IRRI hosts breeding optimization workshop

The  CGIAR’s Excellence in Breeding (EiB) team convened to discuss product concepts and how different breeding tools and technologies can be used to optimize and strengthen breeding programs during the “Breeding Scheme Design and Optimization Methods Workshop” on 1-5 August at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Bihar Minister of Agriculture lauds ISARC capacity development programs

Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Shri Amarendra Pratap Singh inaugurated a Three-Day Capacity Development Training and Exposure Visit Program organized by IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) at Varanasi on 27 July 2022 for associate professors and scientists of Bihar Agriculture University (BAU). Dr. Arun Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, BAU, Sabour, Bihar; Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, Vice-President, National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS), New Delhi; and Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, Director, ISARC, Varanasi were also graciously present in the inaugural ceremony. This training event is being undertaken in collaboration with the BAU under its Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) Program funded by the Government of Bihar.

IRRI holds digital innovation and crop management training to help Grameen Foundation improve rice production in Uttar Pradesh

Extension agents from Grameen Foundation participated in a capacity development training centered around digital innovation, sustainable production technology, and best management practices for rice to help transform the agriculture system in Uttar Presdesh, India.

Dr. Randolph "Randy" Barker, noted economist, passes at 92

Randy Barker (left) engages with Chu Thai Huanh of IWMI

Respected agricultural economist Randolph Barker passed at age 92 in Utah, USA.

Bayer Delegation visits ISARC

Varanasi, 22 May - A delegation from Bayer Crop Science led by Dr. Amit Trikha, Global Crop Strategy Lead, and Dr. Sangeeta Mendiratta, Lead Government Affairs met with the IRRI team at IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi.

Collaboration with IRRI can be key to increasing farmers’ income and addressing climate change issues in agriculture: The World Bank

Delegates from Water Resources Group (WRG) of the World Bank visited the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (IRRI SARC) in Varanasi on 8th April 2022 to discuss possible collaboration in the AgWater Project and other initiatives in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.).

BIC Director Dr. Gururaj Guddappi Kulkarni welcomed at ICBA Dubai

Last 22 March, Dr. Gururaj Guddappi Kulkarni, Global Head of Research Infrastructure & Regulatory Compliance of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Director of the IRRI Bio-Innovation Center (IRRI BIC), was invited to give a guest lecture at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Kulkarni talked to ICBA leads and staff about best practices in institutional stewardship and regulatory compliance, as well as about the Bio-Innovation Center, an initiative that allows private and public sector partners to leverage IRRI's world-class research infrastructure, expertise, and resources for the development or scaling up of their own products or research solutions.

Established in 1999 as an international non-profit organization focused on applied agricultural research for marginal environments, ICBA scientists were very receptive to Dr. Kulkarni's lecture, as the organization is open to collaborative opportunities and is moving forward on its own journey for stewardship and other regulatory areas.

Dr. Kulkarni was invited by Dr. R.K. Singh, ICBA Principal Scientist for Plant Breeding and Program Leader on Crop Diversification and Genetics. Dr. Singh was a senior scientist and rice breeder at IRRI from 2005 to 2018, leading and coordinating rice research, breeding, and trait development activities in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia for stresses such as salinity, drought, heat, and problem soils.

Read original article on the IRRI Bio-Innovation website

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