2004 declared International www.irri.org Year of Rice

International Rice Research Institute April 2003, Vol. 2 No. 1

Beijing puts rice on the table: 1,000 attend first International Rice Congress

Organized free for all: Rice Knowledge Bank LOOKINGLOOKING UPUP materials are online Biodiversity adds value: interplanting dresses ININ LAOSLAOS Chinese fields in pinstripes

ISSN 1655-5422 liters

2003 is International 5,000Growing one kilogram of rice with traditional irrigation Year of Freshwater consumes enough freshwater to fill 25 oil drums.

Using less water, farmers could save on irrigation, boost their earnings, and leave more water for homes, businesses and nature conservation. Rice scientists are exploring how.

Farming that feeds families and protects the environment

Rice Science for a Better W rld

www.irri.org contents Vol. 2, No. 1 INVESTING IN PEOPLE NEWS 4 The International Fund for Agricultural 5 2004 declared International Year of Rice Development focuses on the neediest Insect ecologist wins Charles A. Black Award as his project team earns Vietnamese honor RICE IN THE NEWS USAID-IRRI conference studies agriculture and food security in Asia and the Near East 8 Rice genes go public as International Rice Genome Sequencing Project completes draft IRRI support team wins CGIAR Excellence in Science Award IRRI and Japan’s National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences open new chapter in gene discovery SPECIAL SECTION: As rice genebank clocks a quarter century, 10 INTERNATIONAL RICE a new funding effort takes the long view CONGRESS Beijing puts rice on the table, as first MANILA MAKES CGIAR International Rice Congress draws 14 HISTORY more than 1,000 delegates Consultative Group on International Asian ministers at international Agricultural Research holds annual roundtable call rice essential to general meeting in Philippines stability and prosperity

16 LOOKING UP IN LAOS 22 ORGANIZED Now able to feed its people with FREE FOR ALL improved harvests from The new Rice Knowledge lowland rice fields, Laos is Bank lays the benefits focusing attention on making of more than four decades upland agriculture more of research at your productive and sustainable fingertips

BIODIVERSITY PEOPLE 26 ADDS VALUE 29 Emile Frison is director general designate The practice of interplanting high-value but disease- of the International Plant Genetic susceptible traditional rice Resources Institute varieties with disease- M.S. Swaminathan, former director general resistant hybrids is dressing of IRRI, heads Pugwash Movement the rice lands of southwest China in pinstripes

NEW BOOKS EVENTS RICE FACTS GRAIN OF TRUTH 31 IRRI adds seven new titles 32 Conferences, 33 Fight poverty 34 Biotech won’t soon replace to its inventory of meetings and where it lives “conventional” breeding publications on rice workshops

Cover photo Seepana Appa Rao International Rice Research Institute DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines Web (IRRI): www.irri.org; Web (Library): http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org; Editor Peter Fredenburg Web (Riceweb): www.riceweb.org; Web (Rice Knowledge Bank): Art director Juan Lazaro IV www.knowledgebank.irri.org Contributing editors Duncan Macintosh, Gene Hettel, Bill Hardy Designer and production supervisor George Reyes Rice Today editorial Photo editor Ariel Javellana telephone (63-2) 845-0563 or (63-2) 844-3351 to 53, ext 2401; Printer Primex Printers, Inc. fax: (63-2) 891-1292 or (63-2) 845-0606; email: [email protected]

Rice Today is published by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the world’s results of agricultural research to rural communities, farmers and families in Africa, Latin leading international rice research and training center. Based in the Philippines and with America and Asia. offices in 11 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit institution focused on Responsibility for this publication rests with IRRI. Designations used in this publication improving the well-being of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers, should not be construed as expressing IRRI policy or opinion on the legal status of any particularly those with low incomes, while preserving natural resources. IRRI is one of country, territory, city or area, or its authorities, or the delimitation of its frontiers or 16 Future Harvest centers funded by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural boundaries. Research (CGIAR), an association of public and private donor agencies. Rice Today welcomes comments and suggestions from readers. Potential contributors For more information, visit the websites of the CGIAR (www.cgiar.org) or Future are encouraged to query first, rather than submit unsolicited materials. Rice Today Harvest (www.futureharvest.org). Future Harvest is a nonprofit organization that builds assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited submissions, which should awareness and supports food and environmental research for a world with less poverty, be accompanied by sufficient return postage. a healthier human family, well-nourished children and a better environment. Future Harvest supports research, promotes partnerships and sponsors projects that bring the Copyright International Rice Research Institute 2003 INVESTING IN PEOPLE Focusing on the neediest by Rodney Cooke

he International Fund for Development should be established and $35.4 million in grants (including three Agricultural Development (IFAD) immediately to finance agricultural projects fully financed by grants in Rwanda, Thas added another chapter to its development projects primarily for food the West Bank and Gaza). Governments and two-decade record of cooperation with IRRI production in the developing countries.” other financing sources in the recipient to fulfill its mission of “enabling the rural One insight to emerge from the conference countries – including project beneficiaries – poor to overcome their poverty.” Last was that food insecurity and famine were have contributed $7.9 billion. External co- December, the specialized agency of the caused not so much by failures in global financiers have provided $6.6 billion in co- United Nations approved US$1.5 million for food production as by structural problems financing, of which bilateral donors “Accelerating technology adoption to arising from poverty and, in particular, the contributed $1.1 billion, multilateral donors improve rural livelihoods in the rainfed concentration of the developing world’s $5.2 billion, and various international and Eastern Gangetic Plains,” or nearly half of poor populations in rural areas. Northern NGOs $40.2 million. Sources of the three-year project’s total budget of $3.5 co-financing for the remaining $260 million million. Specific mandate remain to be confirmed. These projects have IFAD began supporting IRRI research IFAD has a specific mandate to mobilize aimed to assist 49 million rural poor in the mid-1980s with a focus on improving resources on concessional terms to alleviate households, or approximately 263 million farmers’ ability to achieve reliable rice rural poverty and hunger in developing people. harvests in agriculturally less-favored areas countries. This means fostering social The fund’s current annual commitment affected by drought, problem soils, crop development, gender equity, income of about $450 million derives from disease, insect pests and weeds. In 2001, generation, improved nutrition, members’ contributions (46%), reflows from IFAD upgraded its involvement with IRRI’s environmental sustainability and good past loans (49%) and investment income parent organization, the Consultative Group governance, thereby enabling the rural poor (5%). on International Agricultural Research, to overcome poverty on their own terms. IFAD’s Governing Council, from member status to cosponsor. Concretely, the strategy translates into representing all 162 member states, elects Established in Rome in 1977, IFAD is a developing and strengthening the the fund’s chief executive for a four-year key outcome of the 1974 World Food organizations of the poor to confront the term, which is renewable for a second term. Conference in response to the food crises of issues they define as critical; increasing The current president, Lennart Båge of the early 1970s, mostly in the Sahelian access to knowledge so that poor people can Sweden, was elected in February 2001. The countries of Africa. The conference resolved grasp opportunities and overcome obstacles; president also serves as chairperson of the that “an International Fund for expanding the influence that the poor exert Executive Board, whose 18 members and 18 Agricultural over public policy and institutions; and alternate members oversee the fund’s enhancing their bargaining power in the operations, particularly the approval of marketplace. loans and grants. All of IFAD’s strategic choices – in regional, country and thematic strategies; Participatory programs loan and grant activities; involvement in IFAD recognizes that poverty in the Asia- poverty reduction strategy papers; policy Pacific region is especially persistent in dialogue; and the selection of development agriculturally less-favored areas, many of partners – reflect these principles. IFAD’s whose indigenous people suffer exploitation target groups are the poorest of the poor, and human rights violations. Within a including small farmers, the rural landless, development strategy that emphasizes nomadic pastoralists, coastal fisherfolk, decentralized, participatory programs indigenous people and, across all groups, promoting regenerative agriculture and poor rural women. security of land tenure for farmers, IFAD Since its establishment, IFAD aims to enhance the capability of indigenous has financed 628 projects in 115 people to tackle political and economic countries and independent marginalization, reward them for territories, to which it has environmental services, and generate social committed $7.7 billion in loans peace and security through development. As women are especially prone to poverty, IFAD strives to help them enhance their capability by tackling discrimination, Dr. Cooke is director of ensuring equal access to resources and the Technical Advisory promoting women’s representation in Division of IFAD. village institutions. IFAD PHOTO IFAD

4 Rice Today April 2003 NEWS IRRI insect ecologist wins Charles A. Black Award as his collaborative team earns Vietnamese honor United Nations declares 2004 International Year of Rice he Council for Agricultural Science and Development in 1996, and he was the co- TTechnology (CAST), an international recipient of the Partnering Excellence Medal cting on a proposal consortium of 37 scientific and professional 2002 from Australia (see below). Afrom the Philippine societies based in Washington, D.C., in Nearly a decade ago, the IRRI-led team government, the January named IRRI insect ecologist K.L. found that a large proportion of farmers’ United Nations Heong the recipient of the 2003 Charles A. insecticide spraying is unnecessary, General Assembly Black Award. CAST annually honors an especially early in the cropping cycle. Most voted in December to agricultural, environmental or food scientist’s of it targets the rice leaffolder, whose early declare 2004 the outstanding contribution to the advancement infestations have no effect on yields. The International Year of Rice (IYR). In its of science in the public-policy arena. team distilled the complex scientific details announcement, the UN noted that rice Dr. Heong and three of his partners in into a simple rule of thumb – “No early is the staple food of more than half of the a project that encourages farmers to reduce insecticide spray” – and used popular world’s population. It also affirmed the their use of insecticides had earlier received media, including short radio dramas, need to heighten international the Golden Rice Award from Nguyen Van leaflets and posters, to reach farmers. awareness of the role rice can play in Dang, Vietnamese vice minister of Following the media campaign in the alleviating poverty and malnutrition and agriculture. Dr. Heong’s co-recipients in Mekong Delta, average insecticide use fell ensuring food security. Cantho City on 6 December were Nguyen in the test area by 53%, from 3.4 to 1.6 The UN Food and Agriculture Huu Huan, vice director general of sprays per season, and has remained low for Organization and its International Rice Vietnam’s Plant Protection Department; Vo eight years. The team has run a similar Commission have been invited to Mai, former vice director general of the campaign in Thailand and will soon launch facilitate the implementation of the IYR department; and Monina M. Escalada, a another, partly supported by the St. in collaboration with the governments of professor in the Philippines’ Visayas State Andrews Prize money, in Quang Ninh the world’s rice-producing nations, the College of Agriculture, now seconded to Province in the Red River Delta. United Nations Development Pro- IRRI. The project team also won the gramme, the Consultative Group on prestigious 2002 St. Andrews Prize for International Agricultural Research (of Environment (see Rice Today Vol. 1, No. 2, which IRRI is a member), other organ- page 5). izations of the UN system, and NGOs. Primary consideration for the Charles A. As Rice Today goes to press, no Black Award goes to scientists who are actively definite plans yet exist, but most rice- engaged in research and who have demon- producing nations will likely organize strated excellence in communicating the special events and activities. IRRI has importance of their scientific achievements to confirmed that, to mark the IYR, it will policymakers, news organize its next International Rice media and the public. Research Conference in the second half Previous recipients of of 2004, probably in Vietnam. the award include “The decision by the UN to declare Calvin Qualset (2002), 2004 the International Year of Rice is chairman of the prog- significant not only for the world’s rice- ram committee of producing nations but also for all the the IRRI Board of estimated 2.6 billion people who consume Trustees, and Per rice each day,” said IRRI Director General Pinstrup-Anderson Ronald Cantrell. “IRRI is looking forward (1998), former direc- to actively participating in many tor general of the important IYR events.” International Food Dr. Heong and a Vietnamese “No early insecticide spray” poster. Policy Research Institute. Dr. Heong was scheduled to receive IRRI shares Australian Partnering Excellence Medal 2002 the award during the CAST banquet on 20 March in Arlington, Virginia, USA. ustralia’s Commonwealth Scientific and management of rodent pests in Australia and Dr. Heong’s research areas include AIndustrial Research Organization Asia, through building quality partnerships. insect ecology, pesticide toxicology, (CSIRO), represented by Grant Singleton, Dr. Singleton received it in Parliament House biological control, the sociology of farmer and the Rodent Ecology Work Group at IRRI, in Canberra on 10 December. decision-making and communication. After led by K.L. Heong of IRRI and John Copland The joint research has produced a joining IRRI in 1988, he developed, in of the Australian Centre for International chemical-free rodent management system, collaboration with national scientists in Asia, Agricultural Research (ACIAR), are co- called the community trap barrier system, participatory communication strategies to recipients of Australia’s Partnering that can reduce rat damage by 20%. It is use mass media to motivate farmers to stop Excellence Medal 2002. The medal being adopted in several provinces in the spraying insecticides early in the cropping recognizes excellence in providing Mekong and Red River deltas of Vietnam, cycle. The Vietnamese government honored international leadership, scientific expertise in a project funded by the Australian Agency him with the Medal for Agricultural and training in the ecologically based continued on page 7

