironmental Sciences Division atIRRI.

even intermittently flood the fieldsuch as in AWD, the system ofaerobic rice may be useful (seeHigh and dry on pages 28-33 ofRice Today Vol. 7, No. 2). Aerobicrice is a production system inwhich especially developed aerobicrice varieties are grown in well-


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20/48


E

ven though rice prices havecome down considerablysince the food crisis in 2008,the fundamentals have not

changed. The decline in yieldgrowth across Asian countries,continued population growth, andthe conversion of prime rice land toother uses threaten the global ricesupply. The immediate challenge is torevitalize global rice production. Anannual growth rate of 1.2% is neededto ensure food security. To furtherboost production, farmers need toreduce yield gaps and grain losses

that occur during harvest, storage,and processing of rice.

During postharvest, about1520% of the grains are lost becauseof delays in harvest; labor shortage;unsuitable traditional sun-dryingpractices, especially in the double-cropping system in which one harvesttakes place in the wet season; pests;moisture absorption in traditionalopen-storage systems; outdated andpoorly maintained rice mills that

yield as low as 60%; and drasticallyreduced head rice.

Moreover, grain quality is alsolowered, causing farmers to lose outon income because they have to selltheir paddy at a 2030% discount.Additional income loss is incurredfrom not adding value to the rice byselling in the off-season at a higherprice or by receiving a discountedprice because of low quality.

Over the past 15 years, theInternational Rice Research Institute(IRRI) and its partners have developedand evaluated numerous new harvest

and postharvest technologies that aredesigned to reduce yield losses andimprove grain and seed quality. Thesekey technologies are a low-cost paddymoisture meter, quality assessmenttoolkits, mechanized harvestingtechnologies, mechanical rice dryers,and hermetic storage systems thatprovide insect control without usingpesticides.

IRRI works with nationalpostharvest stakeholdersnational

research institutions and the privatesectorto develop and scale out thesetechnologies to farmers. Althoughthere is no standard partnershiprecipe between the public and privatesector, both can collaborate in manyways depending on their objectivesand the type of technologies to beused. In recent years, IRRI has seenthree successful cases of public-private partnership, which involvedjoint storage technology developmentand verication, a transfer of provendrying technologies across countries,and collaboration for technology

adaptation and extension.

Joint storag tchnologydvlopmnt and vrifcationIn 2000, IRRI evaluated hermeticstorage cocoons with a 5-toncapacity in collaboration with theCambodian Agricultural Researchand Development Institute. Resultsshowed that hermetic or airtightstorage extends germination froma few months to 912 months. This

IRRI plays a crucial role in revitalizing global rice production by engaging the public and

private sector in helping farmers reduce postharvest losses

Working togetherto save grains by Martin Gummert

mArtingUmmert(2)

ALOW-COsT,arm-levelryerteteataarmeroesavaaketProvce,LaoPdR.


21/48

Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009 2

allows farmers enough time toprepare for the next years plantingseason. The evaluation, however,found out that the cocoons were

too expensive and that farmerspreferred individual storage ratherthan group storage. IRRI thenstarted working with Grainpro(the manufacturer of hermeticstorage systems) in 2004 to developthe Super bag, a hermeticallylined bag for a traditional bag-handling system that can store upto 50 kilograms of seeds or grains.Successive participatory technologyverication with farmers in villagesin Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia,and Lao PDR demonstrated thatfarmers can reduce their seed rate byup to one-third by using the Superbag. In the meantime, commercialseed producers use Super bags (seeSeal of approvalon pages 36-37ofRice Today Vol. 8, No. 1).

Transr o provn dryingtchnologis across countrisResearch institutions acrossSoutheast Asia have a long history

in developing rice dryersonlya few of which were successfullycommercialized. Instead ofre-inventing existing dryingtechnologies, the PostproductionWork Group of the Irrigated RiceResearch Consortium (IRRC)

1

1The IRRC is funded by the Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation.

2IRRC Newsletter: http://snipurl.com/kz86s.

