Green Super Rice variety surpasses 4.4 ton max yield, nets 8.3 tons/hectare in PhilRice field day

In a Facebook post dated 03 October 2020 by the official FB account of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture, a variety of Green Super Rice called NSIC Rc 480 was able to almost double its maximum yield per hectare, from 4.4 tons to 8.3 tons, during the Palaysikatan Field Day of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Sto. Tomas, Davao Del Norte.

PRIME partners strengthen coordination and information sharing as project scales up

To ensure efficient rice crop health monitoring in the Philippines, the Pest Risk Identification and Management (PRIME) project conducted the National PRIME Annual Assessment (NPAA) Workshop on the 9th, 11th, and 25th of November 2020. The NPAA is an annual event that was conducted online this year and attended by representatives from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and agencies of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), mainly the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI), and Regional Field Offices (RFOs).

IRRI and BAFE hold the first of a series of virtual training on laser land leveling

Rice production in the Philippines is constantly faced with threats to food security due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the major challenges to Philippine agriculture is the practice of unsustainable land management such as inadequately leveled fields. An improperly leveled field causes uneven water distribution that leads to poor crop establishment and the inefficient use of seed, water, fertilizer, and pesticides. However, this can be addressed by using laser land leveling technology.

Training boosts expertise of Indonesian agricultural researchers in using seasonal climate prediction-based app

ICRR researchers participate from ICRR’s meeting room. ICRR also hosted the videoconferencing held via Zoom. Photo: Suhartini, ICRR

West Java, Indonesia–Researchers from various agencies under the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) participated in a face-to-face and virtual training in the development, operation, and maintenance of the Weather-rice-nutrient integrated decision support system (WeRise) from 16 to 20 November 2020. These agencies have been identified for the uptake and dissemination of WeRise in Indonesia (Bugayong, et al.). 

Peer teaching approach helps learners become WeRise experts

West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia – “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”  

Studies have shown that learning retention is better when students teach what they have learned. Peer teaching is a strategy used by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) - Japan Collaborative Research Project (IJCRP) in its capacity-building program for agricultural extension workers (AEWs) to deliver timely and accurate information to rainfed rice farmers through the use of the Weather-rice-nutrient integrated decision support system (WeRise). 

Philippine rice straw project conducts virtual events for Filipino farmers

The Sustainable Rice Straw Management for Bioenergy, Food, and Feed in the Philippines (RiceStrawPH) project held its first virtual events on sustainable rice straw management as part of its online initiatives to reach its stakeholders in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar, Accelerating initiatives for sustainable rice straw management in the Philippines, and the farmers’ field day, conducted online on September 22 and 29, enabled stakeholders to observe sustainable rice straw management practices that aim to improve livelihoods and the resilience of agri-food systems. 

IRRI mourns the passing of leading rice scientist Dr. Tamal Lata Aditya

We are saddened by the news of Tamal Lata Aditya’s sudden demise. As the Research Director of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Dr. Aditya was actively involved in the development and dissemination of several varieties and promising breeding lines that are responsive to the challenges faced by Bangladeshi farmers such as drought and low yield. Additionally, she was instrumental in developing and implementing BRRI’s research agenda including the release of the institute’s sixth conventionally-bred biofortified high-zinc rice variety.

WeRise in Indonesia: Delivering extension advisories effectively in the new normal

Medan, Indonesia - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in partnership with the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) North Sumatra, conducted trainings for agricultural extension workers (AEWs) on delivering advisories to rice farmers through the Weather-rice-nutrient integrated decision support system (WeRise).

Myanmar invests in building skills in digital data collection

Digital transformation is gradually changing the operation in various sectors. To reduce the time and resources associated with collecting data and improving the data quality, digital data collection is a preferred fit for organizations that gather voluminous quantitative data. 

AMD and IRRI conducts training course on rice straw management amidst pandemic

U Soe Hlaing, DG of AMD, delivering the welcome message to the participants and staff of AMD.

The Agricultural Development Support Project (ADSP) in Myanmar conducted its second rice straw management training using a blended training methodology of online lectures and practical field exercises on 22 June to 3 July 2020 in Yezin, Naypyidaw.

Laser-guided land leveling ramps up in Isabela

Engr. Eddie Rodriquez explaining to the farmers the procedure of LLL

Isabela is the second biggest rice producer in the Philippines and one of the country’s highly mechanized provinces in rice production. With the threat to food security due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mechanization will take an even bigger role in ensuring that the country will have enough food.

Women farmers take a significant step towards seed security in Odisha

The Adarsh Dharmagarh Women Farmers Services Producer Company Ltd (ADWFSPCL) in Kalahandi, Odisha took another major stride in empowering women through entrepreneurship in seed production. 

IRRI joins local communities in COVID-19 response via 3D printing

IRRI 3D printer printing face shield frame. Video by Claire Sandro.

To support the local government in making communities COVID19-free, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through its Mechanization and Postharvest Cluster (MPHC),  facilitated 3D printing services for several frontliners in Laguna, Batangas, and Mindoro, Philippines. 

Rice Crop Manager now available as an Android application

RCM goes offline, recommendations now available without internet

Los Banos, Laguna - The Department of Agriculture (DA) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) launched the working version of the Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Philippines mobile Android application on March 18, 2020. The offline platform can generate and provide personalized recommendations to individual rice farmers on nutrient and crop management, even without an internet connection.