Rice Today April 2003 5 NEWS ARIEL JAVELLANA Support team wins Excellence in Science Award in Science Awards. This makes two years in a row that a Filipino support team at IRRI has won the CGIAR Outstanding Scientific n IRRI research support team won the world’s most prestigious Support Team Award, which in 2001 went to the institute’s hybrid Aaward for a scientific support team in publicly funded rice breeding team. It is also the second year running that the CGIAR agricultural research. The project – which has operated mainly in has cited the biodiversity project, whose paper “Genetic diversity China but is now expanding into other countries – is called and disease control in rice” in the journal Nature won the 2001 Exploiting Biodiversity for Sustainable Pest Management (see page CGIAR Outstanding Scientific Article Award. 26). It allows farmers to boost their income while controlling a major The photo shows (from left) project leader Tom Mew and rice disease with fewer applications of polluting chemicals. support team members Alice Bordeos, Mel Revilla, Vivay Salazar, The team received the award during the annual general meeting Nancy Castilla, Santy Culala, Abe Ona, Manny Lantin, Mayette in Manila last October of the Consultative Group on International Baraoidan, Florencio Balenson, Max Banasihan, Flavio Maghirang Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which each year presents Excellence and Nollie Vera Cruz. Briefly Briefly Briefly

Working CURE name of Africa Rice Center, reports having down from the editorial board after more Thirty scientists from South and Southeast recovered from the genebank on the than three years and were replaced by Abdel Asia attended the Consortium for WARDA campus more than 6,000 rice seed Ismail and Renee Lafitte. J.K. Ladha Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) samples, representing over 80% of the total continues as IRRN editor-in-chief. workshop on 24-25 January at the National collection. Agricultural Science Center in Pusa, New First field test of GM rice Delhi. Organized by R.K. Singh, IRRI liaison Drought economics workshop The first field evaluation by the Philippine scientist for India, the workshop aimed to A workshop in Bangkok on 5-6 November Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and IRRI identify technologies to help “cure” studied the economic cost of drought and of transgenic rice variety IR72 with the Xa21 unfavorable environments, select farmers’ coping mechanisms. The project, gene has shown good agronomic appropriate research sites and collaborating organized by IRRI’s Social Sciences Division performance at the PhilRice station in institutions, and prioritize research areas. and supported by a special grant from the Muñoz. IRRI developed the materials in Unfavorable environments are rainfed areas Rockefeller Foundation, employs cross- 1998-99 and found that, under screenhouse that suffer water scarcity or flooding. Most country comparative analysis of three major conditions, they showed excellent of CURE’s six working groups, which are rice-producing countries in Asia: China, protection against all races of bacterial based on the major rainfed subecosystems, India and Thailand. blight in Asia. have held planning meetings. Deputy Director General for Research Ren Wang led Philippine honor for IRRI Platform for saving water a group of IRRI scientists attending the The Pilipinas Shell Foundation last Participants in the international workshop October meeting of the working group on November recognized IRRI’s contribution Water-Wise Rice Production at IRRI in shifting and rotational systems in Luang to the empowerment of disadvantaged April 2002 have created the International Prabang, Laos. farmers. The foundation cited the institute’s Platform for Saving Water in Rice development of salt-tolerant and tungro- (IPSWAR) to coordinate the efforts of Moving in Africa resistant rice lines and the contribution they agricultural researchers who are developing After months of civil war in its home base have made to the livelihood of farmers who water-saving technologies for rice pro- of Côte d’Ivoire, the CGIAR’s West Africa struggle against these production duction. For more information, visit www. Rice Development Association (WARDA) is constraints. irri.org/irrc/water/ipswar.asp or email continuing its management operations in B.A.M. Bouman at [email protected]. that country but temporarily relocating its Research publication changes scientists to Bamako, Mali, where the International Rice Research Notes (IRRN), New head for flood-prone rice International Crops Research Institute for IRRI’s biannual research journal, installed Mahabub Hossain is IRRI’s new the Semi-Arid Tropics, a CGIAR sister Tess Rola as its new managing editor in coordinator for improving flood-prone rice center, operates a research station. January, replacing Katherine Lopez. production in South Asia. This project, WARDA, which recently took the additional Shaobing Peng and Bas Bouman stepped funded by the United Nations’ International

6 Rice Today April 2003 continued from page 5 USAID and IRRI cosponsor for International Development. The food security conference innovative system uses a plastic fence placed around the rice crop, which serves as bait, he United States Agency for and cage traps placed at openings in the T International Development enclosure. Farmers who use this system (USAID) and IRRI cosponsored a need not handle dangerous rat poison or workshop on agriculture and food electricity. Another advantage is that rats security in Asia and the Near East in are caught alive and can be cooked by Manila and Los Baños on 28 farmers or sold commercially. September-5 October. The workshop allowed more than 70 USAID agriculture, environment and food-aid PETER FREDENBURG officers across Asia and the Near East Genetic Resources Center Head Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton to hear from leading experts in fields describes IRRI’s conservation efforts during the workshop. ranging from agricultural research to trade competitiveness. Discussions scale Asian farmers break out of their promoted the further development and terrible poverty trap,” he said. “Simul- implementation of a new Asia/Near East taneously, they must provide cheap rice to strategy for USAID. millions of even poorer rural rice consumers As the luncheon speaker on the as a fuel for spurring job creation in a opening day in Manila, IRRI Director dynamic, diversified rural sector.” CSIRO General Ronald Cantrell told participants Workshop participants spent an entire Members of the rodent management team in Australia (left to right): Dave Spratt, Lyn Hinds, Charles Krebs, that the next Green Revolution will need the day at IRRI’s research campus in Los Baños Grant Singleton (holding plaque), Peter Brown, John driving force of new technologies provided to continue their discussions and to hear Copland, Katrina Leslie, Dean Jones, Roger Pech, Jens by research. “The new technologies must presentations from IRRI scientists in Jacob and Steve Morton. have the capacity to help millions of small- laboratories and the field. Briefly Briefly Briefly

Fund for Agricultural Development, international network for wild rice management, held in October 2002 at the involves Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, coordinated by IRRI. Multiple Cropping Center of Chiang Mai Vietnam and Thailand. University, attracted 24 participants from New variety in Vietnam Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Conference on wild rice The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Bhutan, Bangladesh, Australia, Japan, IRRI Genetic Resources Center Head Rural Development approved in August rice France and Germany. Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton delivered the variety AS996, developed in part through keynote address last October at the first- IRRI research, for release as a national IRRI-Japan office closes ever International Conference on Wild Rice, variety adapted to the acid sulfate soils that The end of January saw the retirement of hosted by the Green Energy Mission in affect up to 100,000 ha of the Mekong Delta Hiroyuki Hibino as IRRI liaison scientist in Kathmandu, Nepal. Dr. Sackville Hamilton region and elsewhere. Japan and the closure of the IRRI-Japan accepted on IRRI’s behalf a felicitation from office in Tsukuba. For now, IRRI’s chief Badri Prasad Mandal, deputy prime Analytic training in Thailand contacts in Japan are the two Japanese minister of Nepal and the minister for A two-week training course on multi-agent members of its Board of Trustees, Keijiro agriculture and cooperatives. Discussions systems and geographic information Otsuka and Shigemi Akita. The refocusing explored the possibility of establishing an systems for integrated watershed of the IRRI-Japan relationship emphasizes close research collaboration (see page 9), mobilization of new resource opportunities and heightened public awareness. Rice technology transfer The first-ever training workshop on rice technology-transfer systems in Asia brought 19 participants from 10 Asian countries to the South Korean Rural Development Administration for two weeks in September and October 2002. Participants studied worldwide trends in the rice industry, models of rice technology-transfer systems, communication strategies and project management. They also observed advanced SERGE MAGADIA To make women more effective agents of change in agriculture, the IRRI Training Center conducted in November rice-farming practices during visits 2002 the first Leadership Course for Asian Women in Agricultural Research and Development. Attending were 20 to demonstration villages and progressive participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Thailand. rice farmers.

Rice Today April 2003 7 RICE IN THE NEWS Rice genes go public

n international consortium set up to sequenced, the rice genome provides determine the genome, or genetic data for improving other grains, such Amakeup, of rice announced the as maize and wheat, whose larger completion of a high-quality draft sequence gene sequences are collinear with of the genome on 18 December 2002. The that of rice. Japanese-led International Rice Genome “Decoding the rice genome is an Sequencing Project (IRGSP) effectively important scientific achievement that completed the sequencing of 430 million can lead to improved nutrition and bases of the rice genome, setting the stage aid in efforts to eliminate hunger for the accelerated development of new rice throughout the world,” said U.S. varieties to help ensure food security and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. improve farmers’ livelihoods. Veneman at an event on the same day IRGSP participants include publicly in Washington, D.C. funded research institutions in Japan, the “The rice genome’s sequence is United States, China, Taiwan (China), South crucial to our scientific understanding Korea, India, Thailand, France, the United of the staples of life,” added Rita R. Kingdom and Brazil. With the help of three Colwell, director of the National less-detailed genome-sequence drafts Science Foundation in the U.S. assembled over the past two years by Greatly facilitating the rice private-sector researchers, the IRGSP genome sequencing effort were Rice earned two cover stories in prestigious scientific managed to complete its definitive draft – contributions from private com- journals last year: the 5 April edition of Science (see Rice Today, described by IRRI Director General Ronald panies. In 2000, Monsanto indepen- Vol. 1, No. 2, page 9) and the 21 November issue of Nature, in Cantrell as “the gold standard for all future dently produced a draft sequence of which two papers detail the complete sequences of two rice investigations of genetic variation in crops” the rice genome and made its clones chromosomes. One research group sequenced chromosome 1 – six years ahead of the initial target. available to the IRGSP. Early last and calculated that it contains 6,756 genes; the draft version released earlier this year predicted only 4,467 genes. A Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro year, the Swiss agrochemical second group produced a finished sequence of chromosome 4, Koizumi congratulated the collaborators company Syngenta provided to the reporting that 52% of the genes were not completely during the announcement event in Tokyo. IRGSP a draft sequence of the predicted by the draft sequence. “The publicly available, high-quality draft japonica rice subspecies. At about the sequence of the rice genome is expected to same time, the Beijing Genomics Institute project. Eventually participants decided to trigger rapid progress in determining the in China produced a similar draft of the keep going, as they were confident that their function of genes in cereals,” he said. “I am indica subspecies. Japonica rice is typically data were usefully more accurate than the convinced that genome research will make grown in temperate regions, while indica earlier drafts – 99.99% accurate. The far-reaching contributions to solving the varieties are grown in the tropics. sequence data for the entire rice genome are constraints in sustainable food production These achievements spurred discus- now in the public domain, deposited in public and environmental problems.” sions over whether the international databases such as GenBank, EMBL and DDBJ As the first major cereal crop to be consortium should continue the genome for free access to all scientists worldwide. IRGSP participants As rice genebank clocks a quarter century, Japan: Rice Genome Research Program (a collaboration of the National Institute of he International Rice Genebank at legal agreement that they will not attempt Agrobiological Sciences and the Institute IRRI marked its 25th anniversary to seek intellectual property protection on of the Society for Techno-innovation of on 12 December last year. The that material.” Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). United T world’s most comprehensive storehouse of Since the mid-1980s, the GRC has States: The Institute for Genomic Research, rice biodiversity holds in trust more than distributed 250,000 seed samples. It has Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Clemson 108,000 samples of cultivated and wild rice also restored varieties to their native place University, Washington University in St. seeds donated by more than 100 countries. following their loss due to war (Cambodia Louis, University of Arizona, Rutgers The purpose of the genebank – which now and East Timor), natural catastrophes University, University of Wisconsin. China: looks forward to receiving assured, long- (Philippines) or other causes (see sidebar National Center for Gene Research of the term support from a new funding plan – is on page 28). “We hope to do the same for Chinese Academy of Sciences. Taiwan to conserve the biodiversity of rice and make Afghanistan,” Dr. Sackville Hamilton adds. (China): Academia Sinica Plant Genome seeds available to plant breeders and other “Rebuilding the country’s infrastructure Center. France: Genoscope. South Korea: scientists around the globe. should include restoring Afghan biodiversity Korea Rice Genome Research Program. “We protect traditional varieties so they as well as introducing improved varieties.” India: Indian Initiative for Rice Genome can be used to help poor rice farmers,” The seeds are preserved in refrigerated, Sequencing. Thailand: National Center for explains Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, head fire- and earthquake-resistant facilities on Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. of IRRI’s Genetic Resources Center (GRC), IRRI’s research campus in the Philippines. Brazil: Brazilian Rice Genome Initiative. which runs the genebank. “We distribute Supplies for immediate exchange are kept at United Kingdom: John Innes Center. seeds to any nation, provided they sign a 2–4 ⋅C in vacuum-sealed aluminum cans or

