Rice Today Special Supplement For The World Bank and Japan

Selected features on the impact
of rice research in Africa

Special Supplement for the World Bank and Japan, 3 December 2013
38 Rice Today April-J une 2012 38 Rice Today April-J une 2012
Compiled by Lovely Merlicel Quipot
COUNTRY HIGHLIGHT:
C il d b L l M li l Q i t
IRRI and Japan
J
aan is lhe onIy induslriaIized
counlry vhose agricuIlure is
based on rice, ils slaIe food.
Rice cuIlivalion in }aan vas
inlroduced from China belveen
13,000 and 300 C. Since lhen, rice
farming has had a greal inuence on
lhe sociaI slruclure and cuIlure of lhe
counlry.
Ils rice ecosyslems occur across
a vide range of Ialiludes, incIuding
lhe sublroicaI, lemerale, and
sublemerale zones. AImosl aII rice
is grovn in summer under irrigaled
condilions. Mosl of ils rice heIds are
on lhe Iains of lhe counlry's ma|or
river basins, bul many rice heIds are
aIso found on lerraces and in vaIIeys.
Sacred rice
In lhe 13lh cenlury, rice vas }aan's
currency before China inlroduced
melaI, and rice had a oIilicaI
roIelhe rank of a feudaI Iord vas
delermined by lhe amounl of rice he
roduced or by lhe size of lhe rice-
roducing area of his lerrilory.
In addilion, lhe }aanese relain
a unique regard for rice. Ior lhem,
il is sacred. This reverence for rice is
auribuled lo Shinloism, a }aanese
reIigion. Shinloisls beIieve lhal an
emeror is a descendanl of lhe crealor
of }aan, and lhal naluraI lhings
and henomena have deiliesin
rice resides lhe deily of food. This
beIief, among olhers, makes IocaIIy
roduced rice suerior and lolaIIy
dierenl from foreign rice for lhe
}aanese eoIe.
Early rice science
The earIiesl recorded exerimenls on
rice vere in lhe 1400s and 1500s lo
delermine ils malurily, cuIlivalion,
lrails, and gIulinous roerlies.
y lhe 1800s, many farmers vere
carefuIIy seIecling rice varielies for
Ianling. Aflervard, lhe NalionaI
AgricuIluraI Ixerimenl Slalion in
}aan began seIecling ure Iines of
rice varielies as soon as lhe slalion
vas eslabIished in 1893.
In 1905, }aan deveIoed a rice
seeder, caIIed oclous, lhal couId
seed 16 hiIIs in one move, and il vas
lhen videIy adoled by farmers.
Come 1910, lhe edaI lhresher vas
invenled in lhe counlry.
}aanese rice breeders began
deveIoing varielies for coId loIerance
in 1935, and for bIasl resislance in lhe
1940s. They deveIoed a series of rice
varielies lhal had sli slravs, urighl
Ieaves, good resonse lo ferliIizer,
and high yieId olenliaI.
In lhe earIy 1960s, rice
consumlion er caila vas nearIy
120 kiIograms. ecause of a high
demand for rice, lhe governmenl
invesled in research lo generale
beuer rice varielies and roduclion
lechniques. The governmenl even
Ied a conlesl in search of a rice
farmer vilh lhe highesl yieId in
lhe counlrylhe vinner roduced
around 10 lons er heclare during
lhal lime.
A pioneering partner
}aan has been an imorlanl arlner
lo lhe InlernalionaI Rice Research
Inslilule (IRRI) since lhe Inslilule's
eslabIishmenl. Il rovided Ieadershi
by having a seal on lhe hrsl IRRI
board of lruslees in lhe erson of Dr.
Hiloshi Kihara in 1960. Since lhen,
}aan has aIvays been reresenled on
lhe board, vilh Dr. Mulsuo Ivamolo
as ils currenl reresenlalive.
}aan has aIso Iong been one of
IRRI's mosl generous suorlers,
giving a lolaI of more lhan US$191
miIIion lo IRRI belveen 1971 and
2010. }aan became a member of lhe
CGIAR in 1972.
Japan: fast facts (2009)
Population: 127 million
Total land area: 37.8 million ha
Total rice production: 10.6 million tons
Area planted to rice: 1.6 million ha
Average rice yield: 6.5 t/ha
Amount of rice eaten
per person per year (2007): 56.6 kg
Source: World Rice Statistics, www. irri.org/world-rice-statistics
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On the cover:
Ex-combatant women
in Burundi get a second
chance for a peaceful
life by turning to rice
farming.
39 Rice Today April-J une 2012 39 Rice Today April-J une 2012
Past research collaboration
In ils arlnershi vilh }aan, IRRI
covers a vide range of rice research.
In 1984, }aanese scienlisls vere
assigned by lhe }aan InlernalionaI
Research Cenler for AgricuIluraI
Sciences (}IRCAS) lo vork al IRRI
headquarlers under lhe IRRI-}aan
CoIIaboralive Research Iro|ecl.
In lhe 1980s, research aclivilies
focused on deveIoing Iov-nilrogen-
inul lechnoIogy and on idenlifying
genes lhal are resislanl lo various
races of bacleriaI Ieaf bIighl disease.
Then, in 1989, IRRI and }aan
coIIaboraled on rice doubIe croing.
In 1994, lheir research concenlraled
on lhe adalabiIily of rice lo valer
slress and bIasl disease. Under lhe
Fig. 1. Rice production area and quantity in Japan (19602009).
Source: World Rice Statistics
3.5
Million hectares Million tons
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985
Year
1990 1995 2000 2005
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
Area of harvested rice
Quantity of rice produced
4
2
0
}aan Caacily-uiIding Irogram,
}aan conlinued lo suorl breeding
for bIasl resislance.
}aan aIso invesled in research
for beuer oslharvesl equimenl lhal
is nov being adoled in Soulheasl
Asia.
Moreover, lhe }aanese
governmenl has aIso suorled sociaI
science research under lhe }aan-IRRI
shuuIe rogram. Through inlensive
heId surveys in Asian viIIages, lhe
research reveaIed hov farmers
raidIy modernized lheir farming
once high-yieIding varielies vere
inlroduced. Il shoved lhal modern
rice lechnoIogy has a signihcanl
imacl on overly aIIevialion,
arlicuIarIy among marginaI farmers.
}aan has aIso suorled IRRI lo
deIiver rice markel informalion and
deveIo inlegraled rice cuIlivalion
syslems under valer-saving
condilions. }aan aIso suorled
lhe successfuI deveIomenl of
submergence-loIeranl rice (Sub1
rice).
Current work
IRRI and }aan are nov vorking
logelher in using moIecuIar breeding
lechniques lo deveIo high-yieIding
rice varielies under unfavorabIe
condilions, such as droughl. SeveraI
genes lhal heI rice coe vilh
droughl slress have been reviousIy
idenlihed and characlerized by
}aanese research grous al }IRCAS
and RIKIN (a Iarge naluraI sciences
research inslilule).
CIimale Change Adalalion
in Rainfed Rice Areas (CCARA) is
an ongoing research ro|ecl under
IRRI-}aan coIIaboralion. Il aims lo
deveIo a decision suorl syslem
in rainfed IovIand rice roduclion
based on seasonaI vealher
rediclion.
Il is nolevorlhy lo menlion
lhal, lhrough }IRCAS and lhe
}aan InlernalionaI Cooeralion
Agency (}ICA), lhe counlry has
aIso been a founding slralegic
arlner in lhe GIobaI Rice Science
Iarlnershi (GRiSI), being Ied by
IRRI. Under lhis mega-rogram,
aclivilies incIude acceIeralion of
lhe deveIomenl of high-imacl
varielies in sub-Saharan Africa
and Soulheasl Asia, acceIeralion of
rice variely lesling, arovaI, and
disseminalion lo lhese regions, lhe
buiIding of a nev generalion of
rice breeders, as veII as conducling
socioeconomic surveys.