German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development visits APART, World Bank-funded IRRI project in Assam

Dr. Gerd Muller (Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation & Development, Govt. of Germany) holds a portion of a mat nursery as he is explained by Dr Sudhanshu Singh (Team Leader, APART project, IRRI Assam) about transplanting time and crop duration of BINA Dhan 11, a climate resilient rice variety.

27 February 2020, Assam - Dr. Gerd Muller, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Germany, and a team of senior government officials with Consulate General for Kolkata Dr. Michael Feiner, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Egon Kochanke, and Mrs.Gerti Muller-Hoorens, visited the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) site.

Dr. Darshan Brar, leading IRRI breeder, passes away at 76

Dr. Darshan Singh Brar, former head of IRRI’s Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology (PBGB) Division, passed away from a heart attack on the evening of 11 March at the age of 76.

For 25 years from 1987 to 2012, Dr. Brar worked with his fellow scientists at the institute to broaden the gene pool of cultivated rice. With his expertise in genetics, plant breeding, and molecular cytogenetics, Dr. Brar successfully transferred novel genes from wild species of Oryza to cultivated rice, an important plant breeding approach that has revolutionized rice farming around the world.

IRRI celebrates International Women’s Day in Odisha

08-March-2020 - In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, IRRI organized a one-day interactive meeting with forty women farmers at Khamanga Village in Khordha district of Odisha to discuss challenges and opportunities and to raise awareness on improved crop management practices.
 

IRRI celebrates the work of its women scientists

For International Women’s Day (08 March) and International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), IRRI organized a week-long series of events to highlight the work of its women scientists and provide an opportunity for some of them to mentor young men and women.

New SEA rep pays courtesy call to Thai Rice Department Director General

24 February, Bangkok - Dr. Yurdi Yasmi, IRRI’s new Regional Representative for Southeast Asia, made a courtesy call to Mr. Sudsakorn Pattarakulnit, the Director General of Thailand Rice Department (TRD).

Participatory message design workshop to accelerate adoption of rice best management practices in Myanmar

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through the Agricultural Development Support Project and CORIGAP project, organized a participatory message design workshop in Nay Pyi Taw on 25-27 February. Attended by 25 Department of Agriculture (DOA) staff, the workshop aimed to enhance their capacity in crafting user-friendly print and video materials to better communicate best management practices and technologies for rice production.

Equipping women farmers to drive climate-resilient sustainable farming in Odisha

Women farmers trying their hand at the production of trichocards

Increasing pest and disease incidence due to changing climatic conditions is compelling farmers to use heavy doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maintain their production. The intensive agricultural practices and excessive reliance on agrochemicals adversely affect the delicate and dynamic balance of the agroecosystems, impacting agricultural sustainability, environment, and human health. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is promoting biopesticides and biofertilizers in Odisha together with Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE) to address this challenge.

IRRI hosts plenary session Gobeshona Int’l Climate Conference in Dhaka

Dr. Ahmad Salahuddin from the IBO giving a presentation
at a IRRI-hosted plenary session at the
6th Gobeshona International Climate Conference 2020
in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dhaka, 06 February 2020 – The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) hosted a plenary session on agriculture and natural resource management at the 6th Gobeshona International Climate Conference 2020 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The theme for this year’s Gobeshona conference was “Research into action”. The event was organized by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) on the Independent University Bangladesh campus from 20-24 January 2020.

IRRI welcomes new Executive Chairman of BARC

IRRI Bangladesh congratulates new Executive Chairman of
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC)
at his office in Dhaka on 28 January 2020.

Dhaka, 02 February 2020 - A delegation from the IRRI Bangladesh Country Office gave a courtesy visit on 28 January to Dr. Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, the new Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).

Training aims to boost capacity and supply of high quality seeds of pulses and oilseed in Myanmar

The Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI), in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), organized Training of Trainers on Early Generation Seed (EGS) production in pulses, oilseed crops including hybrid sunflower on 7-10 January 2020. The event trained 51 participants from the Department of Agriculture Seed Division, DAR Pulses and Oilseed Crops Section, and the private sector on the important methodologies of EGS production.

Former IRRI Executive Officer passed away

Faustino “Boy” Salacup poses for a portrait at his desk in IRRI.

Faustino "Boy" M. Salacup (b. 1932), former Executive Officer, Comptroller, Treasurer, and Director for Protocol and Liaison of the International Rice Research Research Institute (IRRI), passed away on December 22, 2019. He is regarded as one of the Institute's pioneers, having joined in January 1961.

Former IRRI weed ecologist passes away

Professor Andrew Martin Mortimer, 71, passed away peacefully after a short illness at his home in North Wales on Sunday, 22 December 2019, surrounded by his family. Martin was a weed ecologist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Agronomy, Plant Physiology, and Agroecology (APPA) Division from 1996 to 2003, also serving as APPA deputy head (1998-2000). He continued as an IRRI consultant afterwards.

Martin was an expert in plant ecology, agricultural botany, genetics, and environmental and evolutionary biology. He pointed out that, as a plant population biologist, he studied the development and application of agro-ecology in tropical and temperate agro-ecosystems.

In IRRI’s 1997-98 Annual Report, he explained that natural plants in a location—weeds to most people—present a particular challenge. "All non-rice plants in a field are not necessarily bad," he said. "If we can identify which weeds are good for natural enemies and bad for pests, we may recommend that farmers selectively weed their fields. But managing the vegetation around the field edges will probably have even greater benefit for beneficial insects."