8 Rice Today April 2003 Partnership opens new chapter in gene discovery

Ronald Cantrell and NIAS President Masaki been able to reach this agreement so Iwabuchi. It sets the terms for a five-year quickly.” IRRI-NIAS collaboration designed, in the NIAS and IRRI scientists will words of the agreement, “to apply genomics implement the agreement through science and technologies to discover genes collaborative work plans updated annually of agronomic interest, especially those or as mutually agreed. Mutual agreement involved in stress tolerance, and to build and the public interest will govern joint human resources that will enhance publication of collaborative research results. international partnerships in agricultural NIAS and IRRI will exchange breeding research and development in the developing materials, germplasm, clones, DNA world.” samples, software and datasets subject to The signing came the day after the the execution of material transfer official announcement – simultaneously agreements and adherence to biosafety made in Tokyo and Washington, D.C. – that regulations, and with due recognition made the International Rice Genome Sequencing to the original sources of the materials. Project (IRGSP) had completed a highly The two institutes also agreed that “all accurate sequencing of the rice genome. outcomes of NIAS-IRRI joint research NIAS has led the IRGSP consortium and activities, including all intellectual property

NIAS played a major role in the project. rights, shall be jointly owned by both Ronald Cantrell (left) and Masaki Iwabuchi. The new IRRI-NIAS agreement parties.” advances the two institutes’ shared vision RRI entered into a landmark research “to make new tools and knowledge derived and capacity-building agreement last from rice genomics research accessible to Imonth with Japan’s National Institute help solve rice production problems.” To Art of rice of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), paving this end, it will combine the expertise of the way for the next stage of discovery NIAS as a world leader in rice genomics revealing the genetic makeup of rice. The research, IRRI’s long experience in rice ating back to at least 3000 BCE – with the first known depiction of the rice plant on a partnership promises to unlock the secrets biology and breeding, and the vast store of D ceramic cup in China – rice has been a rich of functionality in the recently sequenced genetic resources held in trust in the source of artistic inspiration in Asia for over five genome of the world’s main food grain, International Rice Genebank at IRRI. millennia. On 5 October 2003, the UCLA Fowler determining which genes strengthen plants “There is no doubt in my mind that Museum of Cultural History will open a major against drought, problem soils, diseases and combining our resources to focus on this exhibition in Los Angeles, California, exploring pests – and to do so for the benefit of poor important strategic area of rice science will the significance of rice in Asian societies as rice farmers and consumers. bring dividends in the near future,” said Dr. seen through the visual arts. The Art of Rice: The memorandum of agreement came Cantrell. “The agreement between NIAS Spirit and Sustenance in Asia will feature objects into force on 19 December 2002 when it was and IRRI represents a first step in that joint ranging from ancient ceramics, signed in Tokyo by IRRI Director General endeavor. I am very pleased that we have gilded screens, masterful sculptures and rare textiles to contemporary a new funding effort takes the long view paintings and popular religious heat-sealed aluminum-foil packets. Long-term International Rice Genebank continues to depictions, such as storage is in a vault chilled to minus 20 ⋅C. operate according to accepted standards. the wood carvings of Conserving biodiversity is a long-term The same cannot be said for all genebanks. the Philippine Ifugao proposition dependent, paradoxically, on “The problem is that these storehouses rice god, or bulul year-to-year funding. The Global Conser- of diversity are being allowed to depreciate,” (pictured). The vation Trust – a partnership combining the writes Donald Kennedy, editor-in-chief of exhibition, which will run until United Nations Food and Agriculture Science, in an op-ed supporting the trust. April 2004, brings “Serious underfunding prevents adequate Organization and IRRI’s parent organization, together the the Consultative Group on International curation. In many banks, living seeds are research and Agricultural Research – aims to provide a waiting to be duplicated while the cooling creativity of an package of technical assistance and systems that protect them break down international group permanent financial backing for the world’s because there is no money to repair them.” of more than 20 crop-diversity collections. The trust is Dr. Kennedy’s op-ed is posted at www. curators, anthro- working to raise a minimum of $260 million washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/ pologists and artists. from corporations, foundations and A3920-2003Jan2.html. To learn more For details as the governments to establish an endowment, the about Global Conservation Trust, visit opening approaches, visit www.fmch. interest from which will provide permanent www.startwithaseed.org. For more on the ucla.edu/Exhibits/ International Rice Genebank, visit www. support for genebanks around the world. exhibit.htm. Despite recent funding cuts, the irri.org/GRC/GRChome/home.htm. CHRISTOPHER HETTEL

Rice Today April 2003 9 Special section: INTERNATIONAL RICE CONGRESS Beijing puts rice on the table

outh Korea has become the Conference, and another 200 endorsement. By February, the latest country to endorse the attended the World Rice Commerce Philippines, Laos, Indonesia and S Beijing Declaration on Rice, one Conference. Meanwhile, the South Korea had endorsed the of the key outcomes of the first-ever International Rice Technology and declaration. International Rice Congress, which Cultural Exhibition attracted 40 took place in the Chinese capital in exhibitors. Historic event September 2002. Chinese President Perhaps most significantly, “I believe the roundtable has already Jiang Zemin opened the congress on ministers from eight of the world’s proven itself to have been a historic 16 September with a speech major rice-producing nations – event,” said Dr. Ronald P. Cantrell, emphasizing the importance of representing about half the planet’s director general of IRRI. “Not only international collaboration in population – kicked off the congress did it bring together some of the agricultural research and committing with a special ministerial roundtable world’s most populous nations – such China to a leading role. on rice on 15 September (see page 12). as China, India and Indonesia – to “China has managed to feed 22 It was here that the Beijing talk, for the first time, about rice. It percent of the world’s population with Declaration on Rice was first also came at a crucial time in the less than 10 percent of the world’s proposed, with a recommendation history of rice with the recent arable land,” President Jiang said at from Thailand and several other sequencing of the rice genome,” a the opening ceremony. “At present, countries that it should be more fully monumental achievement that the 1.2 billion and more Chinese have developed before being circulated paves the way for researchers sufficient food and clothing and, by for final to decode the function of and large, lead a well-to-do life. each and every rice China has [therefore] made its gene. contribution to world grain production and security.” More than 1,000 delegates from at least 20 countries attended the four- day event, which marked the first-ever meeting of all sectors of the inter- national rice industry, including researchers, traders, government officials, private-sector representa- tives, farmers and NGO officers. While the industry can boast of major successes in recent decades – such as famine-eradicating production increases in China, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh – it continues to struggle with major challenges such as poverty eradication, household food security and improving farmers’ income. Delegates to the congress grappled with these and a host of other issues as they met at two main events. Some 800 delegates attended the 24th International Rice Research

10 Rice Today April 2003 The congress delegates were mostly from Asia, but there were also representatives from Africa (where rice production is growing rapidly), North America, Australia, Europe, and Central and South America. Among the host of other issues the congress faced were the impact of liberalization on the international rice trade (some rice cultures could be wiped out) and the terrible poverty trap that continues to ensnare millions of rice farmers. “Profitable, sustainable rice CHINESE ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING (3) production is essential to national and regional stability – not just in Asia, but that, by bringing the rice industry in much of the rest of the world as together at such congresses, we will well,” commented Dr. Cantrell. “The get all those involved to focus on delegates went to Beijing expecting to these problems and finally resolve work, because we had a compre- them to the benefit of everyone – hensive research program to report on especially poor rice farmers and and share, as well as important trade consumers.” information to analyze and dissect.” With the United Nations’ decision Prime economic activity last December to declare 2004 the Rice farming is one of the world’s International Year of Rice, plans are prime economic activities because it now under development for future provides more sustenance to more congresses. people than any other food source and “All rice-producing nations face is the single largest food source for the same problems,” Dr. Cantrell said. the world’s poor. As the main crop “For too long, rice farmers have been grown on more than 200 million the most deprived and forgotten of all farms, it is the single largest source our food of income and employment for producers. hundreds of millions of rural It is our residents in the developing world. hope Because rice fields cover 11 percent of the planet’s arable area, or more than 500 million ha, rice farmers also have a key role to play in environmental protection. Finally, rice is the foundation of social stability and food security for some of the world’s most populous nations, including China, India, Indonesia and Nigeria. ALBERT ATKINSON

Chinese President Jiang Zemin (clockwise from left) greets IRRI Board Chair Angeline Saziso Kamba, speaks at the opening ceremony of the congress, and shares a light moment with hybrid rice pioneer Prof. Yuan Longping and IRRI Director General Ronald Cantrell. Gina Zarsadias explains IRRI Training Center materials to exhibition attendees. Thai Trade Representative Prachuab Chaiyasan and IRRI Consultant Gelia Castillo check out farmers’ hats at the Asia Rice Foundation display. SYLVIA INCIONG SYLVIA

Rice Today April 2003 11 Asian ministers declare rice key to stability and prosperity

he first-ever regularly cited as one of International the most critical political T Roundtable on Rice, factors influencing featuring 13 ministerial governments in the representatives from all region; if prices reach of the world’s major rice unacceptable levels, producers, has confirmed instability can result. that the crop is essential to the continued health, Setting the agenda wealth and prosperity of “While rice consumers get almost half the world’s all the political attention, population. it’s time we realized that The historic meeting rice producers – or took place in Beijing on farmers – also have a key 15 September 2002, on role to play in a country’s the eve of the first economic development,” International Rice said Ronald P. Cantrell, Congress. IRRI director general. The gathering helped “For too long, rice farmers set the agenda for the have been trapped in congress, the first time poverty and deprived of the international rice industry has A roundtable observer, Philippine National Scientist technologies that farmers in other ever met. The roundtable also marked Gelia Castillo, makes a point during the ministerial sectors take for granted. Our main aim the first time that high officials of the discussions, as IRRI Board Member Mike Gale looks on. at the International Roundtable on world’s rice-producing nations Rice was to start developing an agenda gathered to discuss their kernel of representative and official ministerial for the rice industry that will result in cultural and economic commonality – representative to the roundtable, sustainable, economically thriving rice. whose views were echoed by many rice-farming communities with In their opening statements, all other delegates. modern infrastructure and access to the ministers spoke of the vital role Confirming the pivotal role of rice the latest technologies and expertise.” rice plays in feeding their citizens and in keeping people fed and productive, The roundtable discussions as a foundation of their cultures and, recent research shows that rice focused on the role of rice in in several cases, their religions. “In supplies 32% of the total calories maintaining food security and social Thailand, rice means life,” said consumed by the 3.6 billion people stability, and as a common economic Prachuab Chaiyasan, the Thai trade who live in Asia. The price of rice is and cultural tie, especially in Asia. Read all about it Selected papers presented during the 24th International Rice Research Conference, which took place in conjunction with the rice congress, will appear soon in the book Innovations in Rice Science for Impact and Livelihood of the Poor. The papers include Chinese President Jiang Zemin’s opening address and the latest in cutting-edge rice research presented by some of the world’s most distinguished agricultural scientists: • P.L. Timmer, University of California, San Diego, gives an overview on agriculture and poverty and highlights the need to fund rice research. • T. Sasaki, Rice Genome Research Program of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (Japan), covers genome sequencing. • Ingo Potrykus, Institute of Plant Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, discusses Golden Rice for developing countries. • R. Matthews, Cranfield University, UK, looks at rice production, climate change and methane emissions. • Peter Ooi, Food and Agriculture Organization Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, covers the lessons learned from rice IPM. • Justin Lin, Beijing University, writes about the effects of the World Trade Organization agreement on China’s economy and agricultural sector. • Jun Yu and others from the Beijing Genomics Institute and Chinese Academy of Sciences discuss the Chinese super hybrid rice genome project. • H. Hirochika, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (Japan), covers using retrotransposons for insertional mutagenesis in rice. • M. Wahlqvist , Monash University (Australia), and H. Bouis, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C., analyze biofortification. This 800-page volume should be in the library of every rice scientist. Check IRRI’s online publications catalog at www.irri.org/pubcat/pubcontents.htm for updates on availability and how to order.