LaslIy, IRRI and }ICA, vorking
logelher in a ro|ecl lo lrain
exlension agronomisls, recenlIy
broughl 25 arlicianls from hve
African counlries (Mozambique,
Kenya, Rvanda, Uganda, and
Tanzania) lo lhe IhiIiines
for a 17-veek rice knovIedge,
roduclion, and exlension course
(see YouTube video: hu://youlu.be/
YzHAsbCA0a4).
Fig. 2. Average rice yield in Japan (19602007).
Source: World Rice Statistics
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Kilograms/person/year
1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986
Year
1991 1996 2001 2006
3
T
he Republic of Cameroon is
often described as Africa in
miniature because of its rich
diversity of climate, ecology,
landscape, and culture. Few are
aware that the country has huge
potential to not only achieve rice self-
suciency bul aIso become lhe rice
granary of Central Africa.
The country is endowed with
large areas of arable land, abundant
water resources, and favorable
agroclimatic conditions that are
conducive to rice production.
Recognizing its agribusiness
potential, and in response to the food
crisis lhal severeIy aecled Cameroon
in 2008, the government is taking
measures to revitalize the rice sector.
These governmenl eorls lo
improve the countrys food security
are supported by the World Bank, the
International Fund for Agricultural
Development, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Afri-
can Development Bank (AfDB), and
the Food and Agriculture Organiza-
tion of the United Nations (FAO).
Reviving the rice sector
Rice is still a relatively new crop in
certain areas of Cameroon although
the Far North, Northwest, and West
provinces have a long tradition of rice
cultivation.
Moreover, rice is increasingly
becoming an important commodity
fueled by shifts in consumer
preferences and rapid urbanization.
In Tonga, for example, homage is paid
yearly to the farmer who introduced
rice in the region. Here, local rice is
preferred over imported varieties;
when quality concerns are met,
consumers are prepared to pay a
premium for local varieties.
With renewed interest in the
rice sector in recent years, the
Cameroon may soon gain
fame as a rising star in rice
production
Cameroon: Ce
potential ri
Rice Today October-December 2013 36
by Savitri Mohapatra
government is
strengthening the
countrys rural
infrastructure such
as irrigation, milling
and processing
facilities, and farm-
to-market roads.
Government-
owned corporations,
such as the
Company for the
Expansion and
Modernization of
Rice in Yagoua in
Far North province
and the Upper Nun
Valley Development
Authority (UNVDA)
in the Northwest
province, are being
revamped to support
rice farmers.
UNVDA, for
example, supports
about 13,000 rice
farmers, facilitating
their access to
improved seeds, fertilizer, herbicide,
information, and training as well as
equipment rental services for farm
operations.
The company also provides a
market for farmers by buying rice
from them. Thanks to the UNVDA
support, I have been able to pay
school fees for my children and
medical bills from the sale of my rice
harvest, remarked Mr. Ako Thea
Francis, a rice farmer from Ndop.
Connecting researchers
and farmers
The Institute of Agricultural Research
for Development (IRAD) is a public
institution that has been collaborating
with international partners to
develop improved rice varieties
and technologies to increase rice
productivity in the region. Technology
packages developed by IRAD are
shared to farmers for faster adoption.
We multiply the foundation seed
of improved rice varieties received
from IRAD and provide seeds to
farmers at subsidized rates, said
Ms. Lilian Yacoumbo, UNVDA chief
ocer.
Highlighting the vital role of
research in the revival of the rice sec-
tor, IRAD Director General No Woin
said, The government recognizes
the need to support a strong research
and development program to develop
improved technologies for smallhold-
er farmers to help them raise their
output and income.
Serious constraints
ul, desile aII lhese eorls, some
constraints hinder the country from
expanding and intensifying its
rice production. These challenges
include a lack of good-quality
seed and adequate equipment for
labor-intensive tasks, and a lack of
postharvest technologies to make
local rice competitive in the market.
The countrys rice production has
not yet been able to keep pace with
the increasing demand. Over the last
fev years, ils rice seIf-suciency ralio
has been less than 20%, according
to the United States Department
of Agriculture and FAO. In 2012,
Cameroon produced 102,000 tons of
paddy rice and had to import up to
375,000 tons of rice to meet its demand.
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EXCLUSIVE SHOWROOM for rice of the Upper Nun Valley
Development Authority (UNVDA) in Ndop, Cameroon.
4
entral Africas
ice granary
37 Rice Today October-December 2013
Overcoming challenges
Another constraint is the long distance
between the major rice production
facilities and the main cities, which are
hIIed vilh imorled rice ralher lhan
Cameroon-made rice.
Thus, JICA has launched a
program to support mainly the
production of upland rice in the
Center, South, and East provinces
of Cameroon, so that people living
in these areas can eat their own
rice, said Dr. Yoshimi Sokei, a JICA
advisor based in Yaound.
The National Rice Development
Strategy, drafted in 2009 within
the framework of the Coalition for
African Rice Development, has an
ambitious aim to raise domestic
production to 627,250 tons by 2018.
To achieve this vision, the Cameroon
government has deployed the
following strategies.
Building rural enterprises
Some challenges are being tackled
through collaborative research such
as the innovative Common Fund for
Commodities (CFC)-funded project
on Improving the competitiveness of
local rice in Central
Africa. Carried out
by AfricaRice and
its national partners
from Cameroon,
the Central African
Republic, and Chad,
it aims to build
rural enterprises
through co-sharing
mechanisms.
Upland
and lowland
NERICA varieties
selected through
participatory
varietal selection
were introduced
along with
improved crop
management
practices to boost
rice productivity.
After that, the
project established
a rapid-impact
seed program,
postharvest
technologies, processing activities,
and links with input dealers and
microhnance inslilulions.
To ensure competitiveness,
one-stop shop quality-processing
centers, were established to enhance
quality along the whole value chain
from seed through milling, sorting,
and packaging to marketing, said
Ms. Dorothy Malaa, IRAD national
project coordinator.
The quality-processing center in
Ndop, which was inaugurated in 2013
by Cameroon's minisler of scienlihc
research and innovalion, leslihes lo
the success of this model.
Quality rice as well as rice bran
and other by-products are sold
to both wholesalers and retailers.
The production and marketing
of rice our have oened u nev
opportunities for women farmers
who can process and sell rice-based
products.
Focus on postharvest
technologies
Cameroon is one of eight pilot
countries that are partnering
in a pioneering Canada-funded
project to enhance the quality and
marketability of locally produced
rice through improved harvest and
postharvest technologies.
The project, which is carried
out by AfricaRice with its partners,
aims to develop and evaluate suitable
harvest and postharvest technologies
that help produce quality rice
products that respond to market
demand.
The project gives households
opportunities to raise their income
by promoting the development of
new rice-based products and rice by-
products. Now, it is exploring the use
of rice for roducing forlihed food
items.
Strengthening the capacity of
rice stakeholders throughout the
value chain, from farmers through
millers and parboilers to marketers,
is a major part of the project, said
Dr. Jean Moreira, AfricaRice project
coordinator.
Looking forward
The Cameroon rice sector is
increasingIy benehling from
collaborative research for
development activities carried
out by AfricaRice and its partners
with support from several donors,
including the AfDB, CFC, Canada,
the European Union, Japan, the Arab
Bank for Economic Development
in Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, and the Global Rice
Science Partnership, the CGIAR
Research Program on Rice.
IRAD is involved in all the
Africa-wide Rice Task Forces covering
breeding, agronomy, processing
and value addition, mechanization,
policy, and gender. It has welcomed
an approach, rice sector development
hubs, for greater coherence and
imacl and has idenlihed lhree
hubs representing the main rice
ecosystems in the country.
With all these measures in place,
Cameroon is well on its way to realize
its vision for a high-quality rice sector
serving the entire region.
Ms. Mohapatra is the head of Marketing
and Communications at AfricaRice.
yyyyy
Ndop Rice Value Chain Cooperative
Quality Processing and Training
Center, Ndop, Cameroon.