3This project is funded by the Asian Develop-ment Bank.

teamed up with the postharvestgroup of Dr. Phan Hieu Hien ofLong Nam University in Ho ChiMinh City, Vietnam, and organizedtraining on dryers for manufacturersand postharvest technicians fromCambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmarin Vietnam in 2006. The course

focused on simple but appropriateat-bed dryers with a 4-ton capacityand included eld trips to successfuldryer users in the Mekong Delta.When they returned to their homecountries, the dryer manufacturersbuilt prototypes for demonstrationand subsequently released models forcommercial use. Now, more than 48dryers are installed in rice mills andused by farmers groups in Myanmar,along with 22 in Laos and 7 inCambodia. By working directly with

manufacturers from the beginning,and by providing additional technicalassistance for modications to thedryers based on users needs, thepublic sector made a sustainableintroduction of the technology withthe help of the private sector (seepage 6 ofRice Today Vol. 5, No. 1).

Collaboration or tchnologyadaptation and xtnsionDr. Myo Aung Kyaw, secretary generalof the Myanmar Rice and PaddyTraders Association (MRPTA),participated in the dryer training

in Vietnam. When he went back toMyanmar, he led MRPTAs impressiveawareness campaign on postharvestlosses and stressed the signicanceof increasing rice quality as a basisfor improved milling yields; capacitybuilding for farmers, millers, andextension workers on postharvest

management; and promotion ofnewly introduced dryers. Manyof the associations activities wereconducted in close cooperation withpublic-sector institutions such asthe Plant Protection Division of theMyanmar Agriculture Service.

This case shows that private-sector stakeholders can be goodpartners in technology developmentas they can provide extension servicesto farmers that complement thosethat the public sector has (seeRipple,

August 2006, page 8).2

Building on these and IRRIsexperiences with the PostproductionWork Group of the IRRC and theproject

3Bringing about a Sustainable

Agronomic Revolution in RiceProduction in Asia by ReducingPreventable Pre- and PostharvestLosses, multistakeholder platformstake the form of learning alliances thatinclude public and private players.

Dr. Gummert is a postharvestspecialist at IRRI.

ATRAdiTiOnALwayomllgrcetePlppe.

AMOdERnrcemllLogAProvce,Vetam.

irri


22/48


Compared with other WestAfrican countries suchas Mali and Senegal,which have been growing

rice for centuries, Uganda isjust a new kid on the block.

Yet, in 2008, when thegovernment of Mali was desperatelytrying to procure for its farmerslarge quantities of seeds of the

New Rice for Africa (NERICA

)varieties developed by the AfricaRice Center (WARDA), it wasUganda that offered to supply Mali.Not bad for a country where, only15 years ago, rice was considereda special dish for Christmas.

According to the Ministry ofTrade, rice production in Ugandahas increased 2.5 times since2004. In 2008, the countryspaddy (unmilled rice) production

was estimated to be 180,000 tons,which was 11% more than in 2007.

Moreover, records from theUganda National AgriculturalResearch Organization showedthat Ugandas rice imports droppedfrom 60,000 tons in 2005 to 35,000tons in 2007. This is a remarkableachievement, considering that 40% ofsub-Saharan Africas (SSA) demand

for rice is met by imports, whichcost about US$3.6 billion in 2008.

Uganda is so keen to boostits rice sector that it became therst country from eastern Africato join WARDA as a member in2007. Uganda is also one of thefocal countries of the new Eastand Southern Africa Rice Program(ESARP), a partnership betweenIRRI and WARDA. ESARP startedin 2009 and it focuses on

Rice breeding, varietalrelease procedures, andseed production systems

Crop production andpostharvest practices

The rice value chain andagricultural policy

Improving rice productionat the village level

Capacity building related to

rice production, processing,and marketing

Today, Uganda is fast positioningitself as a potential rice granary of thesubregion, as its traders have startedselling home-grown rice to Congolese,Kenyan, and Sudanese markets.

In early 2009, the government ofUganda and the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency (JICA) signedan agreement to establish a national

Ugandasricerevolutionby Saviri Mohapara

Sub-Saharan Africas new kid on the block positions itself as the rice granary of the region byadopting the right policies and appropriate technologies, strengthening capacity building, andengaging both the public and private sector

tAreke berhe, sAsAkAwA-globAl 2000 (3)

AnERiCA4eemltplcatofelnamtmbadtrct,eaterugaa.


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rice research center. The center isexpected to become a key partner inthe ESARP.

Righ policies ad appropriaeechologiesEver since 2004, when PresidentYoweri Museveni launched the

Upland Rice Project, rice cultivationhas boomed in Uganda. At thecore of this project are upland ricevarieties, particularly NERICAupland varieties, whichVicePresident Professor Gilbert Bukenyahas actively promoted throughoutthe country as a means to reducepoverty. NERICA4 was released in2002 and NERICA1 and NERICA10were released in 2007. We promoterice as something that bringsfood and also money, he said.

The Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO) attributes Ugandas ricesuccess to the re-introduction ofa 75% import duty under the EastAfrica Community common externaltariff, and to the disseminationof NERICA varieties. Thesemeasures have fostered large privateinvestment by the rice industry,including millers and traders, andhave also encouraged many localfarmers to take up rice cultivation.

For Henry Kaddu, a Ugandanrice farmer, the main reason is thepremium price that rice fetches.In fact, some farmers have alreadyswitched from tobacco to rice, asthey realized that growing ricewas more protable. Kaddu saidthat prots from the sale of hisNERICA rice harvests have enabledhim to build two houses, send his

children to school, and buy fourcows. The Ugandan Daily Monitorreports that NERICA varietieshave turned many local ricefarmers into USh

1millionaires.

Pblic-privae parershipsad capaci bildig

One of the outstanding factorsbehind the rice success story of thecountry is the role of public-privatepartnerships.

Key partners of the nationalagricultural research and extensionsystem include JICA, which has beenat the forefront of rice promotion inSSA; USAID-funded nongovernmentorganizations such as the Investmentin Developing Export Agriculture(IDEA) and the AgriculturalProductivity Enhancement Program

(APEP); Sasakawa-Global 2000;FAO; Alliance for a Green Revolutionin Africa; and companies suchas Tilda Uganda and NalweyoSeed Company (NASECO).

The potential of rice as a cashcrop quickly captured the attentionof Ugandas seed companies, suchas NASECO, which has been anintegral part of the nations ricesuccess story. Another rice companythat has become well known isTilda Uganda, which sells rice inthe subregion under its brand.

In partnership with thegovernment agencies, Sasakawa-Global 2000, IDEA, and APEP havefocused on the capacity building ofyoung scientists, eld technicians,extension agents, farmers, andprocessors. Areas covered areimproved seed production; crop,soil, and water management; the

use of agricultural machinery; andpostharvest handling techniques.

Extension manuals onupland rice were produced anddisseminated. Rice farmer learningvideos produced by WARDA andits partners were widely used. Innorthern Uganda, for instance, APEP

showed the videos to 7,000 farmersliving in refugee camps to reviveagriculture in war-torn villages.

The National CooperativeBusiness Association, inpartnership with APEP, alsoprovided training to rice farmersand processors in organizational,nancial, and marketing skills.

The importance of capacitybuilding in Uganda is conrmedby the articleHow revolutionaryis the NERICA revolution?

Evidence from Uganda(publishedin 2006). Strengthening training,extension, and other supportingsystems is the key to the successof the NERICA revolution inUganda, the article stated.

Public-private partnershipalso helped provide credit tofarmers, linked them to input andoutput markets, and encouragedthem to form cooperatives sothat they could have strongerbargaining power. It facilitatedthe establishment of rice mills andintroduced agricultural machinery.

According to Robert Anyang, riceseed systems consultant at WARDAwho was formerly with APEP, allthese efforts have paid rich dividendsBy early 2007, 36,000 organizedrice farmers were linked to ninemedium-capacity rice processors.

For the government of Uganda,however, this achievementis not enough. Its ultimate

aim is to ensure thatrice becomes not only aforeign exchange saver butalso a foreign exchangeearner by capitalizing onthe countrys excellentagroecological conditions.

1Ugandan shilling.

MZEWiLLiAMssetogo,a

-yearolrcearmer,owtenERiCA4rceplatefelnakaekedtrct,cetralugaa.

sEnTOGOsFAMiLYtenERiCA4fel.


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24 Rice TodayJuy-Setember 2009Rice TodayJuly-September 2009, Vol. 8, No. 3

Rice is a very important crop in Uruguay. Around170,000 hectares of the countrys land are planted withrice every year. This aerial view shows a typical ricefarm in Treinta y Tres, in eastern Uruguay, wheremore than 70% of the rice area is located. The leveesconstructed within the elds for irrigation make abeautiful and artistic pattern. See The promise of Latin

America on pages 38-41.