12 Rice Today April 2003 “Rice is an essential part of Chinese started a process that will result in history, culture and national identity, more research and new technologies Roundtable on Rice but it also has a key role in many that will benefit rice farmers and Ministerial and national representatives Bangladesh, Dr. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, other influential cultures such as in consumers everywhere.” State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture. Cambodia, India, Japan and Indonesia,” Mr. May Sam Oeun, Secretary of State (Agriculture). China, Mr. Du Qinglin, Minister, observed Song Jian, one of the Beijing Declaration Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Liu Jiang, Vice- honorary chairmen of the congress At the conclusion of the roundtable, Chairman, State Development and Planning Commission; Mr. Zhang Baowen, Vice Minister, organizing committee. the ministers agreed to circulate a Ministry of Agriculture; Prof. Shen Guofang, Vice The discussions also considered Beijing Declaration on Rice, which President, Chinese Academy of Engineering; Dr. Zhai Huqu, President, Chinese Academy of the essential roles rice research and states the following: Agricultural Sciences. India, Dr. Panjab Singh, access to new technologies play in ⇑ Rice production is the foundation of Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Extension; Director General, Indian Council improving the livelihoods of farm food security and social stability for of Agricultural Research. Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Ir. families that grow rice, who represent almost half the world’s population Bungaran Saragih, Mec., Minister, Ministry of Agriculture. Iran, H.E. Eng. Mahmood Hojjati, more than half of all farm families (2.6 billion people). It is essential to Minister, Ministry of Agriculture. Korea (South), worldwide. IRRI’s director general the national stability of the 13 nations Dr. Huhn-Pal Moon, Director General, National Crop Experiment Station, Rural Development commented that this development was represented at the roundtable. Administration. Laos, Mr. Viravanh Phannourath, especially significant for his institute. ⇑ Rice production and consumption Director General, Department of Agriculture. Malaysia, Cik (Ms.) Rosmah Binti Haji Jentra, “Since IRRI was founded 42 years are national characteristics uniting Undersecretary, Ministry of Agriculture. Myanmar, ago by the Rockefeller and Ford the 13 countries represented at the Maj. Gen. Nyunt Tin, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. Sri Lanka, Mr. C. foundations, it has been funded mostly roundtable, which include three of Wijesundra, Deputy Director for Research, by Western governments,” Dr. Cantrell the world’s largest nations: China, Regional Agricultural Development Center. Thailand, Mr. Prachuab Chaiyasan, Minister of observed. “This group includes Japan, India and Indonesia. Trade and Representative to the World Trade which historically has been one of our ⇑ The 13 nations represented at the Organization, Prime Minister’s Office. Vietnam, Dr. Bui Ba Bong, Vice Minister, Ministry of biggest donors. But it is noteworthy roundtable all seek economically Agriculture and Rural Development. that Japan is the only rice-producing strong and sustainable rural IRRI representatives nation that has significantly supported communities with diversified rice Mrs. Angeline Saziso Kamba (Zimbabwe), Chair, international rice research over a long production playing a key role. Such Board of Trustees. Dr. Ronald P. Cantrell (USA), Director General. Dr. Ren Wang (China), Deputy period. If rice research is going to communities are also recognized as Director General for Research. Prof. Rudy Rabbinge continue to benefit the poor rice the foundation of each nation and (Netherlands), Senator and Dean, Graduate School, Wageningen University and Research farmers and consumers of the world, essential to their continued national Centre; Former Chair, IRRI Board of Trustees. then rice-producing nations need to development. Dr. Emmanuel Adilson Serrão (Brazil), Director General, Embrapa Amazonia Oriental; Member, get together and provide more ⇑ Rice research and access to new IRRI Board of Trustees. Prof. Keijiro Otsuka resources. We can’t expect Western technologies are essential to the (Japan), Deputy Director, Graduate Program, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International nations to support institutions like livelihoods and improved well-being Development; Member, IRRI Board of Trustees. IRRI forever.” of more than half the world’s rural Prof. Michael D. Gale (UK), Associate Research Director, John Innes Center; Member, IRRI Board families, as well as the development of Trustees. Dr. Gurdev Khush (India), Plant Research impact of economically strong rice-based Breeder and IRRI Consultant. Prof. Gelia T. Castillo (Philippines), Member, Board of Trustees, Certainly, publicly funded rice communities. Philippine Rice Research Institute; Member, research has impact. Over the past ⇑ The public sector must have a major Philippine National Academy of Sciences; IRRI four decades, it has been instrumental role in such research and the Consultant. in increasing potential yields from development of new, freely available Other principal scientists and observers Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed (Bangladesh), Founder and four to more than 10 tons per ha; in rice technologies. It is also essential Executive Director, Bangladesh Rural helping to more than double world that the public sector – in both Advancement Committee; Member, IRRI Board of Trustees. Mr. Li Zhendong (China), Deputy Director rice production from 260 million to national and international research General, International Cooperation Division, 600 million tons; in providing rice – be guaranteed the resources it Ministry of Agriculture. Prof. Yuan Longping (China), Director General, China National Hybrid varieties that mature quickly to allow needs to play this vital role. While Rice Research and Development Center. Mr. Karl two or even three crops per year, the private sector must also play a Gutbrod (Germany), Head, Rice and Field Crop Strategy, Syngenta Worldwide (Switzerland). resist various pests and diseases, need role, the poverty of most rice Dr. Ikuo Ando (Japan), Plant Breeder and Chief, less fertilizer, and thrive under such producers and consumers makes it Rice Breeding Laboratory, National Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region. stresses as high salinity; and in essential that any new technologies Dr. Muhammad Hanif (Pakistan), Agricultural ensuring the development of more be made easily accessible to all Development Commissioner, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. Dr. James Cook (USA), nutritious rice. those who need them. Member, National Academy of Sciences; Retired “There is no doubt that rice ⇑ More must be done to make the Chief Scientist, Department of Agriculture. Mr. Peter Kenmore (USA), International research has achieved a lot,” Dr. citizens – especially the young Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, United Cantrell said. “However, enormous people – of the 13 nations Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (Italy). Prof. C. Peter Timmer (USA), Dean, School of challenges remain, especially with represented at the roundtable more International Relations and Pacific Studies, regard to alleviating poverty. It is our aware of the importance of rice to University of California, San Diego. Dr. Ron Phillips hope that the Roundtable on Rice has their lives and their cultures. (USA), Member, National Academy of Sciences.

Rice Today April 2003 13 he Philippine capital was the venue for the 2002 annual general meeting of IRRI’s parent organization, marking the first time this Manila makes T gathering of 500 movers and shakers in publicly funded agricultural research has taken place outside of Washington, D.C. The meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) took CGIAR history place at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel on 30 October-1 November with the theme “Agriculture for growth and development.” IRRI and its partners in the Los Baños Science Community seized the chance to invite delegates to journey 60 km south of Manila on 28 October for a Philippines Day program and again on 29 October for IRRI Day. More than 280 visitors braved heavy rain to board the buses for IRRI Day and were rewarded by gloriously fresh weather at the institute’s 252-hectare experimental farm. “Many visitors said that IRRI Day was the best field day they had ever been to,” said Mike Jackson, director for program planning and coordination. “Visitors spoke of guides’ enthusiasm and good humor and of the focused presentations. Everyone did a great job.” ARIEL JAVELLANA, AILEEN DEL ROSARIO, PETER FREDENBURG, MIKE JACKSON ARIEL JAVELLANA,

At the exhibit ribbon-cutting in the Makati Shangri-la Hotel are (fromfrom leftleft)) CGIARCGIAR ChairmanChairman IanIan Johnson;Johnson; CGIARCGIAR Director Francisco Reifschneider (behind);); PhilippinePhilippine SenateSenate CommitteeCommittee onon AgricultureAgriculture andand FoodFood ChairChair RamonRamon Magsaysay, Jr.; Patricia El-Ashry; Crawford lecturer Mohamed El-Ashry; and then-Secretary Leonardo Montemayor of thethe PhilippinePhilippine DepartmentDepartment of Agriculture. (Insets, clockwise from left) Imelda Revilla, spokesperson for the award- winning scientific support team at IRRI; Odin Knudsen, senior advisor on environmentally and socially sustainablesustainable developmentdevelopment to the vice president of the World Bank; Mr. Johnson addresses the meeting; Dr. Reifschneider escorts Philippine Vice-President Theofisto Guingona from the hall following his speech.

2002 CGIAR Science Award winners and team repsreps ((fromfrom leftleft): Fred Pearce (Outstanding Journal- ism),ism), ChristopherChristopher BarrBarr ofof CIFORCIFOR (Outstanding(Outstanding Communications), Bruce Campbell of CIFOR (Outstanding Scientific Article), Imelda RevillaRevilla of IRRI (Outstanding Scientific Support Team), Jagdish Kumar of ICRISAT (King Baudouin Award), Marilyn Louise Warburton of CIMMYT (Promising Young Scientist), Tushaar Shah of IWMI (Outstanding Scientist), Ruth Meinzen- Dick of IFPRI (Outstanding Partnership).

(Left) Dr. Reifschneider and Sen. Magsaysay at the IRRI exhibit; (right, from left) IRRI Board Chair Angeline Kamba, South African CGIAR Exco Member Bongiwe Njobe, WARDA Director General Kanayo Nwanze, Future Harvest Executive Director Judith Symonds, and South Africa National Department of Agricul- ture Deputy Director-General Njabulo Nduli.

14 Rice Today April 2003 IRRI Day guides ((fromfrom leftleft) Josephine Narciso, Carlos Casal, Reycel Maghirang, Alvaro Pamplona,Pamplona, CriseldaCriselda Ramos, Lina Torrizo, Renato Reaño, Christina Casanova, Jessica Rey, Carlos Huelma, Blesilda Albano, Jose Roxas, Reymunda Labuguen, Tamerlane Mark Nas, Sylvia Avance, Lilia Molina, Ailene Garcia, Ofelia Namuco, Estela Pasuquin, Ma. Theresa Tenorio, Leonor Herradura and Joel Janiya. Not pictured: Ma. ZenaidaZenaida Borra,Borra, Eleah Lucas and Ma. Angeles Quilloy.

Plant physiologist Renee Lafitte (above) makes a presentation as Emile Frison, subsequently IPGRI director generalgeneral designate,designate, lookslooks on;on; entomologistentomologist Plant pathologists Nollie Vera Cruz (above left, from left) and Nancy K.L. Heong (below) presents; among the visitors are PeterPeter J.J. MatlonMatlon Castilla presenting; one of the 10 tractor-and-wagon rigs (above) that (right, white shirt), Rockefeller Foundation deputy directordirector tooktook visitorsvisitors aroundaround to the presentation sites; (insetinset) IRRI Director for food security, and Doug Wholey (standing, blue General Ronald Cantrell; (below, from left) Dr. Cantrell with CGIAR shirt), agronomist in the IFAD Director Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR Chairman Ian Johnson and Technical Advisory Division. WorldFish Center Director General Meryl Williams.

At Philippines Day: (left,left, fromfrom leftleft) WorldFish Center Philippine Project Leader Boris Fabres, then Philippine Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor, Dr. Reifschneider, Mr. Johnson; (below left, from left) IRRI Spokes- person Duncan Macintosh with IFPRI Media Relations Head Michael Rubinstein; (below, from left) Dr. Reifschneider, Odin Knudsen of the World Bank, Dr. Cantrell, Mr. Johnson, IRRI Board Chair Angeline Kamba, Philippine Representative to the CGIAR Eliseo Ponce, and Ramon Razal, dean of the College of Forestry, University of the Philippines Los Baños; (below right) Sec. and Monica Montemayor with Dr. Ponce.

Rice Today April 2003 15 LOOKINGLOOKING UPUP ININ LAOSLAOS

Now able to feed its people with improved harvests from lowland rice fields, Laos is focusing attention on making upland agriculture more productive and sustainable

16 Rice Today April 2003 hath Kantannam and her husband, Mai Khong, started their garden a little more than two years ago. It has since matured into a roadside slice of PEden amid the hardscrabble hills that crowd the Ou River north of Luang Prabang. The garden’s mango, lichee, lemon and star apple trees do not yet bear fruit, but among the annual and intermediate cash crops already earning the couple a modest income are chili, eggplant, banana and pineapple. Hedgerows of leucaena and stylo legumes planted to control BRUCE LINQUIST erosion on this single hectare of sloping land Phath and Mai Khong’s garden experiences a minor popu- also provide fodder for pigs. A few small lation explosion during a stream-fed ponds at the bottom of the vale farmers’ field day showcasing nurture fish that the couple share with their this and several other par- ticipatory research sites along children and grandchildren. Phath and Mai the Ou River in northern Laos. Khong recently started marketing saplings Phath (below) addresses the visitors regarding her fruit- from their fruit-tree nursery and experimen- tree nursery. Perennial crops tally raising frogs to sell as food. are a sustainable alternative Unlike biblical Eden, this garden is no to the slash-and-burn system (above) that population paradise of innocent leisure. Phath and Mai growth and the resulting Khong devote long hours of hard labor to shorter fallows have rendered obsolete. tending and expanding it. They are lucky to have the time, and they owe their good fortune to another hectare of land, inherited from Phath’s mother, on the other side of the river. That plot consists of several bunded (embanked) rainfed paddies that reliably produce the 2.5 tons of rice that the family of six consumes each year. Unlike most of their neighbors, the couple need not resort to growing upland rice (a dryland crop like wheat) on hillsides cleared by slash-and-burn. Their rice needs readily secured, they devote their spare time and energy – and their upland garden – to improving their livelihood. “We hardly ever have to weed the lowland rice,” says Mai Khong, PETER FREDENBURG (10)