5
16 Rice Today April-J une 2013
U
gandawidely known
as the pearl of Africa
for its exquisite natural
beauly, diverse ora and
fauna, and rich mosaic of cultures
is auracling auenlion loday as a
potential rice basket for eastern
Africa.
Over the last few years, Uganda
has been experiencing a remarkable
rice boom supported by good farming
practices, premium market prices,
and favorable policies that have
stimulated large private investment
in the rice sector.
The growth of Ugandas rice
production has contributed to greater
food security and a reduction in
rice imports. For instance, according
to the Ugandan government, rice
imports dropped between 2005 and
2008, which helped save the country
about US$30 million in foreign
exchange earnings.
The area sown to rice nearly
doubled from about 80,000 hectares in
2002 to about 150,000 hectares in 2011.
Similarly, paddy production jumped
from about 120,000 tons in 2002 to
more than 220,000 tons in 2011.
The rice industry in the country
has rapidly moved from improved
seed to production to processing
and to the markets over the last few
years, said Robert Anyang, program
ocer of IubIic-Irivale Iarlnershi
and Market Access at Sasakawa
Global 2000 (SG2000).
This is a feal lhal severaI rice-
roducing counlries in sub-Saharan
Africa would like to achieve. Yet, 10
years ago, Uganda was barely known
as a rice-roducing counlry in lhe
region. So, what triggered the rice
transformation?
NERICA flls the void
In 2000 and 2001, when the price
of maize plunged in the region,
Ugandas government and farmers
were desperate for an alternative crop
that could provide food security and
income.
Through the timely assistance
provided by SG2000 and the National
Agricultural Research Organization
(NARO), shorl-duralion NIRICA
varieties developed by the Africa
Rice Cenler (AfricaRice), incIuding
NIRICA 1, 4, and 10, vere idenlihed
as a suitable replacement for maize.
NIRICA 4 vas reIeased in 2002 and
foIIoved by NIRICA 1 and 10.
In a shorl lime, NIRICA 4
became so popular that, by 2008, it
occupied almost 70% of the upland
area under production, said Dr.
Jimmy Lamo, a rice breeder at NARO.
The turning point
Gilbert Bukenya, the then vice
residenl of Uganda, idenlihed
upland rice as a major strategic
intervention for food security and
poverty reduction. Because of Dr.
ukenya's advocacy, Iresidenl Yoveri
Museveni launched the Upland
Rice Iro|ecl in 2004. This is videIy
acknowledged as the turning point for
the growth of Ugandas rice sector.
The campaign encouraged several
nongovernment organizations (NGOs)
and development partners to join
forces with the Ugandan government.
These were the Japan International
Cooeralion Agency, lhe Uniled
Nalions DeveIomenl Irogramme, lhe
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, Oxfam, and the
United States Agency for International
Development, in addition to SG2000.
The government and these
arlners made ma|or eorls lo
promote rice and strengthen the
capacity of rice farmers, millers,
traders, and extension workers.
The rice scheme also motivated
rivale-seclor Iayers such as
NASICO Seed Comany, Grov More
Seeds, IearI Seeds, Vicloria Seeds, and
IICA Seeds.
The UIand Rice Iro|ecl is
a success slory of ubIic-rivale
partnership, with each partner playing
a roIe from research lo hnaI roducl
and commercialization, said Nicolai
Rodeyns, managing director of
NASICO Seed Comany. NASICO
Ugandas rice imports decreased and its food security improved because of its
growing rice production
UGANDA:
blazing a trail
to rice success
by Savitri Mohapatra R
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was instrumental in the production
and disseminalion of cerlihed seed
of NIRICA 4 under lhe lrade name
Suparica 2.
The breakthrough
However, the real breakthrough
for Ugandas rice sector occurred in
lhe mid-2000s vhen lhe Ugandan
government lobbied successfully
for lhe Iasl African Communily lo
imose a 75% lari on rice imorls
(35% for Kenya), according to Mr.
Anyang.
As the Ugandan government
didnt have the money to support
subsidies, this was a good way to
romole ils edgIing rice induslry
and rolecl farmers from lhe inux of
cheap imported rice, he commented.
The shift in government policy
further stimulated rice production
in the country and motivated the
private sector to invest heavily in the
sector. The focus gradually shifted
from increasing rice production to
improving postharvest handling,
value addition, and marketing.
According lo Mr. VenugoaI
Iookal, direclor of TiIda Uganda Lld.,
one of lhe Ieading rice-roducing
companies in the country, locally
produced rice can replace imported
rice, onIy if il can be rice-comelilive,
branded with consistent quality, and
readily available on the market. Tilda
Uganda Lld. roduces dierenl lyes
of rice lo hII dierenl markel niches.
Similarly, small entrepreneurs
have seized the opportunity to add
value by developing niche products
such as parboiled rice, which is not
commonly available in Uganda.
Market integration
IubIic- and rivale-seclor arlners
in Ugandas rice sector are aware
lhal agricuIluraI inlensihcalion goes
hand in hand with agricultural sector
development and market integration
at all levels.
The activities involved in rice
value addition have potential to create
wealth for all in the value chain,
including farmers, transporters,
middlemen, millers, traders, and the
economy, exIained Mr. IhiIi Idro,
former Ugandan ambassador lo China
and current director of Upland Rice
Millers Ltd. (URM).
The URM rice factory in Jinja,
in eastern Uganda, is helping rice
farmers to become part of agribusiness
networks through which they can sell
surplus crops and invest in their farms.
For example, rice farmers who bring
their paddy to the factory for milling
hnd a ready markel as lhey meel vilh
rice traders at the same place.
As long as farmers have a market,
they always respond positively to that
market so production is no longer an
issue, explained Ms. Joan Rutaroh,
program director of the Uganda
Development Trust, a local NGO that
provides technical assistance and
arranges agribusiness loans for small
and medium rice enterprises.
Joyce Lalam Otema, a rice farmer
from Gulu, agreed. With rice, you
can'l go vrong, she observed. Iach
time you get a good yield, all the rice
is sold in 23 months. You can either
sell it locally or go to the nearest mill.
In addition to a large mill owned
by Tilda Uganda Ltd., the country
has 15 medium-sized miIIs and aboul
850 small mills with polishers and
whiteners.
Lowland rice production
The boom in Ugandas rice production
is also partly due to the resurgence of
the Kibimba Rice Scheme. It currently
produces about 20,000 tons of rice per
year, which is 20% of the total rice
produced in the country.
Although rice schemes are huge,
they are still small considering
Uganda has about 500,000 hectares
of land suitable for seasonal lowland
rice production. According to the
National Rice Development Strategy,
Uganda is expected to produce up
to 335,000 tons of rice in 2013 and
500,000 tons in 2018. New lowland
rice varieties are expected to be
released soon by NARO.
With everything in place,
including the right policy and all the
actors, the support of rice research
arlners lhrough lhe nev CGIAR
GIobaI Rice Science Iarlnershi
(GRiSI), and vilh lhe rivale seclor,
we can achieve this goal in the next 5
years, said Mr. Anyang.
Ms. Mohapatra is the head of Marketing
and Communications at Africa Rice
Center.
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I
t was a proud moment for three
PhD students from West Africa
participating in the graduation
ceremony at the University of
KvaZuIu-NalaI, IielermariLburg,
South Africa. They had just
taken a decisive step forward in
fuIhIIing lheir dream of becoming
biolechnoIogy seciaIisls.
Mounirou El-Hassimi Sow
of Niger, Honor Kam of Burkina
Faso, and Kouadio Nasser Yao of
Cte d'Ivoire all had worked in
lhe biolechnoIogy Iaboralory of
the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
in Cotonou, Benin, under the
supervision of Marie-Noelle
Ndjiondjop. Their sense of pride was
shared by Guslave D|edalin from
Benin, who successfully defended his
PhD thesis in front of an international
panel of scientists at the University of
Abomey-CaIavi in enin.
