by the IRRI communication team
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Genes bearing marks from the environment
Prof. John Colbourne of the School of
Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, gave a plenary talk at IRC2014 on environmental genomics. He discussed genetic mechanisms related
to organisms' responses to environmental conditions.
Colbourne shared selected results of his work
with freshwater crustacean Daphnia, in applying genomics to determine how the
effects of their environment are “encoded” in their genes. Rapid technological improvements to access
this “memory” of populations promises to transform how the health of the
environment is monitored and protected.
Better understanding of
the genetic repertoire of a species and its interaction with the environment
can help decision makers develop sound policies for environmental protection
and in other areas, such as health, medicine, food security, energy, waste
management, and natural resource conservation.
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Drip irrigation and direct seeding – a sound
technology mix
Puddling or wet tillage,
defined as the mixing of soil and water in a rice culture, has traditionally
been the method of preparing rice fields before transplanting. This practice,
which accounts for up to 30 percent of the production cost of rice, effectively
controls weeds and enhances soil nutrient availability.
But in a workshop entitled New Paradigms of Growing Rice to Address
Emerging Shortages of Water and Labor at IRC2014, J.K. Ladha cited that cultivation systems are now shifting
to direct seeded rice (DSR) or no tillage farming. This shift gives scope to
drip irrigation as a viable water management option.
In his experiment conducted
in Punjab, India, Dr. P. Soman said drip irrigation in DSR conserved irrigation
water and reduced energy use for pumping water by up to 60 percent and 52
percent, respectively. Coupled with fertigation (fertilizer application through
the irrigation system), rice yield increased by 20 percent as more tillers per
hill and more grains per panicle were produced. Similar observations were
shared by Dr. Palanisami in his field trials in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Rakesh
Sharda asserted that drip irrigation is beneficial especially in the case of
Punjab where ground water is overexploited. Through drip irrigation, 25% of the
water table can be saved.
While field research has
shown good results, Soman proposed potential research interests, which include
identification of rice varieties most suitable for the drip-fertigation method,
multi-location trials to cover different rice growing conditions, and
standardization of fertigation schedules for high productivity.
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Accuracy in satellite maps
aid in policymaking
Remote-sensing technology provides
in-season crop information to policymakers and researchers in the form of “rice
maps”. These maps can aid in decision making and policy formulation.
Maps generated through this
technology indicate areas where rice is grown, number of crop seasons, and methods
of cultivation. Unlike “traditional” image-based satellite maps that are not
able to penetrate through clouds, remote sensing imagery is radar-based, can
penetrate through clouds, and is hence available regardless of weather
conditions.
Presenters from Europe,
Africa and Asia discussed the state of the art of remote sensing technology at
the scientific sessions of IRC2014. The
following topics were presented: 1) Remote sensing for food security, by David
Kaatrud; 2) Operational crop monitoring and yield forecast base on Earth
observation satellites, by Anond Snidvongs; 3) Asian rice crop mapping for G20
GEO-GLAM, by S. Takashima; 4) Remote sensing and crop model application for
rice yield monitoring, by Tri Setiyono; 5) Remote sensing-based infromation and
insurance for crops in emerging economies, by Francesco Holecz; 6) An automatic
approach to analyze optical satellite imagery time series for rice monitoring
and status assessment: applications in yield estimation in Senegal and rapid
assessment of typhoon damages in Philippines, by Marco Boschetti; and 7)
Mapping rice and rice growing environments in West Africa using remote sensing
and spatial modelling tools, by Sander Zwart.
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Around 1,500 participants from 69 countries are attending the 4th International Rice Congress, or IRC2014, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).
IRC2014 is being held under the patronage of the Royal Government of Thailand, specifically the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and is touted as the “Olympics of rice science,” being the largest gathering of rice science and industry held every four years.
For more information: ricecongress.com
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