Rice Today April 2003 17 Farmers weed upland rice, an activity that absorbs up to half of the crop’s labor demand; (continuing clockwise) participatory research finds Dr. Linquist (left) and Mr. Bounthanh (second from left) learning how farmers dry indigo, boys sitting on the sidelines during an extension visit, and farmers sharing experiences in a field-day discussion group; Ms. Chay (right), the biodiver- sity specialist, inspects a rice sample taken from a farmer’s storehouse; rice is plentiful in a market in Vientiane since Laos achieved national rice self- sufficiency. citing the most time-consuming chore consumers have since come down and tor. Since 1995, in upland rice production. “We use are now similar to prices in neighbor- the irrigated area that time to work in the garden.” ing countries.” has grown by The couple’s story illustrates the The Lao-IRRI Project is a collabo- eightfold to happy corollary to a maxim of life in ration teaming IRRI with the Lao 100,000 ha, now the Lao highlands: “Without rice, you National Agricultural and Forestry accounting for can’t do anything.” Because they have Research Institute. Since the project’s almost a fifth of rice, they can pursue a wealth of launch in 1991, the Swiss Agency for total lowland rice options. And what is good for the Development and Cooperation has area. Irrigated family is good for the nation. Now faithfully supported it with a commit- dry-season fields, that Laos grows about as much rice as ment so far totaling US$14.5 million. all of which are it needs at the national level, it can In the same period, the Lao rice planted to devote more resources to tackling harvest has grown by more than half. modern varieties, persistent regional rice deficits, Almost all of that gain has been in the have strongly especially in the north, and to lowlands, where adoption of modern, contributed to addressing the other economic, high-yielding varieties has ballooned the growing environmental and social challenges from 5% to more than 80%. harvest. that face its 5.3 million people. “One of the most striking features “Several “Laos was never in modern of rice production in Laos during the ADB irrigation history self-sufficient in rice until second half of the 1990s was the rapid projects are still 1999,” says Karl Goeppert, IRRI expansion of the irrigated area,” being com- representative to the Lao People’s comments Kouang Douangsila, head pleted,” Mr. Democratic Republic and head of the of the National Rice Research Pro- Kouang contin- Lao-IRRI Project. “Rice prices for gram and Lao-IRRI project coordina- ues, referring to

18 Rice Today April 2003 the Asian Development Bank. “But focus – an ongoing, multifaceted after that there will be no point to experiment in farmer participatory irrigating more lowlands. As a research to test and disseminate landlocked country between strategies to improve rice cultivation Thailand and Vietnam, both of and diversify livelihoods in the north. which are major rice exporters, Dr. Linquist works closely with Laos will never have an economic Bounthanh Keoboualapha, head of incentive to produce a big surplus. the Northern Agriculture and Forestry The ADB and other donors are Research Center at nearby Huay correct to orient new investment Khot, who explains why the tradi- toward small irrigation projects in tional slash-and-burn system still the mountains and so improve rice generally practiced in the region no self-sufficiency in those remote longer meets people’s needs. BRUCE LINQUIST communities.” Leading Lao- Shortened fallows IRRI’s intensified “Shifting agriculture has traditionally focus on upland depended on long fallow periods to sustainability is maintain soil fertility and control Bruce Linquist, weeds,” Mr. Bounthanh says. “The an IRRI upland need for more farmland to feed a agronomist who growing population has led to wide- onerous weeding requirements permit in 2000 moved spread deforestation, and in many farmers only marginal returns. In from the project’s places it has forced farmers to shorten addition, shorter fallows and the headquarters in fallows to only two years. As a result, resulting decline in soil fertility have the Lao capital of erosion gets worse. And weeds get depressed upland rice yields for the Vientiane to a much worse because scrubby or past decade. Leaving aside compelling new regional grassy fallows leave lots of weed seeds environmental reasons to phase out outpost in the on the ground, and a lot of them slash-and-burn agriculture, modern scenic former survive because the fire that clears the conditions have brought upland Lao capital of Luang scrub or grass doesn’t burn very hot.” farmers to the critical point where it is Prabang, tucked Today, adequately weeding a profitable for them to shift to more beside the hectare of upland rice takes 162 intensive land-use systems. Mekong River in person-days, or up to half of the Fruit trees and other perennial the mountains of crop’s total labor investment. cash crops are ideal for minimizing northern Laos. Whereas the traditional strength of hillside erosion and associated The garden of the extensive slash-and-burn system environmental ills caused by farming Phath and Mai was that it exploited ample land fragile highlands. However, rutted or Khong is one availability to optimize small commu- nonexistent roads make hauling these result of this new nities’ meager labor resources, today’s crops to market a nonstarter for

Rice Today April 2003 19 lowland that produces one more ton with 3,160 distinct variety names. of rice than it did, farmers can reduce Also collected were 237 samples of by 2 ha the upland area used for wild and weedy rice types. The project slash-and-burn rice,” says Dr. established a genebank for the short- Linquist. “Newly terracing 1 ha of and medium-term storage of this rainfed lowland paddy can lead to a germplasm at the National Agricul- 7 ha reduction in upland rice area. tural Research Center near Vientiane, Irrigate that hectare so you can grow a which multiplies pure seed for second crop in the dry season, and distribution to farmers. you free 14 ha of upland for cash crops or reforestation.” Biodiversity backup Establishing montane lowlands is As reported by Chay Bounphanousay, not always an option, though, espe- the center’s head of biodiversity, cially for the poorest of the rural poor. power outages lasting as long as a farmers in remote areas. These Lao-IRRI is therefore helping these week have sometimes turned the farmers face a similar problem farmers identify upland rice varieties facility’s cold-storage vault into an bringing home such bulky agricultural that perform well under short-fallow oven, rendering some accessions inputs as fertilizer – or supplemen- conditions, fallow species that restore sterile. Fortunately, a second set of tary supplies of rice. soil fertility quickly, and other ways to Lao accessions resides in the Interna- Sadly, Lao attainment of national make upland rice-based cropping tional Rice Genebank at IRRI (see rice self-sufficiency does not directly systems more productive and profit- page 8). Small as Laos is, the solve the problem of local rice able. country’s contribution of more than shortages in remote mountain Lao-IRRI not only strives to help 13,000 accessions to the International communities. And, as mountain folk farmers build a sustainable future for Rice Genebank is second in size only say, “Without rice, you can’t do rice farming in Laos. It also actively to India’s 18,000 accessions and half- anything.” safeguards the country’s distin- again as large as third-place This is why the Lao-IRRI Project guished rice heritage. An early Indonesia’s 8,500. stresses improving rice productivity priority was to collect samples of the Lao-IRRI is actively evaluating wherever possible. Montane lowlands myriad traditional rice varieties still hundreds of traditional Lao rice – which are bunded paddies, either grown in the country. Because Laos varieties for yield, disease resistance rainfed or irrigated, on valley bottoms lies within the center of origin of and other characteristics. And the or stepped terraces cut into hillsides cultivated rice, its rice biodiversity is project encourages farmers to con- (see the inside back cover) – are uniquely rich and significant. tinue to plant traditional varieties solidly sustainable systems that offer From 1995 to 2000, collectors alongside modern ones. Lao farmers strong potential for intensification. gathered 13,193 samples of cultivated typically grow each season several rice “For every hectare of montane rice, which Lao farmers identified varieties displaying various character- istics, in particular varieties that mature at different rates. This allows farmers to smooth peaks in labor demand. It is also a hedge against drought, as late-maturing varieties may recover from an early drought and early varieties may escape a late drought altogether. Finally, farmers who endure an annual rice deficit – the number of months of which is the Lao measure of rural poverty – cherish early varieties for hastening the return of homegrown rice to the family table. Even today,

20 Rice Today April 2003 partners, four of the 16 Future Upland analysis Harvest centers of the Consultative Rural communities in the mountains of Group on International Agricultural northern Vietnam are among the poorest in Research (CGIAR): IRRI, the Kenya- the land. They have benefited the least from based World Agroforestry Centre the doi moi (renovation) reforms that since 1986 have transformed a nation of chronic (formerly the International Centre for food shortages into one of the world’s Research in Agroforestry [ICRAF]), leading exporters of rice, coffee, rubber, Farmers file out of a participatory research site the Colombia-based International tea and other during a field day and, Phath among them (below), Center for Tropical Agriculture agricultural products. taste traditional rice varieties from a “mother-baby (Spanish acronym CIAT), and the Sri trial.” A shop in Luang Prabang (left) displays paper The Mountain Agrar- lanterns made from local paper mulberry (along with Lanka-based International Water ian Systems Program (SAM by its French dried strips of the bark), a popular fallow crop. Management Institute (IWMI). acronym) has since The tasks of the Integrated Upland 1998 been studying 85% of Lao rice is consumed on the Agricultural Research Project (IUARP) how farmers in Castella JC, Quang DD, remote Bac Kan farm where it is grown. are to develop, test and refine a editors. 2002. Doi Moi in Province adjust to the In the highlands of northern methodology for integrated participa- the Mountains. Land use rapid policy and Laos, the Lao-IRRI Project capitalizes tory upland agricultural research, changes and farmers’ institutional changes livelihood strategies in Bac brought by the doi on the country’s rice biodiversity by while reinforcing the research capacity Kan Province, Viet Nam. moi reforms and how introducing superior traditional of national partners; to develop Hanoi, Vietnam: The Agricultural Publishing to help them prosper upland varieties to areas where they sustainable livelihood systems as House. 283 pages. through sustainable adaptations to their are not grown. In so-called “mother- alternatives to slash-and-burn; and to rice-based cropping systems (see Rice Today, baby trials,” participating farmers run enhance development, decision- Vol. 1, No. 1, pages 20-25). “baby trials” in which they try out a making and leadership capacity within SAM researchers and collaborators have now published a volume of studies resulting candidate variety, while in the the target communities. from their interdisciplinary work in Bac Kan. researcher-assisted “mother trial” all “The IUARP is an on-the-ground The research provides a foundation for of the test varieties are grown side by collaboration to integrate participatory understanding the successes and failures of past policies and projects, and for targeting side to facilitate comparison. Farmers activities aimed at developing im- the groups most in need of development rate the varieties according to agro- proved livelihood systems,” summa- assistance today. nomic and eating-quality criteria to rizes Dr. Linquist. “It’s also a model of Available in English and Vietnamese from Institut de Recherche pour le guide the project’s decisions on which CGIAR center collaboration.” Développement ([email protected]; ones to promote. The project both In several villages along the Ou www.ird.fr/us) or IRRI ([email protected]; depends on the genebank near River, the project and its organiza- www.irri.org). Vientiane for candidate seeds and tions work with cooperating farmers complements its conservation effort like Phath and Mai Khong to establish easy to establish and grow, and it by keeping worthy traditional varie- experimental and demonstration sites shouldn’t compete with rice. Impor- ties alive in farmers’ fields. to test and disseminate strategies for tantly, it should offer an economic improving rice cultivation and for benefit that can be realized in the Active collaboration diversifying crop, livestock and short term. We’ve found that the Also tapping biodiversity, the project fishery options. Interplanting, to cite legume crotalaria, for example, is a plans this year to carry forward a only one strategy applicable in a range good nitrogen fixer and biomass successful experiment in southwestern of environments, pairs rattan with producer. But, if there isn’t another China in which farmers control a teak or paper mulberry, for example, use for it, farmers aren’t interested. fungal disease by interplanting high- and pineapple with legume hedge- “Participatory research takes a lot value but disease-susceptible tradi- rows. Experimental improved fallow of time and effort in the first couple of tional varieties with modern, disease- crops to plant in rotation with upland years,” he concludes. “But the effort resistant hybrid rice (see page 26). rice offer benefits in addition to pays off because you earn farmers’ Lao-IRRI is active in a collabora- controlling erosion. trust and their willingness to collabo- tion led by the Lao National Agricul- “A good fallow species should rate. And, finally, you achieve more tural and Forestry Research Institute improve or maintain soil fertility,” rapid adoption of sustainable tech- that brings together, with other explains Dr. Linquist. “It should be nologies.”

Rice Today April 2003 21 OrganizedOrganized freefree The new Rice Knowledge Bank lays the benefits of more than four decades forfor allall of research at your fingertips

t was one of those magic moments The room was not a comfortable, IRRI scientists to help rice farmers when Rajat M. Nag wished he had well-appointed den, but one of the manage the pests and diseases that I a camera. Bubbling with enthus- cramped, spartan Internet cafés that attack their crops. The kids were iasm, two youngsters were taking dot the roadside in the impoverished translating the relevant pages of Rice delight in demonstrating the basics rice-growing expanses of northeastern Doctor into Thai for their parents. of computer use to their parents. Thailand. What intrigued Mr. Nag But for Mr. Nag, who is director most was what the kids had up. Not Farmers will benefit general of the Mekong Department for them the digital mayhem of the “I loved hearing this story,” says Mark of the Asian Development Bank, this latest computer game. On their screen Bell, the head of the Training Center heart-warming scene went way were pages from Rice Doctor, a at IRRI. “It demonstrates that, beyond cute. diagnostic program developed by although very few poor rice farmers

22 Rice Today April 2003 Easy access: training and courseware specialist Albert Atkinson demonstrates how to use the Rice Knowledge Bank to Mark Bell, head of the IRRI Training Center. Content created by IRRI scientists and others is structured so that material residing within one of the bank’s six major categories can be cross-referenced and combined with items from other areas.

