Books

Darwinian Agriculture: How Understanding Evolution Can Improve Agriculture

By R. Ford Denison Published by Princeton University Press, New Jersey, USA. 248 pages.

s human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability.Darwinian Agriculturepresents an entirely new approach to these challenges, one that draws on the principles of evolution and natural selection. R. Ford Denison shows how both biotechnology and traditional plant breeding can use Darwinian insights to identify promising routes for crop genetic improvement and avoid costly dead ends. Prof. Denison explains why plant traits that

have been genetically optimized by individual selectionsuch as photosynthesis and drought toleranceare bad candidates for genetic improvement. Traits like plant height and leaf angle, which determine the collective performance of plant communities, offer more room for improvement. Agriculturalists can also benefit from more sophisticated comparisons among natural communities and from the study of wild species in the landscapes where they evolved. Darwinian Agriculturereveals why it is sometimes better to slow or even reverse evolutionary trends when they are inconsistent with our present goals, and how we can glean new ideas from natural selections marvelous innovations in wild species. n In March 2013, Prof. Denison gave a series of lectures, based on this book, at the International Rice Research Institute. To watch the complete lecture series, go to http://sn.im/ darwinian-agriculture. For more information on how to order the book, visit http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9777.html.

Coming soon
Realizing Africas Rice Promise
Edited by M. Wopereis, D. Johnson, N. Ahmadi, E. Tollens, and A. Jalloh Published jointly by the Africa Rice Center and CABI. 512 pages. ice is a strategic and political crop in many African countries. The hikes in rice prices since 2007 have shown the vulnerability of many African countries that depend on the world market for rice imports and the need to boost Africas domestic production. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive overview of Africas rice sector and ongoing rice research and development activities, and indicate priorities for action on how to realize Africas rice promise, that is, the notion that Africa has sufficient land and water resources to produce enough rice to feed its own population and, in the long term, generate export revenues. The critical challenge facing the African rice sector is to enhance performance in production, processing, and marketing to respond to a major concern that needs to be turned into an opportunity: the growing demand for rice as a preferred staple. Realizing Africas Rice Promise discusses challenges and opportunities related to (i) sustainably increasing rice production and rice productivity; (ii) enhancing rice quality and marketing; (iii) promoting conducive policies for small-holder and agribusiness development; and (iv) strengthening impact-oriented rice research, extension, and knowledge management. The analyses and case studies presented in this book will be a valuable resource for researchers, development agents from public and private sector, rice value chain actors, and policymakers concerned with Realizing Africas Rice Promise. n For more information, visit http://bookshop.cabi.org/?page=2633&pid =2377&site=191.

TR AINING COURSES AT IRRI

Course title Rice: Research to Production Season-long Rice Farming Training Rice Production Course for Iran Phenotyping for Abiotic Stresses Rice Production Techniques for Research Technicians Date 20 May-7June 17 June-18 October 24 June-5 July 1-12 July 12-30 August Venue IRRI, Philippines Rural Development Administration, South Korea PhilRice and IRRI, Philippines Regional Research and Training Center for West Central Asia, Iran IRRI, Philippines IRRI, Philippines Training Workshop on Rice Technology Transfer Systems in Asia 10-21 June

For inquiries, contact IRRITraining@irri.org, m.maghuyop@irri.org, or a.aquino@irri.org. Phone: (63-2) 580-5600 ext 2538 or +639178639317; fax: (63-2) 580-5699, 891-1292, or 845-0606; mailing address: The IRRI Training Center, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines (Attention: TC Course Coordinator); Web site: www.training.irri.org. Note: Fees and schedules are subject to change without prior notice. Rice Today July-September 2013