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26/48

26 Rice TodayJuly-September 2009

a cross-section of opinions

Cductd by Gene Hettel

Challenges or IRRI:

In a departure from presenting excerpts of a single pioneer interview, this installment presents a diverse

cross-section of responses to one question: As IRRI approaches its 50th anniversary in 2010, what do you

see as the Institutes greatest challenge? Interviews were conducted between June 2006 and June 2009.

More will be added online as interviews continue

Rice TodayJuly-September 200926

Barker Brady Cantrell

Randy Barker, IRRI agricul-tural economist and head,Economics Department,1966-78; acting head, SocialSciences Division, 2007-08

When I rst came to IRRI in1966 just before IR8, people atthat time looked at IRRI and said,thats a nice set of buildings, butthey didnt think the Institute wouldever produce anything. There wasa real skepticism about whetherIRRI would ever amount to much.Joining IRRI was like buying into astock that all of a sudden took off.

In the early days, the IRRImandate was fairly simple andstraightforward, increase riceproduction in Asia, and so the focusand the priorities were there. Sincethat time, weve gone from foodsecurity to environment and poverty

and other areas. So, in many ways,the mandates of IRRI and of theother centers tended to expand.

The real challenge now is beingsure that IRRI operates in the areawhere it has the greatest comparativeadvantage. For example, the challengefor upstream work is to have theappropriate connections with theadvanced institutions for developingbiotechnology research. When goingdownstream, this means, in part, the

ability to transfer someof that biotechnologyexpertise and focus iton those areas thatwill complement whatthe NARES [nationalagricultural researchand extensionsystems] are doing.

Nyle C. Brady, IRRIdirector general, 1973-81

I think IRRI needs to makeeffective use of biotechnology andother modern research tools to helpthe plant breeders develop rice linesthat efciently utilize plant nutrients,that tolerate adverse conditions suchas drought, and that are resistantto insects and diseases, therebyreducing the need for pesticides.

To do this, IRRI must havelinkages with scientists in both the

developing and the more developedcountries. This is an advice which thewhole CGIAR [Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research]system could accept. I recognize thepolitical reasons why this is difcultbecause some countries dont wantbiotechnology to be used for thispurpose. But the developing countriesneed the improved crops much morethan we do in the U.S. So, I think thisis the direction in which IRRI and

other such centersshould and could go.

IRRI mustalso continueto push what ithas been doing

latelymoreafter I leftthan when I

was theretorecognize the

consequences ofwhat we do to the environment interms of pesticide useand fertilizeruse, that is, nitrogen getting intothe water causing troubles later on.This is being done, but I think evenmore can be done. I think this is anopportunity for IRRI to develop highyields of quality rice in such a waythat the soil, water, and atmospherewill not be adversely affected.

Ronald Cantrell, IRRIdirector general, 1998-2004

Clearly, it is the funding issue.What comes with the fundinguncertainty is creating some difcultyin hiring staff. IRRI has been able tocontinue to hire good internationalstaff. But there is uncertainty causedby restricted core funding andthe threat of the loss of all USAIDfunding [in July 2008]. If you area bright young scientist just out of

g.

hettel/j.ibabao(12)


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27Rice TodayJuly-September 2009 27Rice TodayJuly-September 2009

fman Swaminathan Hargrove Khush

graduate school, do you want to take achance on starting your career there?There meaning not necessarilyIRRI but there meaning in thatkind of system. So, unless there aresome things that will stabilize thefunding, it may create some problemsfor IRRI in the future of being able tohire international staff. I think thatis the greatest challenge that IRRIwill face. The culture of the Institute

is rich; its great. I just think it needsto have a more stable environment.

Kwanchai Gomez, IRRI headstatistician, 1968-93; liaison forcoordination and planning, 1993-96; consultant, 1997-98

I think IRRIs greatest challengeis to dene clearly the kind ofcontributions it still can make tothe rice world. IRRI cannot justkeep doing the same things it didat the start. IRRI has come a longway [47 years as of the time of theinterview] and the rice problems ofthe world have changed drastically.IRRI must dene what its presentgoals are; who are its clients andwhat are their expectations? Whatdoes the rice world need and whatand how can IRRI contribute?

Its true that IRRI is an aginginstitution, and it may not be easy tore-dene its goal, its mandate, andadapt new strategies and directionsat this point in time. But, unlike old

people, it is still easier to revive andrenew an old institution. And I thinkIRRI should be able to nd the way.