These students have each
made ma|or conlribulions lo gIobaI
knowledge of rice in Africa, declared
Prof. Mark Laing, director, African
Centre for Crop Improvement at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal. They
are also keen to apply their newly
acquired skills in their respective
countries.
Their doctoral research was
supported through a USAID-funded
AfricaRice project on the application
of marker-assisted selection (MAS).
This aims lo hnd soIulions lo rice
yeIIov mouIe virus (RYMV) infeclion
(see the news report on page 8) and
lvo olher devaslaling rice biolic
stresses, African rice gall midge
(AfRGM) and bacleriaI Ieaf bIighl
(BLB).
As part of their studies, the
students traveled thousands of
kiIomelers by molorcycIe and boal
to interview rice farmers and collect
their local varieties. Mounirou, for
inslance, coIIecled aboul 270 IocaI
rice varieties, many of which face
extinction. These varieties were then
characlerized lhrough heId lriaIs
and DNA rohIes for use as arenlaI
maleriaI in breeding for RYMV
resistance.
The making of a work force
In rice breeding, lhe eciency of
MAS to transfer major rice genes is
nov videIy recognized as il oers
rice breeders a beuer oorlunily lo
develop varieties that are resistant
to diseases and pests and tolerant of
abiolic slresses.
However, many African countries
lack adequate local research capacity
in this area. In response to a strong
demand from ils member counlries,
AfricaRice is progressively helping
develop a work force of national
Giving an EDGE to young
African researchersby Savitri Mohapatra
DR. NDJIONDJOP of AfricaRice, second from left, is
helping national partners to use molecular breeding
techniques to speed up the process of developing
disease- and pest-resistant rice varieties.
Training Africas national partners in rice biotechnology
8
researchers trained to apply
moIecuIar bioIogy lechniques
critical to solving agricultural
robIems.
For Dr. Ndjiondjop, the
overall strategy is to advance
Africa toward the concept of
modern breeders lo ecienlIy
exploit this potential for food
security in Africa.
The USAID-sponsored
PhD training was the starting
point of this strategy, which has
conlribuled lo lhe slrenglhening
of the capacity of the national
agricultural research and
extension systems (NARES)
and has a signihcanl imacl on
agricultural research in West
Africa, said Dr. Ndjiondjop.
For instance, Kam Honor now
Ieads lhe moIecuIar Iaboralory
eslabIished in his home counlry.
Dr. Ndjiondjop is the driving
force behind moIecuIar bioIogy
research at AfricaRice relating
resislance lo a number of biolic
constraints. She and her team
have lrained more lhan 60
NARES researchers, including
PhD and MSc students from
Africa, in moIecuIar breeding.
AfricaRice is actively
helping the NARES acquire the
necessary skills and equipment
lo faciIilale breeding invoIving MAS.
Ils modern biolechnoIogy faciIily
in Cotonou, Benin, is used for rice
breeding and enabIes nalionaI
partners and students to learn on the
|ob or gain hands-on exerience.
At AfricaRice, I have not only
been lrained in moIecuIar breeding
and statistical analysis of research
dala bul I vas aIso exosed lo lhe
techniques of managing germplasm
and heId research exerimenls,
said Mounirou Sow. Thanks to this
lhorough background, he has been
selected for the multiyear training
rogram of CGIAR's Generalion
ChaIIenge Irogramme (GCI). He
is now involved in sharing his
knowledge and skills with his
colleagues from various countries.
The hands-on experience
gained by lhe sludenls lhrough lheir
invoIvemenl in coIIaboralive research,
training programs, and technology
lransfer ro|ecls is very vaIuabIe,
explained Dr. Ndjiondjop.
The lrainees aIso benehl grealIy
from the partnerships that AfricaRice
has developed with advanced
research institutions, particularly
in France (Institut de recherch
pour le dveloppement and Centre
de coopration internationale en
recherche agronomique pour le
dveloppement) and the United States
(Cornell University), and through
lhe GCI, CGIAR sisler cenlerslhe
International Center for Tropical
Agriculture and the International
Rice Research Insliluleas veII
as with national programs and
universities in Africa.
Adequate infrastructure
Realizing the importance of
adequate research infrastructure in
nalionaI Iaboralories lo ensure
that scientists can apply their
newly acquired skills when
they return to their countries,
Dr. Ndjiondjop and her
team have helped purchase
equimenl and eslabIished lhe
hrsl nalionaI moIecuIar bioIogy
Iaboralories in four Wesl
African countries (Burkina
Iaso, The Gambia, Guinea, and
Mali).
Trained nalionaI sla
members need lo have lhese
facilities to introduce MAS into
lheir breeding rograms and
to transfer resistance genes
into elite varieties, said Dr.
Ndjiondjop. Moreover, national
scientists can use these facilities
to apply molecular techniques
and MAS in many dierenl
crops, not just rice.
AfricaRice is now helping
the national programs to run
lheir moIecuIar Iaboralories,
lhrough moIecuIar breeding
ro|ecls being imIemenled
in Burkina Faso, Mali, and
Nigeria, funded by lhe GCI.
It is also helping its
arlners lo eslabIish nev
moIecuIar bioIogy Iaboralories
or upgrade the capacity of
existing ones in several West
African countries involved in USAID-
West and Central African Council
for Agricultural Research and
Development (CORAF/WECARD)
projects.
We will continue training
our national partners in molecular
techniques and MAS through a
genetic and genomic platform
focusing on low-cost, high-
lhroughul genolying based al
AfricaRice, said Dr. Ndjiondjop.
The platform will facilitate the
expansion of molecular research
aclivilies lhroughoul sub-Saharan
Africa for rapid development of new
varieties. It will also help update
the knowledge of conventional
breeders in moIecuIar breeding and
help them understand the tools,
statistical software, and experimental
designs required for eeclive use of
molecular markers.
YOUNG AFRICANS, such as Mounirou Sow from Niger, who have been
trained in the AfricaRice biotechnology laboratory are dedicated to
applying molecular breeding and transferring the technology to other
staff members in their respective countries (above). AfricaRices
biotechnology facility in Cotonou, Benin, enables national partners
and students to learn on the job or gain hands-on experience in
marker-assisted breeding.
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32 Rice Today J uly-September 2012
R
eminiscing about his early
years, Baboucarr Manneh
said lhal his hrsl exerience
with research was a few
months after high school in 1988.
He served as a hatchery assistant in
an aquaculture lab where he looked
afler lhe deveIomenl of liger shrim
larvae.
Dr. Manneh Iiked lhis exerience
so much lhal he aIied for an honors
rogram in marine bioIogy. ul,
as fale vouId have il, I ended u
geuing a schoIarshi lo sludy generaI
agriculture and eventually studied
Ianl breeding and biolechnoIogy
with a focus on rice, he said.
Since seafood and rice are
eseciaIIy ouIar in The Gambia
the smallest country on mainland
Africail is nol surrising lhal
Dr. Manneh's research exerience
encomassed bolh, aIbeil al dierenl
stages of his career.
A lover of nature and science
Born to a farming family in a small
village called Sukuta, Dr. Manneh
has always been fascinated with
the beauty and diversity of nature.
Quile alIy, his favorile sub|ecls vere
biology, chemistry, and agriculture.
Il vas my desire lo aIy an
underslanding of bioIogicaI rocesses
lo imrove Iiving syslems lhal drove
me to study biotechnology, he said.
His farming rools heIed him
understand that science is not only
a tool to uncover the mysteries of
nalure bul lhal il aIso rovides a
overfuI means of heIing eoIe
and imroving lheir Iives. His
rofession as an agricuIluraI scienlisl
gave him an oorlunily lo heI
farmers through research.
For Dr. Manneh, working
vilh farmers is bolh en|oyabIe and
humbling. He is most touched when
farmers genuineIy areciale lhe
eorls of scienlisls and exlension
vorkers lo imrove lheir IiveIihoods.
They are oflen viIIing lo oer lheir
last chicken to a visiting agricultural
ocer, he remarked. Therefore, no
amounl of eorl is loo much vhen ve
are lrying lo assisl such arecialive
eoIe.
