IRRI South Asia Hub organized a series of events for Rice Breeding Networks

The IRRI South Asia Hub at Hyderabad organized multiple sessions to strengthen the capacities of its rice breeding networks from 5th to 10th April 2023.  The first event, the strategic planning workshop for Hybrid Rice Adoption was organized on 5th April in Hyderabad at the ICRISAT Campus in Hyderabad. The global hybrid rice adoption is progressing at a very slow pace, and in India, the adoption is still limited to a few specific regions. To address this issue, policymakers, hybrid rice scientists, and critical stakeholders convened to identify and overcome the challenges hindering widespread adoption.

IRRI initiates participatory research on cooking quality test for new varieties

Odisha, INDIA (15 May 2023)- In collaboration with the Government of Odisha, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) launched a participatory study on the cooking characteristics and sensory attributes of rice varieties on 10 May 2023 in Bargarh. The activity aims to help the participants assess the taste, texture, aroma, and appearance of rice varieties.

A total of 56 participants attended the cooking quality test, including men and women farmers from Odisha, local government members, village heads, district and Agriculture District Officer, Bargarh, Bijay Kumar Pattnayak;  Deputy Project Director,  Agriculture Technology Management Agency, Rabinarayan Senapati, and  Assistant Agriculture Officer, Ms. Jyotsnamayee.

In 2022, IRRI conducted varietal cafeterias and on-farm trials to evaluate and validate the performance of a large number of newly released rice varieties through the National Breeding Program. Several varieties (25–30 novel products) were subjected to a thorough participatory evaluation and measurement in order to generate performance-based rankings. These classifications were based on the yield, yield-related parameters, and other observable characteristics of the rice plant.

To advance the result of the on-farm trials, the IRRI Seed System team, led by Dr. Swati Nayak, Mosharaf Hossain, and Dillip Kumar Rout, conceptualized a “new” experiment to assess various rice characteristics that define overall cooking quality, such as overall flavor, stickiness, elongation, water absorption, cooking time, aroma, and texture.

These are the characteristics, which cannot be measured or evaluated on-farm,  require a more thorough evaluation following the harvesting and milling of cereals because they are essential for farm households to determine whether or not to adopt a variety and use it for their own consumption or for sale.

Several characteristics have the potential to generate “perception” barriers among farmers, including women in agricultural households because cooking quality-related characteristics can be influenced by cultural preferences. Moreover, the said characteristics can affect consumers' willingness to purchase and the necessary demand triggers among local market actors (millers, wholesalers, and retailers).

The team believes that it is critical to evaluate these cooking characteristics with the local farmers in order to obtain evidence, perception, and demand that go beyond laboratory-based grain quality analysis.

Under the close supervision of Mosharaf Hossain and Dillip Kumar Rout, and with the assistance of Sudam Sahu and Shantunu Dash, coordinators of Agrani Janakalyan Anusthan, ten of the highest-performing varieties from the previous year’s varietal trials and cafeterias were selected for the experiment.

Ten women farmers from the Maa Kaveri Women Self-Help Group from Ainlapli Village, urban and rural consumers were chosen to take part in a cooking quality evaluation.

Some of the results of the study include DRR Dhan 47 took the least  time to cook while Zinco Rice MS and Uttarsona took the longest time. DRR Dhan 48 had very good elongation, good grain separation, and less stickiness. NLR 3354 also had good elongation. Zinco Rice MS was also reported to have more stickiness than the others.

Many of these varieties are already under evaluation through laboratory analysis for trait validations, which will provide comprehensive feedback to the breeders.

"With the immense support of the Government of Odisha, this type of research can generate a very strong impact loop for the acceptance and adoption of a variety in both the seed chain and the grain markets,” said Dr. Nayak, IRRI’s South Asia Lead for Seed Systems. “It is vital that farmer households’ and consumers' perceptions of cooking quality be taken into account during variety testing and evaluation systems.”

This advanced research, which extends the impact of IRRI's successful on-farm testing models ("lab-to-farm"), has now developed an initial "farm-to-consumer" roadmap to improve the impact of its breeding program.

Following the success and attention it gained from the local stakeholders and leaders, the IRRI Seed System team plans to scale this participatory approach to other locations in India.

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Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation delegates visit ISARC

VARANASI, India (16 May 2023) – A delegation from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) visited the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi to harness IRRI’s knowledge and experiences in modern rice research. This visit featured demonstrations and interactions around IRRI’s latest developments in rice technologies such as varietal development and testing protocols, quality seed production, varietal positioning methods, value chain propositions, and post-production practices. Prior to visiting ISARC, the group had a three-day exposure visit in Odisha where they learned about the progress of IRRI in rice-based agri-food systems.

ISARC hosts a tour for the Assam Agricultural University

VARANASI, India (16 May 2023) – A three-day visit for senior scientists and extension personnel from Assam Agricultural University (AAU) was organized at the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi on May 11-13. The visit aimed to foster learning opportunities and strengthen existing linkages related to ongoing interventions of the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (APART) Project. The delegates from AAU engaged with ISARC scientists and discussed recent trends in precision agriculture, geographic information systems (GIS), mechanization, postharvest management, and seed systems. The delegation team included different Heads of the Department of AAU, scientists, and heads of Krishi Vigyan Kendras of Assam.

ICFCIS and IRRI conduct training on on-farm trials for updating SSNM principles for RCM-Indonesia

The  Indonesian Center for Food Crops Instruments Standardization (ICFCIS) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)  conducted an online training on on-farm trials to help upgrade algorithms and guidelines for effective fertilizer management for rice farmers of Indonesia on 11-12 April 2023.  The activity trained the participants on Nutrient Omission Plot Technique (NOPT) and Rice Crop Manager (RCM) evaluation trials as part of the capacity-building activities of the RCM-Indonesia Project funded by MAFRA, Republic of Korea.

Towards increasing agricultural production of rice fallows in Assam

To discuss opportunities and challenges of using the rice fallows in Assam, the Assam Agriculture University (AAU) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)  organized a workshop on "System intensification and harnessing rice fallows in Assam" under the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) on 6 May 2023 at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati, India.

Building the climate resilience of Bangladesh through climate-risk mapping and adaptation planning

To provide technical support on identifying climate risks and adaptation planning using participatory approaches, the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) conducted a training workshop on Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP) for national and local research partners in Bangladesh. The CS-MAP will support strategic planning and investments in Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram Divisions.