Faster breeding and addressing climate risks prioritized during the South Asia Advancement meetings

By Maria Rowena M. Baltazar

INDIAN INSTITUTE of RICE RESEARCH, Hyderabad (02 April 2024) – The South Asia Advancement meetings, RBI’s annual initiative where scientists come together and select rice lines to be used for recycling as parents or for product development, released one rice line and six others for AICRPR (All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice) testing and amplification in 2024 wet season, respectively, with several more undergoing continuous deliberations for release before the end of April. The advancement of these rice lines will ensure rice production increases in the region at a shorter period tolerant of climate changes.

Hybrid Rice rises to the challenge of slower adoption by South Asian Farmers

INDIAN INSTITUTE of RICE RESEARCH, Hyderabad (05 April 2024) — Increase the yield of hybrid rice to 25 percent greater than inbred varieties. This is the challenge that hybrid rice scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), its National partners, and the private sector must address for South Asian farmers to adopt rice hybrids. The call emerged during the Hybrid Rice Adoption Strategy Workshop that happened during the South Asia Advancement meetings that the IRRI Rice Breeding Innovations (RBI) Department facilitated. The activity took place in the IIRR campus, a NARES partner of IRRI South Asia under Dr. Vikas Kumar Singh, RBI South Asia Breeding lead.