A serious worker
Afler hnishing his bacheIor of
science degree, Dr. Manneh |oined
the National Agricultural Research
Inslilule (NARI)The Gambia's main
From
tiger
shrimp
to rice
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A rice breeder from The Gambia looks back at his humble
rccis an! rsi |ctc uiin inc |cauiq an! !itcrsiiq cj naiurc
10
fellow in the Biotechnology Unit in
Cotonou, Benin, where he worked
closely with his team on using
marker-assisted selection and
convenlionaI breeding aroaches lo
deveIo droughl-loIeranl rice.
Drought stress causes substantial
cro Iosses yearIy in Africa, and
AfricaRice is invoIved in deveIoing
drought-tolerant rice varieties that
roduce slabIe yieIds in rainfed
systems in Africa.
The lhreal of cIimale change is
aggravaling lhe droughl robIem.
One of lhe mosl viabIe olions lo
enabIe farmers lo adal lo cIimale
change is the use of rice varieties
with good drought tolerance, Dr.
Manneh said.
An advocate for partnership
Dr. Manneh is a strong advocate for
arlnershi. No singIe research or
deveIomenl inslilulion has lhe re-
sources to tackle the challenges faced
in converting Africa from a net food
imorler lo a nel food exorler, he
observed. Hence, his unit has estab-
lished strong collaboration with inter-
national agricultural research centers
and with local and regional universi-
ties to foster research and contribute to
buiIding lhe caacily of Africa's nexl
generalion of Ianl breeders.
In viev of his vork exerience,
Dr. Manneh was the natural choice
to lead the coordination of the
AfricaRice comonenl of lhe ro|ecl
Slress-ToIeranl Rice for Africa and
Soulh Asia (STRASA). Launched
in 2008, lhe ro|ecl focuses on
loIerance of hve ma|or abiolic
slressesdroughl, submergence,
saIinily, iron loxicily, and Iov
lemeralure.
With funding by the Bill &
MeIinda Gales Ioundalion lo
the International Rice Research
Inslilule (IRRI), STRASA invoIves
AfricaRice and the national
rograms of 18 counlries in sub-
Saharan Africa. The ro|ecl is
nov in ils second hase.
Dr. Takashi Kumashiro,
Ieader of lhe Genelic Diversily
and Imrovemenl Irogram al
AfricaRice, soke highIy of Dr.
Manneh's ecienl managemenl
of lhis ro|ecl comonenl, vhich
involves collaboration across
conlinenls and lime zones. He
has a very sound background
in aII areas of Ianl breeding,
including molecular biology.
Dr. Manneh is convinced that the
avaiIabiIily of imroved rice-based
lechnoIogies, eseciaIIy slress-loIeranl
varieties, would make sub-Saharan
Africa's imorlanl food and cash cro
adalabIe lo cIimale change.
When farmers are cerlain lhal
lhe varielies lhey are Ianling are
caabIe of loIeraling slresses, lhey
will invest more resources, time,
and energy inlo lheir heIds, he said.
This in lurn can heI increase rice
roduclion and uIlimaleIy imrove
farmers livelihoods.
ii
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MM
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hh
agricuIluraI research inslilulehrsl
as an assislanl research ocer in lhe
Agricultural Engineering Unit and
then in the Socioeconomics Unit.
Iarl of his vork vas lo heI deveIo
and evaIuale oslharvesl equimenl
for rice and coarse grains and to
conduct socioeconomic surveys on
lhe adolion of imroved agricuIluraI
technologies.
Since Dr. Manneh was keen to
continue his studies, he was granted
a study leave by NARI to follow a
masler's rogram al Wageningen
University in the Netherlands,
seciaIizing in cro breeding. On his
relurn, he vas aoinled head of lhe
CereaIs Research Irogram al NARI
and became a manager for lhe Sau
AgricuIluraI Slalionlhe biggesl
regional agricultural station in the
country.
Dr. Manneh was very serious
and hard-working and we were
sure that he was going to succeed
in his career, said Dr. Samuel
ruce-OIiver, vho vas heading
NARI al lhal lime. We vere
aIso imressed vilh his skiIIs
in managing lhe Sau slalion,
which hosts more than a hundred
research and exlension sla vilh
their families as well as other
governmenl ociaIs and R&D
arlners.
Thanks lo NARI's heI, Dr.
Manneh vas abIe lo ursue
advanced studies on genetic,
hysioIogicaI, and modeIing
aroaches lovard saIinily
loIerance and Iov-nilrogen suIy
in rice when he was awarded
a IhD sandvich feIIovshi by
Wageningen University in 1998.
He conducled his IhD research
with awards from the Netherlands
Organizalion for Scienlihc Research
and the International Foundation for
Science.
Rising through the ranks
Dr. Manneh continued to be
associated with NARI, where he rose
to become a director of research and
advisor to the Minister of Agriculture
on seed and biotechnology issues.
In 2005, he |oined lhe Africa Rice
Cenler (AfricaRice) as a osldocloraI
Afler |oining lhe Cenler as a
osldoc, Dr. Manneh has since risen
lo lhe osl of rinciaI scienlisl
and he is now an irrigated lowland
breeder based at the Sahel regional
slalion in Sainl Louis, SenegaI. Since
arriving at the station in 2008, he has
heIed broaden irrigaled IovIand
breeding activities there to cover
breeding for high yieId olenliaI and
adalalion lo environmenlaI slresses
such as lemeralure exlremes,
saIinily, and ooding, using bolh
conventional and molecular breeding
aroaches.
DR. MANNEH believes that improved
rice-based technologies would make
sub-Saharan Africa's rice adaptable to
climate change.
11
26 Rice Today J anuary-March 2012
E
thiopia, Africas oldest
independent country and the
cradle of an ancient civilization,
is fast emerging as one of the big
rice-producing countries in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Area rose from 6,000 hectares
in 2005 to nearly 222,000 hectares in
2010 and paddy production from 15,460
tons to 887,400 tons, Dr. Tereke Berhe,
former regional rice coordinator at
Sasakawa Africa Association and current
special advisor for rice at the Agriculture
Transformation Agency in Ethiopia, said.
At the same time, the number of rice
farmers increased from 18,000 to more
than 565,000.
Millennium crop
Although rice has just been recently
introduced to Ethiopia, recognizing its
importance as a food security crop and
a source of income and employment
opportunities, the government of
Ethiopia has named it the millennium
crop, and has ranked it among the
priority commodities of the country.
The national rice research and
development strategy (NRRDS) for
2010-19 has been prepared to tackle
rice-related progress in rice value chain,
postharvest, grain quality, and marketing
issues.
According to Dr. Berhe, the rice
sector in the country saw a phenomenal
growth from 2005 to 2010.
Abundant rice
Until a few years ago, the staple food
crops in Ethiopia were maize, wheat,
sorghum, and teIIa fne grain unique
to the country, which is used for making
injera, a traditional Ethiopian bread.
Rice started to be recognized in the
country because of its good productivity,
Rice is now a major livelihood option for farmers in Ethiopia
and an important crop for the countrys food security
available labor, and vast areas suitable for
both rainfed and irrigated systems.
In Ethiopia, about 30 million
hectares are suitable for rice, according
to the NRRDS. Vertisols, or black clay
soils, are abundant in the country and
have a high agricultural potential. But,
these are diIfcult to work with, as they
are hardwhen dry and sticky when
wet.
Earlier, farmers used to abandon
the waterlogged vertisols in the Fogera
plainsa major rice belt in northwestern
Ethiopiaduring the rainy season,
explained Bayuh Belay Abera, national
rice research coordinator at Adet
Agricultural Research Center in Bahir
Dar.
But now rice serves as a major
livelihood option in this area, said Mr.
Abera. When farmers saw that it grows
well under waterlogged conditions, they
have switched to this crop in the rainy
season and have become prosperous
since then.
Rice has also become popular
because it can be used to make many
valuable by-products, such as rice husk,
rice bran, and beer. It can also partially or
fully replace teff in the making of injera.