IRRI has a new strategic plan,Bringing hope, improving lives.Some see it simply as a patch-up job of what it is doing now ormaintaining a status quo. Whenevera strategic plan is developed purelyby the people from inside theinstitution, it carries too muchbaggage; its heavy. Who will work

on a strategy and work plan that willput them out of their jobs tomorrow?Nobody, of course! I myself hadworked closely with the rst IRRIstrategic plan; I should know.

Ronnie Coffman, IRRI plantbreeder, 1971-81; currently chair,Department of Plant Breeding& Genetics, and director ofInternational Programs, CornellUniversity

Global warming and the riseof sea level could prove to be thegreatest challenges for IRRI, forplant breeding, and for rice sciencein general because, as you know,the majority of rice is found in thelarge low-lying river deltas of Asia.The Ganges, the Brahmaputra, theIrrawaddy, the Mekong, all thosebig deltas are, in some cases, onlya few inches above sea level. So,right now, the minimum predictionfor sea-level rise is a conservativeprojection of 38 inches by themiddle of this century. This willobliterate places like Bangladesh,West Bengal, and the Mekong Delta.

This is huge. So, what willhappen, slowly, or maybe not soslowly, is that brackish water will getpushed up the rivers and affect thegrowth of the rice. And you get lessand less fresh water coming downbecause glaciers are melting in theHimalaya at the rate that people

can't believe. So, you're going to geta scarcity of fresh water and thenthe rising sea level that pushes in thebrackish water. That's going to pushthe cultivation of rice way back in agradual, or maybe not so gradual,manner. So, salinity tolerance mightoffer some help. But I think theglobal warming and the resultingrise in sea levelsand rememberthat 38 inches is the minimumprediction; others are predicting

more and fasterthat portendsa real crisis in rice cultivation.

M.S. Swaminathan, IRRIdirector general, 1982-88;currently chairman of theM.S. Swaminathan ResearchFoundation

There are challenges and Imsure IRRI is aware of them as itmodies its mandate. During its rstdecade [1960s], IRRIs challenge

was to improve productivity. Thesecond decade had the challenge ofputting it into a farming systemsbackground. During my decade, wehad the challenge of mainstreamingconsiderations of ecology and equityin technology development anddissemination and also buildingnational rice research institutions,including one in the Philippines.

IRRIs greatest challengestoday are against the backdrop ofglobalization. The UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) presenta challenge for IRRI because, for40% of the worlds population, riceis a staple. So, the very rst MDG,reducing hunger and reducingpoverty, depends greatly on IRRIswork, along with its nationalpartners. So, there is a greatresponsibility. Then, of course, MDGnumber 3 is gender equality andempowerment of women, whereagain IRRI has been the agship

of the gender equity movementin the world, the rst scienticinstitution, which started stronggender mainstreaming of its work. Iwould say the number-one challengeis this new vision for IRRI, whichplaces poverty alleviation and hungerelimination at the top of its agenda.

Another challenge is dealing withthe public/private partnerships inan IPR [intellectual property rights]environment. As they commonly


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28 Rice TodayJuly-September 200928 Rice TodayJuly-September 2009

Lampe Toenniessen

say, the Green Revolution wasa public-sector enterprise, whilethe Gene Revolution is a private-sector enterprise. So, how arewe going to develop this newkind of partnership between thepublic and private sector withoutcompromising IRRIs commitment to

help poor farmers? Social inclusionfor access to new technologiesshould be the bottom line of IRRIstechnology dissemination policy.

Tom Hargrove, IRRI editorand later head, Communicationand Publications Services,1973-91; most recentlycoordinator of information andcommunications, InternationalCenter for Soil Fertility andAgricultural Development

IRRIs greatest challenge is to

continue to do the work it is doingand keep the money coming in sothat it is able to carry out the plan.The world is changing so much rightnow that we dont have any idea ofwhat really is going to happen. Theresobviously not just a food crisis, whichhas been building up for a long time.Then, these different factors hit allat once: a decrease in funding forresearch and the demand for food andfuel with 30% of the U.S. corn cropgoing into ethanol. At the same time,Indians and Chinese are achievinghigher incomes and they want todrive cars too and, as incomes rise,they eat less rice and want more meat.