ARIEL JAVELLANA/JUAN LAZARO can use a computer or have access to (NARES) and other partners that run All too often, new technologies one, if you make information available extension services. In other words, are successfully developed only to fail on the Internet, chances are many IRRI trains trainers, who then adapt to reach those who need them most – farmers will benefit in some way.” institute research methods and the farmers – because of poor To be sure, rice knowledge rarely recommendations to local conditions communication. Even worse, flows this directly from IRRI to and relay them to farmers. That said, potentially valuable technologies that farmers. The institute focuses its one of the hardest challenges in languish unused can become training and other knowledge- agricultural development remains, as forgotten and permanently lost. dissemination efforts on the staff always, the timely and effective Meanwhile, NGOs have begun to play members of national agricultural transfer of technologies from the an important role in extension, but research and extension systems research laboratory to farmers’ fields. few have the resources or expertise to

Rice Today April 2003 23 develop their own can easily call up the technologies. Only with material in a form ready- access to technologies formatted for printing, developed by scientists in using a concept known as institutes like IRRI can single-source publishing. they hope to achieve Content in the Rice impact. Knowledge Bank falls into Into the yawning gap six categories or areas: between research and 1) e-Learning Courses, impact has stepped the 2) Field Diagnosis and Rice Knowledge Bank. Practices, 3) Fact Sheets, This is the world’s first 4) Reference Materials, comprehensive, digital ALBERT ATKINSON 5) Rice Biological Data- library of training The reach of cyberspace: Internet storefronts (above) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, bases, and 6) Training materials on rice farming India; the IRRI Training Center’s e-Learning for Development course created a far-flung Materials. Within each learning community for two weeks in August and September 2002, in which 27 and one of the first digital students from 14 countries (map below) completed the course at home. area, content is structured extension services for as reusable, or shared, those who work with poor learning and information farmers. What is more, the wealth of sector work in this area, the Rice objects, meaning that objects residing information on rice production and Knowledge Bank offers government within one area can be cross- training in the Rice Knowledge Bank extension officers and NGO staffers – referenced and combined with items – which, of course, includes Rice and anyone else who logs on – from other areas. For example, the Doctor – continues to grow with new unprecedented access to rice Rice Grain Quality course, which is contributions made by scientists and knowledge and training information. located within e-Learning Courses, educators from IRRI and elsewhere. IRRI aims to make this dynamic uses any number of objects from other Internet portal the world’s central areas, such as various reference Scientists’ participation repository of rice knowledge and materials and the decision-support IRRI training materials have always training materials. The knowledge tool TropRice, which resides in Field been notable for their quality and bank has made a good start by Diagnosis and Practices. focus, thanks to a tradition of capturing much of IRRI’s 42 years of At the institute level, scientists scientists actively participating in rice research in digital form, which are now using the Rice Knowledge training. What is new about the Rice allows it to be shared, searched and Bank to prepare materials for Knowledge Bank is that it provides all used in any part of the world with traditional classroom courses. Rather this in a breakthrough format that Internet connectivity. For areas where than reinvent the wheel, they search sets a new standard in organizing the Internet is inaccessible, the Rice the bank for their topic, see what has material for easy retrieval. Borrowing Knowledge Bank is built to run on already been written and then make the latest and best ideas from private- CD-ROM. From either source, users necessary adjustments. When their

24 Rice Today April 2003 course is complete, they upload the knowledge, this adds an exciting new Banking on IRRI revised materials into the Training dimension to IRRI – and to the Materials area, where it is stored for CGIAR in general,” adds Dr. Atkin- Twenty-five years ago last December, the use during the next training. This can son, referring to the Consultative International Rice Genebank at IRRI opened save hours of preparation time and Group on International Agricultural cold-storage facilities that now hold in trust ensure that training messages are Research, IRRI’s parent organization. more than 108,000 samples of rice biodiversity donated by more than 100 delivered consistently. The possibilities made evident by countries (see page 8). Last year, IRRI the Rice Knowledge Bank have spurred launched the Rice Knowledge Bank, the New dimension the development of digital extension as dynamic Internet portal that aims to “The Training Materials site is a discipline of its own. IRRI is now become the world’s central repository of receiving materials developed by offering digital extension workshops rice knowledge and training materials. many IRRI scientists and their for NARES, NGOs and farmers This year, the new IRRI Image Bank is partners,” says Albert Dean Atkinson, themselves. The workshops focus on offering online the world’s most com- prehensive library of photography related the IRRI training and courseware how to use the Rice Knowledge Bank to rice research and farming. Visit the IRRI specialist who leads the ongoing to build capacity that allows Image Bank at http://rice-photos.irri.org development of the Rice Knowledge participants to make better-informed and read about it in the next issue of Rice Bank. “These include people from rice-production decisions for Today. CAB International, the University of themselves or their constituents. Queensland and the Royal Agricul- “The Rice Knowledge Bank will be tural College of Cirencester. We also a big help to our organization because field who are attending to the different capture and store input from students it is very informative,” comments problems of rice farmers, especially in and instructors where it can be Anita V. Antonio, a workshop the area of principles and practices of searched and accessed. participant from the Philippine Rice farm management.” “With regard to the systematic Research Institute. “It will readily Visit the Rice Knowledge Bank at management and delivery of assist our extension workers in the www.knowledgebank.irri.org.

Rice Today April 2003 25 BiodiversityBiodiversity addsadds valuevalue

rop biodiversity has a key role their popularity with consumers but applications. By planting different to play in helping farmers are rarely grown because of their low types of rice alongside each other, C improve their livelihoods yields, susceptibility to disease or researchers found they could almost while protecting the environment and other drawbacks. completely control rice blast, a fungal their health. This is emerging from In what The New York Times disease that can cost the rice industry the latest rice research on the benefits described as a “stunning success” and millions of dollars per year. of planting traditional rice varieties “one of the largest agricultural either alongside or in place of the experiments ever,” an IRRI-led team Maximum effect modern, high-yielding varieties of scientists working in the south- Exploiting biodiversity to protect normally grown today by most of the western Chinese province of Yunnan crops is hardly new to some farmers world’s 200 million rice farmers. found a way to use biodiversity to in Yunnan and elsewhere. What is Many of these traditional varieties improve control of a major rice new is how researchers used cutting- command a higher price because of disease despite reduced pesticide edge science in their collaboration

26 Rice Today April 2003 The practice of interplanting high-value but disease-susceptible traditional rice varieties with disease-resistant hybrids is dressing the rice lands of southwest China in pinstripes. Farmers (right) transplant several rows of hybrids between previously transplanted rows of a traditional variety. ZHU YOUYONG (2) with farmers to determine how to use glutinous rice – which commands a been a challenge. The project this strategy to maximum effect. high price but is susceptible to blast – coordinator, Tom Mew, who is also Thousands of farmers in Yunnan between four to six rows of blast- the head of IRRI’s Entomology and have now embraced the technique resistant hybrid rice in a repeating Plant Pathology Division, has because it improves yield and income pattern. dedicated decades to working with while reducing their reliance on Simple as this description of farmers to control the pests and chemicals. The strategy calls for the technique sounds, refining diseases that can devastate their farmers to interplant one row of interplanting to make it profitable has crops.

Rice Today April 2003 27 ARIEL JAVELLANA (2) ARIEL JAVELLANA Several rows of hybrid rice control blast disease in the taller traditional glutinous varieties, which are popular with consumers and earn farmers extra income.

Dr. Mew and his team reasoned within the interplanted crop, from a adopted interplanting of rice varieties, that planting a wide area with a single common level of 55% in monoculture, and the area under mixtures had variety of rice, as has been done in the and the yield loss dropped from 28% expanded to 106,000 ha. Last year, Red River Valley of Yunnan, invited to nothing at all. rice interplanting covered an area of epidemic outbreaks of such diseases as In 1999, the interplanted area more than 200,000 ha in 101 counties blast. The pathogen adapted to the expanded to 3,342 ha, and cooper- of Yunnan. defenses of one plant and then was able ating farmers reported that the The IRRI-Yunnan research team to attack the remainder of the crop. But technique was providing them with an plans to extend the approach to other a crop that exhibited biodiversity would average of US$281 more income per provinces in southwest China and to surround the pathogen with dissimilar hectare. By the end of 2001, about other rice-producing countries, plants, making it harder for the disease 60% of rice farm households in the including the Philippines, Indonesia, to spread. indica rice area of Yunnan had Laos and Vietnam. “Our challenge was to simulate through varietal deployment on actual rice farms a situation similar to Philippine homecoming natural diversity and achieve the Recent projects in IRRI’s host country, resistance to pests or diseases that the Philippines, have seen traditional such diversity supplies,” Dr. Mew rice varieties successfully reintroduced said. “We focused on interplanting in areas where they had been lost. rice, or growing different varieties in On the southern island of Mindanao, IRRI is conducting an on-farm the same field.” participatory trial with about 50 farmers testing some 20 improved and Improved income traditional upland rice varieties. The An experiment in 1997 covering a few farmers have so far commented hectares indicated that interplanting favorably on two traditional upland Dinorado. could achieve 92–99% control of rice varieties, Azucena and Dinorado, rating blast while boosting yields by 0.5–1 the IRRI-supplied seed above both their own traditional material and modern varieties. The farmers had lost most of their own seed for Azucena and Dinorado following a shift ton per ha, allowing farmers to out of upland rice into maize, and the seed that remained with them had become badly improve their income through both mixed with other varieties. Farmers supplied with new stocks of pure seed from the higher production and reduced costs. International Rice Genebank at IRRI (see page 8) said they wanted to plant the varieties The following year, cooperating again next year, as they grew well and commanded a good price. farmers interplanted 812 ha with Another project, in 2001 in the Cagayan Valley of the northern Philippines, saw researchers hybrid and glutinous rice. They introduce to local farmers a system of double cropping that included the traditional variety sprayed the crop with fungicide only Wag-wag, which had all but disappeared from local farms. Farmers said the strengths of the system were increased profitability, reduced input costs, a better market price, and the once. Yields reached 9 tons of hybrid potential for adding crops other than rice, such as mung bean, in the wet season. rice and nearly 1 ton of high-value IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute had earlier distributed in the Cagayan glutinous rice per hectare. Even more Valley two tons of rice seeds of 20 modern and eight traditional varieties. This was to assist impressive was that the incidence of farmers who lost their seed stocks when crops failed because of El Niño of 1997 and Typhoon blast in glutinous rice fell to 5% Loleng in 1998.

28 Rice Today April 2003 PEOPLE ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ New head for IPGRI Emil Q. Javier, chair of the interim Science Council of the CGIAR, was named on 9 December one of the Ten Outstanding Filipinos (TOFIL) for 2002 by mile Frison is the the Philippine Jaycee Senate and the Insular Life Insurance Edirector general Company. Dr. Javier was on the IRRI Board of Trustees in 1994-95, designate of the Rome- including service as chair. He has also been director of the based International Plant Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines, Genetic Resources Insti- Los Baños (UPLB), chancellor of UPLB, secretary of the tute (IPGRI), one of Philippine Department of Science and Technology, IRRI’s sister Future director general of the Asian Vegetable Research Harvest centers of the and Development Center, and president of the University of the Philippines (UP) System. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

(CGIAR). IPGRI’s mandate is to use crop ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ diversity to advance sustainable dev- elopment. Dr. Frison, a Belgian national, is currently director of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain, one of IPGRI’s three programs.

Dr. Frison has spent most of his career ARIEL JAVELLANA ○○○○○○○○○○○ in international agricultural research, ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ including 18 years of work related to plant Swaminathan heads Pugwash Movement genetic resources. He joined IPGRI in 1987 and a decade later launched the Global .S. Swaminathan, former director general of IRRI (1982-88), has been elected Program for Musa Improvement, which Mpresident of the prestigious Pugwash Movement. The first Indian to head the brought together researchers and growers movement, he will hold the position for five years from his installation in August 2002. with an interest in bananas and plantains. Dr. Swaminathan is also a UNESCO-Cousteau professor of eco-technology and In 2002, he launched the Global chairman of the Swaminathan Research Foundation, a non-profit Chennai-based Consortium on Musa Genomics, whose goal organization that promotes sustainable development. is to decode the genetic sequence of the The Pugwash movement started in 1957 as a global conscience-keeper. “Pugwash deals banana and use it to improve the varieties mainly with the use and abuse of science,” explains Dr. Swaminathan. “The question is, available to smallholder farmers. How can science be a powerful instrument for human well-being and happiness, and not Dr. Frison will take over as director become an element of human destruction?” general on 1 August, when Geoffrey Hawtin He added, “The choice of an agricultural scientist is significant at a time when children

finishes his term. are being sold in a country like Afghanistan for wheat.”