Contribution of research
Thanks to active rice R&D activities and
with strong support from the Ethiopian
government, Sasakawa Global 2000
(SG 2000), and the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (J ICA), farmers
have access to several improved varieties
and crop management techniques.
SG 2000 introduced NERICA rice
varieties from the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice). In the last few years,
NERICA 1 and NERICA 2 have been
oIfcially released Ior both upland and
Ethiopias
millennium crop
Rice
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RICE HAS become a protable crop for farmers
of Fogera District in northwestern Ethiopia.
12
irrigated ecologies; NERICA 3,
NERICA 4, and SUPARICA
1 for upland ecologies;
and NERICA 14,
NERICA 15, and
NERICA 16 for
irrigated ecologies.
In addition,
various other improved
varieties, such as Shebele
(IR688059-76-3-3-3-2), Gode-1
(BG-90-2), and Hoden (MTU-
1001), have been released for
irrigated systems. Among the
traditional varieties, farmers
continue to grow X-jigna,
which was introduced by the North
Koreans for the rainfed lowlands.
However, since much of the
arable land in the country is located in
mid to high altitudes, cold-tolerant rice
varieties are essential for these areas.
As part of the IRRI-AfricaRice joint
Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South
Asia (STRASA) project, researchers are
focusing on developing cold-tolerant rice
varieties for such regions.
We have been evaluating varieties
for cold tolerance in partnership with
the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural
Research and the Amhara Region
Agricultural Research Institute, said
Dr. Negussie Zenna, an AfricaRice
researcher who is closely involved with
the STRASA project.
As a result of this work, two cold-
ONE OF the main thrusts of the national
rice development strategy in Ethiopia is the
promotion of postharvest technologies such
as rice threshers and rice mills.
DR. TADESSE Lakew, rice breeder at Adet Agricultural
Research Center, shows variety WAB 189, which was
released in 2011 for the rainfed lowlands.
DR. BAYUH Belay Abera, national rice research
coordinator at Adet Agricultural Research Center in
Ethiopia, hopes to strengthen R&D partnership with
international organizations.
tolerant varieties have been selected
FOFIFA 3737 from the Madagascar
national program released in 2010 for
the irrigated ecology and WAB 189 from
AfricaRice released in 2011 for rainfed
lowlands. Through participatory varietal
selection, Iarmers confrmed that both
varieties have acceptable grain quality.
The farmers showed great interest
in WAB 189 because of its earliness, high
yield, and good biomass, said Tadesse
Lakew, rice breeder at Adet Center.
Dr. Lakew is among the new
generation of young African rice scientists
who are trained through the AfricaRice
Breeding Task Force, which has been
launched to build the rice breeding
capacity of national partners and stimulate
the delivery of improved technologies
through strong partnership between
international and national rice scientists.
Such partnership will be vital to
realizing the Ethiopian governments
plan to raise paddy production to about
4 million tons in 2019 and increase rice
area to 774,000 hectares.
Paddy production in Ethiopia, 2005-2010
13
18 Rice Today October-December 2011 18 Rice Today October-December 2011
COUNTRY SNAPSHOT:
IRRI in Burundi
Burundi: fast facts
Population (July 2011 estimate): 10.2 million
1

Total land area (2011): 2.8 million ha
1
Annual rice consumption (2007): 6.2 kg/person
2
Area of rice production (2008): 21,000 ha
2
Average rice yield (2008): 3.38 tons per ha
2
1
CIA World Factbook
2
World Rice Statistics, www.irri.org/world-rice-statistics
R
ice was introduced in Burundi
in 1890, but it did not develop
until 1968, when the frst
irrigated scheme of 2,550
hectares was installed.
Traditionally, in Burundi, rice was
eaten only once or twice a year during
feasts and festivals. In the 1980s, with
the introduction of locally adapted rice
and the distribution of rice in schools
and the military by the government,
it rapidly became popular. Now, many
Burundians eat rice every day.
Burundi has three major rice-
producing ecologies: the irrigated
areas of the Imbo plain, the rainfed
(nonirrigated) areas of Imbo and Moso
lowlands, and the nonirrigated areas of
the elevated marshland region.
Rice is grown once a year in
Compiled by Sophie Clayton
Burundi. The International
Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) estimates that, in
2010, about 75,000 tons of rough
rice wereproduced in the country,
and another 40,000 tons of rice
were imported.
IRRI in Burundi
IRRI started working in Burundi in 2008
when a Memorandum of Understanding
between the country and the Institute was
signed. The beginnings of this agreement
came after current IRRI Liaison Scientist
and Coordinator for Burundi Joseph
Bigirimana attended the Rice Research
to Production Training Course at IRRI
in 2006.
IRRI now has an oIfce within the
University of Burundi campus, in the
na
tu
hat
to
in
to
ational
ute
t, in
ons of rough
n the country,
ons of rice
IRRI Sites
Lowland
High elevation
Ngozi
Akagoma
Gihanga
Mugerero
Bujumbura
Kirundo
Kireka
Muramba
Cankuzo-Mishiha
Mbaraga
Mwiruzi
Mutimbuzi
Kirekura
Kinama
Mubone
Rugombo
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19 Rice Today October-December 2011 19 Rice Today October-December 2011
7
Kilograms per person per year
Burundi: average rice consumption
1961-2007
1961 1966 1971 1976 1981
Year
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
capital city of Bujumbura, and employs
six staff: a liaison scientist/coordinator,
four research technicians, and an
administrative assistant.
Rice research and capacity building
The institutions involved in rice research
in Burundi are IRRI, the faculties of
agricultural sciences at the University of
Burundi and the University of Ngozi, and
the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques
du Burundi.
Rice breeding
Since 2009, IRRI`s Burundi oIfce has
received and tested 670 rice varieties
from IRRI headquarters. Variety
IR77713 is due for release in 2011,
pending national approval. It is suitable
for irrigated areas on the Imbo plain,
where it can yield an average of 6.57
tons per hectare, which is 1.5 tons per
hectare more than the average yields of
current popular local varieties. It matures
23 weeks earlier, providing grain and
food earlier in the season and leaving
more time to grow other crops. Another
pending variety is IR79511.
Farmers have feld- and quality-
tested IR77713 and IR79511 and they
have ranked both varieties higher
in terms of grain quality (unmilled,
milled, and cooked rice) than the current
varieties.
IRRI continues to develop more
high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties
suited to Burundi, such as varieties with
better tolerance of cold temperatures,
salinity, and iron toxicity and resistance
to blast and sheath rot.
Rice production training for women
In 2010, 398 ex-combatant women were
trained in a joint IRRI-CARE project
in all aspects of rice production. (See
Women of war turn to rice in Burundi on
page 28.)
Tackling blast
Blast is the most serious disease that
affects rice production in Burundi. A
total of 29 rice lines, each containing one
blast-resistance gene, have been feld-
tested in two hot spots in the country.
Results showed that nine genes had
resistance to local strains of leaf and neck
blast. Breeding programs will now focus
on these genes in an effort to improve
resistance to local blast strains.
Collaboration and policy
IRRI works together with
nongovernment organizations and
national, regional, and international
stakeholders in Burundi. It also plays
an active role in the national committee
for rice-sector development under the
Ministry of Agriculture in Burundi.
Small-scale mechanization
IRRI has trained its technicians in
Burundi to use its recently acquired
two-wheeled hand tractor and thresher.
Now, it aims to demonstrate the use
of the equipment to farmers. Using
these farm machines can save time,
labor, and money, which can then help
lower rice prices. IRRI is talking with
the Burundi government to plan for
increased eIfciency in rice production
through mechanization and also to look
at alternative employment options for
farm laborers.
Capacity building
IRRI is actively encouraging and
supporting the education and training of
Burundian rice researchers, technicians,
and extension oIfcers through short
courses and graduate studies (MSc
and PhD). In addition, the Institute
is looking at developing a Burundi
Rice Knowledge Banka Web-
based repository of best practices and
information about all aspects of rice
production specifc to Burundi. It also
aims to extend its Iarmer feld schools
beyond the Imbo plain to other rice-
growing areas in Burundi.
