MARS envoys join workshop on rice farming

A rice awareness workshop is ongoing at IRRI this week (30 September-4 October) for MARS Ambassadors. MARS, the global company known for its chocolates, sent representatives from its MARS food brand to IRRI to attend the workshop, Walking in the shoes of rice farmers.


The workshop on rice production and mechanization was designed to give participants a first-hand experience of what rice farmers do to produce rice in a sustainable manner. From the experience, participants are expected to gain a basic understanding of rice production principles and practices as well as the rice value chain and potential bottlenecks within it.

Participants will also be asked to design a training program that will help improve and make sustainable the livelihoods of basmati rice growers in Pakistan.

The workshop is coordinated by Joseph Rickman, mechanization and production systems specialist at IRRI, with assistance from the IRRI Training Center team.


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Biotech advocate from U of Georgia visits IRRI

Wayne Parrott, professor of crop science at the University of Georgia in the USA, recently visited IRRI headquarters to learn more about the Institute’s work on biotechnology. 

Dr. Parrott came to the Philippines to do a series of public seminars organized by the US Embassy in Manila as part of its 2013 Biotech Outreach Program. On the same day of his visit to IRRI, he gave a special seminar titled Biotech tools for smarter agriculture at the SEARCA Auditorium inside the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. 

Part of Dr. Parrott's advocacy on public communication of agriculture biotechnology is to highlight the main conclusion to be drawn from more than 130 research projects over more than 25 years, involving more than 500 independent research groups, that biotechnology—GM, in particular—is not per se riskier than conventional plant breeding technologies. 

Read more about IRRI’s work on Golden Rice.

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Molecular biologist from Korea is guest in September researchers’ lunch

The Young Researchers Lunch for September hosted Sung-han Kim, molecular biologist at the Plant Molecular Breeding Center of Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea.


Dr. Kim was visiting IRRI as part of his work on a project pertaining to a systems biology approach to heat stress in rice. During the lunch, Dr. Kim discussed with the researchers present the different aspects of molecular response to abiotic stress. He was of the opinion that multi-gene interactions should be taken into account when evaluating plant response to abiotic stresses such as heat and drought.

The lunch, held on 23 September 2013, was attended by were Ritchel Gannaban, Anshuman Singh, Manish Raorane, Isaiah Pabuayon, Toshisangba Chuba, Abraham Llave, and Yoye Yu. The group was joined by SNU students Backki Kim and Dong-Ryung Lee.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for scientists at IRRI who are in the early stages of their career. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics in science, including career paths.

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Vietnam: Climate change and land use project reviewed

A midterm review of CLUES, or “Climate Change Affecting Land Use in the Mekong Delta: Adaptation of Rice-Based Cropping Systems,” reveals the following achievements of the ACIAR-funded project thus far that altogether provide a robust base for the project’s next phase:

• Established a risk map on the effect of sea-level rise and climate change on salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta up to the years 2030 and 2050. 

• Analyzed  land suitability for potential land-use systems under different sea-level rise and infrastructure development scenarios, and the socioeconomic characteristics of each system in various agroecological zones. 

• Developed improved rice varieties using conventional and complex crosses to investigate underlying genetics and the value of parental lines in breeding for stress tolerance. 

• Conducted more than 49 participatory varietal selection trials using 41 rice varieties and distributed more than 27,600 kilograms of best-bet variety seeds to farmers from 2011 to mid-2013. 

• Identified the combination of alternate-wetting-and-drying technology, reduced phosphorus use, and transplanting as a climate change-adaptive strategy for rice production in the Delta. 

• Recommended a short-duration high-yielding rice variety that can replace the local variety Mot Bui Do in the shrimp-rice system in Bac Lieu Province.

• Improved farmers’ income through integration of non-rice crops into rice-based systems  (although poor community water management remains a barrier to upland crop production).

• Identified determinants and solutions for further improvement of livelihoods of rice farmers in the Delta. 

• Developed initial data on emissions in the Delta as a function of crop management.

The review was presented during a gathering of CLUES project partners and collaborators on 19 September 2013 at Can Tho University (CTU) in Vietnam. Attending were more than 80 scientists and partner representatives, including local staff, from Vietnam partners (CTU; Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute; Southern Institute for Water Resources Planning; Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Vietnam; and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang and Bac Lieu provinces); the Deutshe Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); and the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and IRRI.

The project began work in March 2011 and will conclude in February 2014. IRRI climate expert Reiner Wassmann is the project leader of CLUES. Other IRRI scientists involved are To Phuc Tuong, Russell Reinke, Abdelbagi Ismail, Thelma Paris, Romeo Labios, and Ngo Dang Phong.

CSIRO was represented by Bennett Macdonald, Peter Brown, and John Ward, while IWMI was represented by Chu Thai Hoanh.


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India: IRRI’s work in South Asia presented at agri econ meet

Senior scientist Takashi Yamano shared about IRRI’s collaborative research programs, implemented under the Institute’s Social Sciences Division, during the 21st annual conference of the Agricultural Economics Research Association (AERA) held at Srinagar.


Dr. Yamano joined other representatives from the CGIAR who also presented about their respective work in South Asia conducted in collaboration with national agricultural research and extension systems.

The AERA conference aims to provide a platform for young researchers and students to promote their work and interact with senior researchers. Many students and representatives of research institutes indicated interest in working with IRRI.

Mamta Mehar of the IRRI India office also presented a paper, Trends in crop diversification by agroecological zones of India, in one of the technical sessions.

The conference was held on 10-13 September 2013 at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Kashmir, Srinagar.


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Farmers’ group receives computer donation

The Banca-banca Farmers’ Association in Laguna Province, represented by the group’s leader, Casiano Estrella, Jr., received a computer donated by Lenovo through the CyberVillage Project on 18 September 2013.

Mr. Estrella, on behalf of his group, thanked Lenovo and IRRI for their support. The new computer will enable members of the group to access more farming information and technology recommendations from IRRI and PhilRice, thus helping them improve farm productivity.

The group regularly receives visitors of IRRI who want to discuss with local farmers.
See related news: Lenovo donates computers for CyberVillage Project


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IRRI takes part in local festival, environment gig

Los Baños Mayor Caesar Perez commended IRRI for its sustainable waste management and environment-friendly practices in a speech he gave before residents and local government staff to celebrate Pista ng Kapaligiran (Feast of the Environment) on 7 September 2013.

In another speech during the civic parade and program of the Bañamos festival, the Mayor also made a special mention of IRRI, which he thanked for its contribution to livelihood activities and local employment, both of which have helped improve the town's economy.


A contingent led by Deputy Director General for Communication and Partnerships V. Bruce J. Tolentino joined the parade on 17 September that opened the week-long celebration of Bañamos.

Bañamos was started 12 years ago to commemorate the colorful history and culture of the town of Los Baños, which means “the baths.”

The festival emphasizes celebration of the place’s natural wonders and local products and showcases residents’ community spirit and pride. It features a trade fair, street dancing, singing contests, a buko pie-eating contest, band performances, fun runs, and others. The week-long celebration is held every year starting on the 17th and attracts thousands of tourists, guests, and media coverage.

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