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Partners on the move Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid breeder by training who specialized in seed Tropics (ICRISAT). An Irish national, Dr. production and issues related to intellectual nrica Porcari, Keatinge previously served at the property rights, Dr. Rai succeeds Panjab E an Italian nat- International Institute of Tropical Singh, who retired on 31 December. ional, in September Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria as assistant to Ruben L. Villareal on 31 December became the CGIAR the director general for resource completed his three-year term as director chief information mobilization. He was also director of IITA’s of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for officer (CIO). Ms. Resource and Crop Management Division Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture Porcari brings to this from 1999 to 2002. Dr. Keatinge has over (SEARCA). The officer in charge of SEARCA newly created pos- 25 years’ experience as a systems is Djoko Suprapto, deputy director for ition in Penang, agronomist and more than 100 scientific graduate scholarship and research and Malaysia, extensive knowledge and papers to his credit. development, pending the appointment of experience regarding information Rajesh Agrawal in October became a new director. technology related to development, having the new director of finance at ICRISAT. Pierre Roger worked as chief of telecommunications and Prof. Agrawal was previously associate traded microbiology ICT field services at the United Nations professor at the Indian Institute of for painting and Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Management in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He music after 35 years Food Program, and as coordinator of has extensive teaching, research and of service at the CGNET services to CGIAR centers. Until consulting experience in finance, Institut de Recherche recently, she was also a fellow at the Reuters management, accounting and tax planning, pour le Développe- Digital Vision Fellowship Program at and has authored several research papers ment in France, most Stanford University. As CIO, Ms. Porcari and books on accounting systems. He recently as director of research. Though leads the development and implementation replaces Kwame Akuffo-Akoto, who is now retired, Dr. Roger is still involved in of the CGIAR’s information-technology and IRRI’s director of finance. preparing book chapters and teaching. He knowledge-management strategies. Mangala Rai is the new director served at IRRI as a soil microbiologist in John Donough Heber Keatinge in general of the Indian Council of Agricultural 1979-91, from which time this picture dates. October became the new deputy director Research and secretary of the Department Dr. Roger’s new email address is the general for research at the International of Agricultural Research and Education. A euphonic [email protected].

Rice Today April 2003 29 PEOPLE Awards recognize achievements ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ alvin Qualset, IRRI Board of C Trustees member and founding director of the Genetic Resources Conservation Program of the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, received the 2002 William L. Brown Award for Excellence in Genetic Resources Conservation. The Missouri Botanical Garden, in collaboration with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington University in St. Louis and the World Agriculture Forum, sponsored a symposium on 5 November in St. Louis to honor Dr. Qualset’s accomplishments. Former IRRI principal plant breeder Gurdev S. Khush (left) was named an adopted Tom Mew, plant pathologist and head of IRRI’s Entomology and distinguished son of Laguna Province, Philippines, for his leadership of IRRI’s and Plant Pathology Division, received the Friendship Award 2002 rice breeding program. Laguna Governor Teresita Lazaro and officers of the Laguna

from the government of Jiangsu Province, China. The award, provincial government presented the award to Dr. Khush on 9 September in Sta. Cruz. ○○○○○○○○○○○ presented in Nanjing on 20 October, recognizes Dr. Mew’s ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ contribution to protecting rice from diseases, especially the Keeping up with IRRI staff biological control of bacterial blight and sheath blight in Jiangsu. Dr. Mew and collaborators from the Jiangsu Academy of Agri- uy Kirk, former soil chemist in sciences isolated the non-pathogenic bacteria B916, which G IRRI Crop, Soil and Water Sciences suppresses seedborne fungal pathogens. This technology has (CSWS), on 1 February started as professor recently been applied on more than 340,000 ha in Jiangsu. of soil systems and head of the Soil Systems Sant Singh Virmani, plant breeder and deputy head of IRRI Group at the National Soil Resources Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biochemistry, received the Third Institute (NSRI) at Cranfield University, World Network of Scientific Organizations Award in Agriculture United Kingdom. Established in August for 2000 in New Delhi on 21 October 2002, at a ceremony delayed 2001, NSRI brings together various groups by the 9/11 terror attacks. Dr. Virmani received the award during with expertise in soil and land resources. Dr. the 7th General Assembly of the Third World Network of Scientific Kirk is also putting the final touches on The chemistry of submerged Organizations. At a 12 November luncheon of the Crop Science soils, a book based primarily on his 13-year body of work at IRRI. Society of America in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dr. Virmani received Muhammed Alam in September joined CSWS to conduct the 2002 International Service in Crop Science Award for his work research on site-specific nutrient management and integrated pest in developing and disseminating hybrid rice in the tropics. management practices. J.K. Ladha, IRRI soil fertility and plant nutrition specialist, Ravindra Kumar in September joined CSWS to develop and was made a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy at a validate physiologically based protocols suitable for the mass concurrent event in Indianapolis. screening of rice breeding lines for drought tolerance and to compile B. Mishra, project director of the Directorate of Rice data on certain drought-tolerance mapping populations. Research, Hyderabad, India, received the 2002 Senadhira Rice Stephan M. Haefele in February joined CSWS as a soil Research Award in September at the International Rice Congress scientist/agronomist under the supervision of To Phuc Tuong. in Beijing (see page 10). The award – which commemorates Hum Nath Bhandari in September joined the Social Dharmawansa Senadhira, leader of IRRI’s research program on Sciences Division (SSD) with responsibility for analyzing farm-level flood-prone rice until his death in 1998 – recognizes Dr. Mishra’s data collected for studying drought-coping mechanisms of rainfed outstanding contributions to salinity-tolerance rice-breeding rice farmers in eastern India, northeast Thailand and southern research and development in India. More than 30 salt-tolerant rice China. varieties developed by Dr. Mishra are now broadly cultivated in Manik Lal Bose in July joined SSD to assist Mahabub salt-affected inland, coastal and sodic areas of India. Hossain in conducting dialogues and workshops with Bangladeshi ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ partners. He also analyzes and interprets interview and survey data Virendra Pal Singh, an agronomist with 30 years’ on rural livelihoods and changes in the rural economy. service to IRRI, has left the Mohammed Zainul Abedin in January joined SSD as an institute to establish the South international research fellow under the supervision of Dr. Hossain. Asia Office of the World Devendra K. Dwivedi in July joined Plant Breeding, Agroforestry Center. During a Genetics and Biochemistry (PBGB) with responsibility for workshop in January, N.I. developing significantly improved IR64 lines suitable for the rainfed Bhuiyan (right), Bangladesh Rice environments of eastern India. Research Institute director of Ish Kumar in August joined PBGB to help manage an research, presented a plaque to international network on hybrid rice, to develop hybrid rice Dr. Singh, as wife Mercedita Pal technology using two- and three-line breeding systems, and to Singh looked on. R.K Singh, IRRI liaison scientist for India, improve grain quality in hybrids. commended Dr. Singh for his Rhoda Lantin is the new manager of the Analytical Services contributions to the rainfed Laboratory, overseeing the operations of the plant and soil analysis, rice systems of eastern India. mass spectrometer, radioisotope and organic analysis laboratories.

30 Rice Today April 2003 NEW BOOKS n recent months, IRRI has added Institute [PPI]; 140 pages) is a pocket- has been fully updated and expanded to seven new titles to its inventory of sized guidebook for managing nutrients include 64 countries – from Afghanistan I more than 100 books and and detecting nutrient deficiency and to Venezuela. There are also discussions publications currently available on rice toxicity symptoms in rice grown in on international issues important to rice research and related topics. Check the tropical and subtropical regions. A such as the looming water crisis, global IRRI online publications catalog at companion to Rice: Nutrient Disorders climate change and biotechnology. www.irri.org/pubcat/pubcontents.htm for and Nutrient Management (also co- Direct pricing and ordering information on these published by IRRI and PPI), this guide Seeding: and other titles and for announcements refines and simplifies site-specific Research that new books are becoming available. nutrient management (SSNM) concepts Strategies and Water-wise for practitioners. The SSNM approach has Opportunities Rice Production been successfully evaluated in a wide (edited by S. (edited by B.A.M. range of farmers’ fields in Asia and is now Pandey et al; Bouman et al; well positioned for wider-scale evaluation 383 pages) 356 pages) and adaptation by Asian farmers. demonstrates explores ways to ORYZA2000: how Asian rice grow rice using Modeling systems are less water to Lowland Rice undergoing safeguard food (by B.A.M. various types security and Bouman et al of change in preserve precious and co- response to water resources. published with economic factors and technological This book, which the Wagenin- opportunities in farming. For example, reviews progress gen University there has been a shift from transplanting made in developing water-saving tech- and Research to direct-seeding methods for rice nologies for rice production, has sections Centre [WUR]; establishment. The rising cost of labor has on intermittent irrigation, the system of 235 pages) is provided economic incentives for direct rice intensification, aerobic rice, rice- the successor to seeding, and the availability of short- wheat, physiology and breeding, and a series of duration rice varieties and chemical weed- irrigation systems. An accompanying CD lowland rice growth simulation models control methods has made such a shift contains information on technology developed by IRRI and WUR in the 1990s. profitable. Papers in this book review past transfer for water savings in the Besides scientific and programming patterns of changes in crop establishment Philippines. updates, ORYZA2000 contains new and factors explaining such patterns, Developments features that allow a more explicit assess the likely future patterns of change in the Asian Rice simulation of crop management options, in crop establishment in various Economy (edited such as irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer ecosystems and regions, and identify by M. Sombilla et management. It can also be used in strategic research issues for improving al; 436 pages) application-oriented research such as the rice productivity by manipulating crop- covers emerging design of crop ideotypes and the analysis establishment methods and related trends in rice of yield gaps. Full documentation of the factors. supply and model, calibration programs, and three A Handbook demand. Govern- sets of example data input files are of Rice Seed- ment policy- provided on an accompanying CD. borne Fungi (by makers and Rice T.W. Mew and farmers can use Almanac, P. Gonzales; 83 the information third edition pages) focuses provided to understand how trends in rice (edited by J.L. on the important supply, demand and trade change with Maclean et al; seedborne fungi economic growth, political development co-published that cause and demographic changes. Country with the Inter- diseases of rice studies cover China, India, Indonesia, national foliage, stem, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Center for leaf sheath, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Tropical root, grain and Rice: A Agriculture, inflorescence. It provides information on Practical Guide West Africa more than 50 species that have been to Nutrient Rice Develop- detected in rice seeds during routine Management ment Association, and Food and testing and analysis. The information, (edited by T. Agriculture Organization; 253 pages) has which can be used for teaching and as a Fairhurst and C. become a standard source book for the reference when conducting seed health Witt and co- most important economic activity on testing in different laboratories, should be published with earth. It brings together general used in conjunction with available the Potash & information about rice and data about rice information on local rice-growing Phosphate production worldwide. The third edition conditions.