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DR. JOSEPH Bigirimana,
liaison scientist, hosts
a visit of ofcials at an
IRRI site in Burundi.
EX-COMBATANT women in Burundi are
learning to grow rice through IRRI.
15
R
ice breeders in sub-
Saharan Africa (SSA)
are an endangered
species, according to Dr.
Moussa Si, Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice) senior scientist.
Since classical plant breeding
is no longer fashionable, very
few students are taking up this
discipline, he remarked. Even
the handful of rice breeders who
are working in national programs
today are generally above 45 years
old.
A survey, which was
conducted among AfricaRices
member countries, verifes his
observation. It showed that even
a country the size of Nigeria has
only two rice breeders. Africa
needs trained rice breedersmost
African countries have none, said
Kof Annan, chair oI the Alliance
for a Green Revolution in Africa,
pointing out the lack of national
capacity in rice breeding.
Drawing attention to the
desperate lack of research
and extension capacity, which
threatens to impede the progress
in developing Africas rice sector,
participants of the Second Africa Rice
Congress, held in March 2010, urged
African governments and their partners
to substantially strengthen the training
and retention of new staff.
The Congress also called for the
revival of the successful Task Force
approach, introduced by AfricaRice in
the 1990s. The Task Force consists of
an Africa-wide collective research for
development effort on critical thematic
areas in the rice sector, based on the
principles of sustainability, buildup
of critical mass, and ownership by the
national agricultural research systems
(NARS).
The Africa Rice Breeding Task Force
In response to this call, the Africa Rice
Breeding Task Force was launched in
June 2010 to regroup scarce human
resources devoted to rice breeding in
Africa and help build a new generation of
rice breeders across the continent.
The main thrust of the Breeding
Task Force is to adopt a systematic
collaborative approach to rice breeding
that will build much-needed
rice breeding capacity, facilitate
access of African rice breeders
to new materials, stimulate rice
germplasm evaluation across
the continent, and, in general,
shorten the time needed to deploy
new climate-resilient and stress-
tolerant rice varieties for major
production systems in SSA.
The international
agricultural research centers
(IARCs) cannot do this alone nor
can the NARS, said Dr. Si, who
is the overall coordinator of this
Task Force, which is supported by
the joint IRRI-AfricaRice Japan-
funded breeding project.
Dr. Si described the
Breeding Task Force as a
partnership of rice breeders
from NARS and IARCs in
Africa, which will provide
synergy to breeding efforts
across the continent, thereby
increasing impact. To enhance
communication and collaboration
among all the partners of the
Breeding Task Force, a dedicated
Web site has been developed. (See
www.africarice.org/afribreed/.)
The scope of the force
The Breeding Task Force covers mainly
the four mega-environments in SSA
the rainfed lowland, irrigated, upland,
and high-elevation ecologies. The
challenges in these mega-environments
are many and breeders must be able
to tackle these challenges through
improvements in productivity, stability
and adaptability and grain quality of rice.
Responsibilities for the different
mega-environments have been divided
The Africa Rice Breeding Task Force responds to the call for an improved research and extension capacity
on the continent through a collaborative approach to rice breeding
SOME MEMBERS of the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force team (from left
to right): Ms. Bernice Bancole, laboratory technician; Mr. Abdoulaye
Sow, agronomist; Dr. Mamadou MBare Coulibaly, chair; Breeding Task
Force; Dr. Jimmy Lamo, vice-chair, Breeding Task Force, and Dr. Moussa
Si, coordinator, Breeding Task Force.
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among AfricaRice and IRRI breeders
based in Africa, who work closely with
their NARS colleagues.
The main thrust of the Breeding
Task Force consists of a 3-phase
evaluation of rice breeding lines from
IARCs and NARS, starting from the
regional trial, then national
trials, and participatory
varietal selection trials (a rice
garden followed by 2 years
of mother/baby trials). These
trials are done in multiple
locations in different countries
(please see the map of Africa
Rice Breeding Task Force trial
sites).
The International Network
for the Genetic Evaluation of
Rice (INGER)-Africa plays a
key role in the multiplication
and distribution of new seed
for in-country hotspot testing
and participatory varietal
testing trials and genotype-
environment analyses.
Takashi Kumashiro,
regional theme leader of
GRiSP Themes 1
1
and 2
2

and leader of the AfricaRice
Program on Genetic Diversity
and Improvement, explained
that one of the unique features
of such an approach is that
the breeding lines that enter
the Task Force are provided
by not one but many institutes
such as NARS in Africa as
well as IRRI, the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT), and AfricaRice.
For example, in 2011,
the breeding lines nominated
for the lowland regional trial
consisted of 13% lines from the
NARS, 34% from AfricaRice,
14% from IRRI, and 39% from
CIAT.
The Task Force thus
enables the evaluation of many
breeding lines with prior
data on performance from
different sources under different
biophysical and socioeconomic
1
Theme1: Harnessing genetic diversity to chart new productivity, quality, and health horizons.
2
Theme2: Accelerating thedevelopment, delivery, and adoption of improved ricevarieties.
Multistage Regional Trial Network
Africa Rice Breeding Task Force
Lines developed by ongoing AfricaRice
Projects STRASA, GSR, GCP, Japan Rice
Breeding, etc.
Varieties dveloped by
NARES, IRRI, CIAT
Breeding
Task Force
500 lines/year
100 lines/year
50 lines/year
5 nominated
lines/year
Regional trials
National trials
Recommendation to target countries
Multilocation trial
Multilocation trial
Baby trial
Baby trial
Rice garden
are expected to enhance the quality of
evaluation.
This will result in increased
credibility on recommended varieties as
well as credibility of data accumulated.
We expect that this will shorten the time
lag between the completion of breeding
and the oIfcial approval Ior
varietal release, Dr. Kumashiro
stated.
Training programs for
breeding, experimental design,
and germplasm database
management have been
organized to upgrade the skills
of rice researchers, including a
training course held at IRRI in
October 2010 for rice breeders
from various Asian and
African countries as well as a
training workshop organized by
AfricaRice in December 2010
to introduce the principles and
new concepts of the experimental
planning for plant breeding.
The Task Force will also
support MSc and PhD students,
and link up with Global Rice
Science Scholarships (GRiSS)
and other types of scholarships.
Spotting the champions
The key to the success of the
Africa Rice Breeding Task Force
will be timely and quality data
collection, management, and
interpretation for sound decisions
on moving germplasm forward
in the various trials, according to
Dr. Kumashiro. If that is done
well, smart G E (genotype
by environment) analyses will
enable us to select promising
breeding lines to proceed to the
next phase, that is, spot potential
Olympic champions` early.
Hopefully, these Olympic
champions will help remove
some barriers toward improved
quality and quantity of rice
production on the continent
and put Africa on the map of
potential sources of rice food
security in the world.
conditions. This feature is a bit like the
Olympic Games, Dr. Kumashiro said.
The second unique feature is that the
breeding lines will be cultivated at many
sites and exposed to not just a few but
many breeders from different institutes.
The multiyear and multilocation trials
Map of Africa Rice Breeding Task Force trial sites.
High elevation
Irrigated lowland
Rainfed lowland
Rainfed lowland and upland
Upland
kilometers
17
B
urundi is a small landlocked
country in Central Africa. Long-
standing tribal conficts in the
country broke out into a civil war
in 1993 that lasted 12 years and resulted
in more than 200,000 deaths.
In 2006, a year aIter the confict
ended, a horrendous 83 oI Burundians
were Iound living below the international
poverty standard oI less than US$1.25 a
day.
1
By 2010, Burundi ranked alongside
its neighbor, the Democratic Republic oI
the Congo, as the poorest country in the
world.
2

Women of war
During the war, women in Burundi
not only hid, Ied, and looked aIter
male combatantsincluding their own
sons, brothers, and husbandsbut they
were also recruited to take up arms
themselves.
