Los Baños, The Philippines
April 14, 2009
The latest from
Rice Today, the
magazine of the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
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Rice varieties with the sub 1 gene being tested at
IRRI. The sub 1 gene is responsible for flood
tolerance in rice. Photo credit: International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI). |
“Scuba rice” that can survive more
than two weeks under water can now be planted by farmers to
improve rice yields on flood prone land in the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh where the variety Swarna-Sub1 has been officially
approved, and the word is other states will follow suit soon.
Rice Today’s April-June 2009 edition features the remarkable
development of the submergence-tolerant rice that has been
warmly accepted by farmers in India and Bangladesh, whose flood
prone land could previously not be used for reliable rice
production.
Rice Today also explores the other end of the rice growing
spectrum, drought. A new partnership between donors, research
agencies, and communities seeks to develop drought tolerant rice
for rice growers in Africa, now dubbed as the new frontier of
rice production.
Following up on his last article that revealed the causes of the
2008 rice price crisis and proposed ways to prevent future rice
price hikes, IRRI’s Dr. Samarendu Mohanty delves deeper into the
rice market to look at rice trading, food security politics, and
nontraditional rice-growing areas to identify ways to increase
rice supply and food security.
In India, a remarkable farmer, Sardar Jagjit Singh Hara, shares
his achievements after receiving an “exceptional farmer” award
from IRRI 25 years ago. Moreover, other leading Indian farmers
relate how they benefited from the Rice-Wheat Consortium’s
practical advice on improving management practices to reduce
rice production costs.
In neighboring Bangladesh, rice farmers also experience the
benefits of applying practical research solutions such as
adopting shorter duration rice varieties, direct seeding, and
weed control to help overcome monga, the hunger months.
Rice Today also announces the key events celebrating IRRI’s
50th anniversary, starting with the launch of the anniversary in
November 2009 by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn of Thailand, at the IRRI headquarters in the
Philippines. |
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