Rice Today April 2003 31 EVENTS FOOD FOR PEACE CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS The congress “From the Green Revolution to the Date Event Venue Contact Gene Revolution” will take place in Bologna, Italy, 30 Apr- 2nd International Conference Las Palmas, Gran [email protected]; www. on 28-31 May. Scheduled speakers and their 2 May on Water Resources Canaria, UK wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2003/ Management 2003 waterresources2003/pp.html topics include: N. Borlaug, Texas A&M University 30 May- Empowering women through info. and Pune, India http://gendwaar.gen.in; (Feeding a world of 10 billion people: our 21st 2 Jun knowledge: from oral traditions to ICT [email protected] century challenge); M. Swaminathan, The 4-6 Jun ECOSUD 2003: Fourth Siena, Italy [email protected]; Swaminathan Foundation (Towards an evergreen International Conference on www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/ revolution); G. Khush, University of California, Ecosystems and Sustainable 2003/ecosud03/index.html Davis, and former IRRI principal plant breeder Development (Green revolution: the way forward); M. Gale, 1-6 Jun Mechanisms of Cell Signalling Hong Kong [email protected] John Innes Centre and IRRI board member 5-7 Jun Int’l Conference on Regional Raipur, India e-mail: [email protected] (Comparative mapping in cereals); J. Bennett, Climate Change and Agriculture 2-6 Jun Nitrogen Fertilizer Production Belgium [email protected]; [email protected]; IRRI senior molecular biologist (Proteomics: Technology Workshop www.ifdc.org what problems can we tackle in crop 15-27 Jun Agroecology, IPM and East Lansing, [email protected] improvement?); I. Potrykus, Swiss Federal Sustainable Agriculture Michigan, USA Institute of Technology (Golden crops and iron 16-21 Jun 7th International Congress of Barcelona, Spain [email protected]; fortification). For details, visit www.avenuemedia. Plant Molecular Biology www.ispmb2003.com it/linkCONG/Green-Gene/prog.html. 29 Jun- 11th Int’l Conference on Intelligent Brisbane, Australia www.iscb.org/ismb2003/ 3 Jul Systems for Molecular Biology index.shtml RURAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING 29 Jun- 7th International Conference on Ravello, Italy [email protected]; The International Centre for development 3 Jul Productivity, Public Goods and www.economia.uniroma2.it/ oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA) training Public Policy conferenze/icabr2003 29 Jun- 1st FEMS Congress of European Cankarjev Dom, www.fems-microbiology.org/ in interdisciplinary team work for participatory 3 Jul Microbiologists Ljubljana, Slovenia congress2003.htm rural development takes place in English, 12 6-11 Jul 15th International Plant Protection Beijing, China [email protected]; www. Jan.-23 July 2004, in Wageningen, Netherlands; Congress ipmchina.cn.net/ippc/index.htm in French, 19 Jan.-30 July 2004, in Montpellier, 6-12 Jul XIX International Congress of Melbourne, Australia [email protected] France. PhD/MSc degree (formation univer- Genetics sitaire, Bac+5) required; age under 40 (for 13-18 Jul Internship in Intellectual Property East Lansing, [email protected] fellowships). Deadline: 1 July 2003. For details: Rights Technology Transfer, Use Michigan, USA (English) [email protected]; (French) and Management [email protected]. Web: www.icra-edu.org. 19-23 Jul BioChE-03 Boulder, Colorado, [email protected]; USA www.engconfintl.org/3am.html 27-30 Jul 2003 International Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, http://www.asae.org/meetings/ PESTICIDE FORUM Am. Soc. of Agricultural Engineers USA am2003/index.html The 7th International HCH and Pesticides Forum, 27 Jul- Ensuring a Safe Food Supply for East Lansing, [email protected] on 5-7 June in Kiev, Ukraine, is a technical forum 1 Aug the Global Community Michigan, USA that aims to find solutions to the problems arising 29 Jul- InforAg 2003: 6th Information Indianapolis, Indiana, www.farmresearch.com/infoag from the production and application of HCH 1 Aug Agriculture Conference USA (hexachlorocyclohexane) and other pesticides. 9-13 Aug American Phytopathological Charlotte, North [email protected]; www.scisoc.org For details contact Valentyna Pildisnyuk Society Annual Meeting Carolina, USA ([email protected]) or visit www.hchforum. 19-22 Aug ICAS 3rd International Convention Singapore [email protected]; com/index.php. of Asia Scholars www.fas.nus.edu.sg/icas3 7-9 Sep 2003 World Fertilizer Conference Boston, [email protected]; www.tfi.org Massachusetts, USA BIOTHAILAND 2003 15-19 Sep Phosphate Fertilizer Production Belgium [email protected]; [email protected]; The National Center for Genetic Engineering and Technology Workshop www.ifdc.org Biotechnology (BIOTEC) will organize Bio- 23 Sep-2 Oct ComBio 2003 Victoria, Australia [email protected] Thailand 2003: Technology for Life on 17-20 July 1-3 Oct International Conference on Sust- Skiathos, Greece www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/ in Pattaya, Thailand. It will feature a trade show, ainable Planning & Development 2003/planning03/index.html business partnering and scientific meetings. For 12-15 Oct 2003 International Conference on Houston, Texas, USA [email protected] details email biothailand2003@ biotec.or.th or Agriculture Science and Technology visit http://biothailand.biotec.or.th. 13-24 Oct Fertilizer Marketing Management Vietnam [email protected]; [email protected]; www.ifdc.org PLANT BREEDING SYMPOSIUM 26-30 Oct Entomological Society of America Cincinnati, Ohio, USA [email protected]; www.entsoc.org Annual Meeting The Arnel R. Hallauer International Symposium on Plant Breeding will take place on 17-22 August in Mexico City. For information contact 2003 IRRI GROUP TRAINING COURSES (SELECTED TENTATIVE LISTING) Duration Coordinator(s)/ Julien de Meyer, [email protected]. Web: Course/Venue Target Date www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/Research/Maize/ (wk) Asst. Coordinator symposium/breeding_0803.htm. Rodent Management 3 19 May-6 June G. Singleton/K. Heong Two-Week Rice Production Training Course 2 Aug V. Balasubramanian Water Management, for Philippines only 1 13-17 Oct B. Bouman MODERN RICE FARMING Genetic Engineering and Nutrition 1 May S. Datta The International Conference on Modern Rice Improvement in Rice Farming will take place on 14-16 October at Alor Rice Breeding Course 2 11-29 Aug G. Atlin Setar, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia. Co-organized Scientific Writing and Presentation 1 12-16 May A. Arboleda by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Intensive English 1 Course (after office hours) 12 7 Jul-26 Sep A. Arboleda Development Institute, IRRI, Muda Agricultural Intensive English 2 Course (after office hours) 3 10-28 Nov A. Arboleda Development Authority and Malaysian Plant Intro to SAS Version 8 for Windows 1 2-6 June G. McLaren/V. Bartolome Protection Society, the conference will consider a Intro to IRIS for Plant Breeders Training 1 11-15 Aug G. McLaren/V. Bartolome broad range of topics, from land leveling to Advanced Experimental Design 1 10-14 Nov G. McLaren/V. Bartolome marketing. For details visit www.mardi.my. For details, email [email protected].

32 Rice Today April 2003 RICE FACTS Fight poverty where it lives by DAVID DAWE

he most recent World Food sub-Saharan Millions in poverty US$ per poor person Summit, in 1996, set the target Africa (Figure 2). 900 50 of halving by 2015 the number This conclusion T 800 of people who go to bed hungry. Such holds even rapid progress will require poverty excluding from 700 40 reduction worldwide, but especially in the calculations Asia. Despite substantial progress in India and China, 600 30 many Asian countries over the past who by sheer size 500 few decades (Figure 1), Asia is still arguably threaten home to most of the world’s poor. to skew the 400 The number of poor in rice- results. Adjusting 20 producing Asia1 is nearly three times the figures to 300 that of sub-Saharan Africa, the second take into account 200 largest locus of poverty (Figure 2). To how a lot of ODA 10 some extent, Asia has more poor for Africa is in 100 people than Africa simply because its the form of 0 0 population is much larger. Yet some grants, while that SSA RPA SSA RPA key indicators suggest that the for Asia is more Fig. 2. Number of people living in poverty and official development assistance per incidence of poverty is worse in large often in the form person in rice-producing Asia (RPA) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). parts of Asia than in sub-Saharan of loans, shows Africa. For example, stunting, wasting sub-Saharan Africa receiving four % and underweight all afflict a larger times as much aid per poor person as 50 proportion of children in south- does rice-producing Asia. 40 SSA central Asia (dominated by India, Africa urgently needs donor funds. SCA Pakistan and Bangladesh) than in But, in their zeal to set Africa aright, 30 sub-Saharan Africa (Figure 3). donors should not forget that both the Illuminating a similar picture of the incidence of poverty and its absolute 20 status of women, the proportion of numbers remain very high in Asia. It severely underweight adult women is will be impossible to achieve broad 10 much higher in Bangladesh and Nepal progress in global poverty alleviation than in Chad or Madagascar, the two unless Asia receives due attention. 0 Stunting Underweight Wasting countries in sub-Saharan Africa with For more rice facts, visit www.riceweb.org/ the highest prevalence of underweight Fig. 3. Percentage of children suffering from stunting, ricestat/index.htm. underweight and wasting, year 2000, in sub-Saharan adult women (Figure 4). Africa (SSA) and south-central Asia (SCA). It seems that well-publicized progress toward alleviating hunger Millions % 300 10 and poverty in much of Asia has Number of rural poor blinded many donors – and the public 250 in China at large – to the poverty that remains 8 200 in the world’s largest continent. 6 Certainly the level of official 150 development assistance (ODA) 100 4 provided per poor person in rice- 50 producing Asia is much lower than in 2 0

1 0 1992 1980 1994 1986 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, 1984 1978 1982 1990 1996 1988 Madagascar Chad Nepal Bangladesh Indonesia, Laos, Korea (North), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Fig. 1. Number of rural poor in China, 1978-97. Fig. 4. Percentage of women (age 20–49) who are Thailand and Vietnam. severely underweight.

Rice Today April 2003 33 grain of truth Biotech won’t soon replace “conventional” breeding DAVID J. MACKILL IRRI Plant Breeder

defining moment in the history of biology was the manipulation involves conventionally bred varieties. A elucidation of the laws of genetics by Gregor transgenic plant is nothing more than a conventionally bred A Mendel, whose work was rediscovered and became one with a novel gene inserted into it. While the inserted widely known in 1900. Ranking in the same category a gene may add a very important feature, it remains a small century later must be the announcement of complete part of the genetic makeup that determines the overall genome sequences, notably of humans and the plant attributes of the plant. Arabidopsis. Rice has now joined this exalted company with We expect that the complete genome sequence of rice the announcement on 18 December 2002 of the completion will greatly improve our ability to breed new rice varieties. of a high-quality draft sequence of the rice genome. Our ultimate goal is to identify the function of each gene Rice geneticists labored for most of the 20th century and subsequently the most favorable alleles (versions) of to identify and map rice genes. The work hastened those genes, which we can then combine into superior rice immensely with the advent of varieties. In the future, this technology molecular markers in the 1990s. will allow us to trace all genes in our However, these painstaking efforts A basic fact of applied genetic rice breeding populations. As it resulted in a map location for perhaps becomes cheaper and more widely a few hundred major genes and a available, it should allow us to select similar number of genetic loci engineering is that all the best plants from the breeding controlling quantitative traits, only a populations without extensive field handful of which were characterized at transgenic manipulation tests. Breeders will be able to produce the DNA level. Suddenly, we now elite breeding lines by directly possess detailed sequences of an selecting for specific combinations of estimated 50,000 genes that regulate involves conventionally bred alleles at the molecular level. However, the rice plant’s development. these elite lines will still require Parallel to this stunning progress varieties thorough evaluation by breeders, other in molecular biology are similar agricultural scientists and, finally, advances in our ability to introduce farmers. genes into plants directly as DNA. The area planted to The challenges for rice breeders are immense. We have transgenic crops rose from nil in 1995 to over 50 million a long way to go before solving the problem of abiotic stress ha in 2001, mostly in North America. Transgenic rice is tolerance, for drought in particular. In the future, rice under evaluation in several countries, and we should expect consumers will want varieties that are not only tastier but commercial products to become available within a few also more nutritious. Also assuming a more important role years. will be such environmental concerns as durable pest One question these trends frequently raise is, “What is resistance, more efficient nutrient uptake, and the cultivars’ the future of conventional plant breeding?” First, let me point response to global climate change and pollution. Genetic out that “conventional plant breeding” is a misnomer. Plant engineering and genomic tools will complement these rice breeders continually reevaluate their approaches and have breeding efforts. While we may not anticipate break- adopted a wide range of tools to make their breeding efforts throughs on a par with the yield gains of the Green more efficient. For the sake of discussion, we will define Revolution semidwarfs of the 1960s, we can certainly expect conventional plant breeding as hybridization without incremental progress on many fronts. inserting transgenes, followed by field selection. One could argue that at some point we will be able to It is true that in the early days of the biotechnology create optimum genotypes entirely in the laboratory. This revolution one heard such comments as, “In the future, we’ll is an intriguing possibility, but I expect to see demand for produce new plant varieties in the lab, with no need for several more generations of scientists versed in the classical field work.” However, even the staunchest advocates of the methods of plant breeding. These breeders will have a range new biology would now dispute this misguided idea. A basic of new tools to facilitate their work, but they should not fact of applied genetic engineering is that all transgenic forget how to make crosses and grow field nurseries.

34 Rice Today April 2003 How rice grows ARIEL JAVELLANA IRRI Irrigated rice grows in bunded (embanked) fields with assured water supplies Flood-prone rice areas present a range of growing conditions in both coastal and reliable drainage, allowing farmers to maintain shallow flooding of their and inland environments that support more than 100 million Asians, despite high fields until the crop is nearly mature. The focus of innovation during the risks and low yields. Some rice varieties tolerate being submerged for several Green Revolution, this highly productive system, permitting up to three rice days. Deepwater rice elongates or floats to survive long inundations. Coastal crops per year in tropical lowlands, provides more than three-quarters of the areas subject to tidal surges require rice varieties that tolerate high salt levels. world’s rice and is therefore central to global food security. Minerals that accumulate in waterlogged soils often render them infertile. BAS BOUMAN GUY TREBUIL Aerobic rice grows as a dryland crop much like wheat, usually direct-seeded Rainfed lowland rice grows in bunded fields flooded by rainfall during at in lowlands or favorable uplands that are rainfed or have supplementary least part of the cropping season. Farmers typically grow one rice crop per irrigation. With suitable varieties and properly managed inputs, farmers can year, followed by a minor crop if the remaining wet season permits. Some achieve yields approaching those of conventionally irrigated fields. Aerobic rainfed lowland areas are favorable and reliably productive, but most are rice is widely planted in rotation with pasture or soybean in Brazil and is prone to drought or flooding or both. Toxic soils, weed pressure, insect pests increasingly being adopted in China. and diseases are common problems. GENE HETTEL IRRI Montane lowland rice grows in bunded fields on valley bottoms or stepped Upland rice grows as a rainfed dryland crop in permanent fields — which terraces cut into hillsides. This system, either rainfed or irrigated, is the can be sustainable if rotated with other crops — or in shifting slash-and-burn preferred way to grow rice in the mountains, but limited availability of suitable systems that become unsustainable, especially on hillsides, as population land means that many farmers don’t have access to enough lowland area to pressure shortens the fallow periods needed for soil regeneration. With few feed their families. Typically, these farmers also grow upland rice to reduce inputs, upland rice yields are very low but nevertheless critical to the or eliminate their rice deficit. household food security of some of the poorest people in Asia.

Note: Rice systems fall into categories in line with the categorizer’s focus — to a plant breeder according to conditions affecting rice plants and to an agricultural economist according to farmers’ livelihood options. The categories included here are intendedRice Today to be broadlyApril 2003 informative, not definitive or exhaustive. 35 36 Rice Today April 2003