Of course, fertilizer (nitrogen,potassium, and phosphorus) isessential to the nutrient productionneeded to make the ethanol and tofeed the livestock to accommodatethe changing food habits of Chinaand India. All of these things arecoming together. A farmer in Togo

or Mali in West Africa who growsrice or any other crop, a couple of

years ago, had to pay twice whata farmer in Iowa has to pay for akilogram of urea. Now, with the priceof fertilizer doubling, tripling inthe United States, I think its goingto be almost impossible in Africa.This could be one of IRRIs greatestchallenges in Africa if indeed theres

to be an African Green Revolution.Gurdev Khush, IRRI rice

breeder and principal scientist,1967-2001; currently adjunctprofessor, University ofCalifornia, Davis

As the national programshave become stronger, IRRI hasstarted putting emphasis on certainareas where it has a comparativeadvantage, such as in molecularbiology and biotechnology. IRRIstopped naming varieties because

the national programs have becomestrong enough so we only need tosupply them with germplasm. Thechallenge will continue for IRRIto nd new techniques, which canhelp the national programs.

In breeding, I think we haveto continue to nd approachesto increase yield potential and toidentify new sources of disease andinsect resistance so that they can besupplied to the national programs.Also, IRRI needs to use the newgenetic engineering technology.The environment for acceptinggenetically modied crops is not asgood as it should be, but eventually,I think, in a few years, the nationalprograms, the farmers, and theNGOs will start accepting geneticallymodied materials. Molecularbiology techniques to use includemolecular marker-aided selectionand identifying QTLs [quantitativetrait loci] for difcult traits, such

as drought. So, the challenge is towork with national programs to

incorporate all these techniques intobreeding approaches. This should leadto rice improvement efforts that focuson increasing the yield potential anddeveloping varieties with novel traits.

S.K. De Datta, IRRI principalscientist and head, Departmentof Agronomy, 1964-92; currently

associate vice president forinternational affairs and directorof the Ofce of International

Research, Education, andDevelopment at VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and StateUniversity

When I was at IRRI, I didntrealize until I left how inward-looking we were. Somehow, wefelt that our donors will continueto support us no matter what wedo. I think IRRI scientists have

to go beyond the inward-lookingposture to communicate andnetwork with the best minds allover the world and to collaboratemuch more aggressively. Otherwise,down the road, I can see that wellhave problems garnering funds.

What I have noticed over the last56 years is that IRRI is not makingheadlines in the United States,when, 5, 10, or 15 years back, IRRInews was major news here in theWashington Postand theNew YorkTimes. I dont see any breakthroughscoming out, which are hittingthe headlines. [At the time of theinterview on 25 June 2006, thiswas perhaps true, but now, in 2009,IRRI is routinely making headlinesin the U.S. and around the world;see irri.org/media/articles.all.asp.]We need to generate more relevantknowledge and technology and tocommunicate with the U.S. andother industrial nations so they feel

excited about IRRIs research andsupport it on a sustained basis.

HerdtDe Datta


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29Rice TodayJuly-September 2009Rice TodayJuly-September 2009 29

IRRI must communicate its newknowledge and technology, whichwill help the next generation of foodproducers and consumers aroundthe world. The primary beneciariesare the developing regions, butlets not forget that the developedregions are our partners and we need

to do a better job communicatingwith them as to why they need tosupport IRRI and other CGIARcenters. So, I consider that as a big,big challenge because resourcesare shrinking all over the world.

Robert Herdt, IRRIeconomist, 1973-83, head of theEconomics Department, 1978-83; later director, agriculturalsciences, and vice president,The Rockefeller Foundation;currently adjunct international

professor of applied economicsand management, CornellUniversity

I think IRRIs greatest challengeis how to turn over management andresponsibility to the Asian countriesthat are the primary beneciaries.There are many hundreds of millionsof people in Asia who are still in needof the benets of new technology andhigher productivity, but there are alsohundreds of millions in other countriesin the world who are in a lot worseshape. Rice research is at a high level ofdevelopment in Asia. This is somethingthat Asian countries should take moreresponsibility for. If they dont feel likethere is enough value to them havinga regional research institute, then Ipersonally dont believe the rest of theworld should be supporting the wholething. So, thats the biggest challenge.

Klaus Lampe, IRRI directorgeneral, 1988-95

I guessed that you might ask

such a question. I recall the veryrst draft of a new strategic plan,

developed in 1994, with the titleIRRI towards 2050. It was rejectedin the committee and by the boardbecause the horizon was seen to beby far too long. Of course, nobodyk

Rice Today Vol. 8, No. 3

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