The United Nations (UN) news
service, IRIN, recorded an interview
with Annabelle Nshimirimana, an ex-
combatant in Burundi:
3
'We used to leave home |carrying
Iood| at around 8 p.m. and walk and walk;
we arrived at their |Forces nationales de
liberation| hiding places at dawn.
'The next night, we walked back
home, taking care nobody observed our
absence. It was a diIfcult task because it
was a long way through the mountains.
Sometimes, we were ambushed and
Iorced to fght.
AIter the war, many ex-combatant
women were leIt scarred both physically
and mentally and without money or
resources to rebuild businesses or
livelihoods. And, they became social
outcasts.
The UN and other organizations
work with governments to reintegrate ex-
combatants into society. But, in Burundi,
to be included in the UN`s Disarmament,
Demobilization, and Reintegration
program, ex-combatants had to either
own or have direct access to a frearm
themselves or pass a profciency test in
handling weapons.
4
This excluded many
women ex-combatants Irom the Iormal
reintegration programs.
Replacing bullets with skills
In 2009, a team oI organizations, with
fnancial support Irom the Howard BuIIet
Foundation, got together to help those
'unoIfcial ex-combatant women in
Burundi who had Iallen through the gaps.
They provided a holistic approach to
empower these women economically and
socially.
CARE, Survivor Corps, and
CEDAC
5
Iocused on the psychosocial
aspects oI reintegration, while
CONSEDI
6
provided vocational
training Ior the participants` economic
development. The International Rice
Research Institute`s (IRRI) role was to
improve their income by teaching them
how to grow rice and by introducing new
rice production technologies.
Rice is an increasingly important
crop in Burundi (see Country snapshot
on pages 18) and the women traditionally
provide Iood Ior their Iamilies. They are
the main source oI agricultural labor Ior
food production.
'IRRI and CARE organized about
400 ex-combatant women into 10 groups
to grow rice on 10 hectares oI land, said
Mr. Joseph Rickman, IRRI`s regional
coordinator Ior East and Southern AIrica.
'The project supplied the necessary
start-up fnancing Ior renting land, seed,
and Iertilizer, while the women provided
the labor. Each group was visited by
the project team weekly to provide the
necessary training.
Women of war turn
by Sophie Clayton and Alaric Francis Santiaguel
Ex-combatant women in Burundi try a second chance for a peaceful life by turning to rice farming
1
The World Bank, http://data.worldbank.org/.
2
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): The World Factbook, http://snipurl.com/cia-Iacts.
3
IRIN news item: Female ex-combatants picking up the pieces (Burundi), http://snipurl.com/burundiwomen2.
4
United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization, and ReintegrationBurundi Programme, http://snipurl.com/burundiwomen.
5
Le Centre d`Encadrement et de Dveloppement des Anciens Combattants (Council Ior the Training and Development oI Former Combatants).
6
Council on Integrated Development, Bujumbura, Burundi.
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The women were taught how to
grow rice through a Iarmer feld school.
Representatives oI the women`s groups
learned all aspects oI rice production,
Irom land preparation to rice harvesting
and drying. Back in their own felds,
these women, in turn, shared their
knowledge with their colleagues.
'From the profts the women made in
the frst season, they were able to pay Ior
their own land and inputs the Iollowing
year, said Dr. Joseph Bigirimana, liaison
scientist and coordinator Ior IRRI in
Burundi.
'These ex-combatant Burundi
women are turning their own lives
aroundthey just needed a hand to
get started, he added. 'Now, they are
helping our country attain rice selI-
suIfciency and build a more stable Iuture
Ior all Burundians.
In their own words
During a group interview with women
involved in the project, they all indicated
that the most important aspect oI the
With IRRIs assistance, I
produce rice myself and I
can eat rice with my children
whenever I need it.
Ms. Elisabeth Nibigira
n to rice in Burundi
project was giving them access to land,
which they would not have had without
IRRI, CARE, and the cooperation oI the
Burundian government.
Ms. Scola Simbandumwe, one oI the
participants, explained: 'With IRRI`s
assistance, we were able to get money to
rent land Ior rice growing, which helped
us produce rice for family consumption.
'We have gained technologies to
improve our rice production, she added.
'We now use less seed Ior the same area,
thanks to IRRI`s assistance. We also use
enough Iertilizer, unlike beIore, when we
used small quantities because we could
not pay the cost.
Elisabeth Nibigira, mother oI Iour
children and one oI the Iarmers in
training, said, 'With the IRRI project,
I now feel reintegrated into society. I
do not Ieel aIraid oI people anymore,
unlike during my combatant liIe; and
other people no longer regard me as an
excluded ex-combatant.
'When I was not growing rice, she
added, 'I used to eat rice only on Ieast
days or when I got my pay Irom hard
work. Now, with IRRI`s assistance, I
produce rice myself and I can eat rice
with my children whenever I need it.
The women are very enthusiastic to
keep developing their skills and their rice
production. They want to mechanize and
improve the eIfciency oI their operation
to increase proft and reduce labor.
'The frst thing we would like to
have is a milling machine because we
will beneft Irom it as we will not have
to pay Ior milling, said Ms. Nibigira.
'Other Iarmers will come to us and mill
their rice, which will provide us with
money to Ieed our Iamily. Moreover,
we could then produce rice bran Ior our
cattle or Ior sale.
Participatory science
lRRI and students Irom the University
oI Burundi also conducted participatory
variety selection trials that included the
women in choosing the best rice varieties
Irom feld tests that compared local and
potential new varieties. Engaging them in
the selection process helps build project
ownership and their knowledge about
which varieties are best and why.
Varieties are tested Ior their capacity
to perform well in different growing
environments across Burundi and Ior
traits, including resistance to local
diseases such as sheath rot and blast,
and tolerance oI salinity, cold, and iron
toxicity. A number oI new varieties
especially suited to Burundi are expected
to be released soon as an outcome of
these trials.
The results Irom these on-Iarm trials
will also expedite the registration oI new
varieties, which the women`s groups can
use to produce more seeds.
The future
In collaboration with the Faculty oI
Agriculture at the University oI Burundi,
IRRI works to continue the project
based on its outstanding success. But,
it also seeks funding to include more
women in the program and support the
existing women to Iurther develop their
rice production skills and improve their
access to technology.
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W
hen you educate a
girl, you educate a
nation. Nowhere
is this saying more
true than in the farming sector in Africa,
according to Peinda Ciss, chair of a
35,000-strong farming womens group in
Senegal.
Mrs. Ciss has been a vital conduit
for moving agricultural research
from scientists to farmers. She has
spearheaded the production of foundation
seed of improved rice varieties in
Senegal, imparting to her group the
knowledge she gained from researchers
to ensure high yields and high-quality
grain.
Praising women farmers, such as
Mrs. Ciss, Rita Agboh-Noameshie, the
focal person for gender research at the
Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), said that
research has shown that, when women
generate income through farming,
processing, and marketing their goods,
they produce high returns that beneft
their families and communities as well.
We have seen that womens incomes
are the most important determinant of
childrens development and thus of future
generations, Dr. Agboh-Noameshie
explained. Therefore, targeting women
in agricultural technology dissemination
can have a greater impact on poverty than
targeting men.
African women in farming
More than in Asia, women in Africa play
a central role in farming as they serve as
pillars of the regions agriculture. Almost
eight out of ten farmers that produce
staple food in Africa are women, which
means that women virtually feed the
region. The high rate of male migration
from villages to cities has left many
women to play a bigger role in farming.
Despite women`s signifcant
contribution, the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations noted that rural women have less
access than men to land, credit, labor-
saving technologies, and resources such
as fertilizer and improved seeds.
In addition, when a farm enterprise
that is managed by women shows signs
oI becoming proftable, it is usually taen
over by men, Mrs. Ciss observed.
A study on gender inequity in
irrigated rice systems by AfricaRice
and its partners showed that women in
the Senegal River Valley lack access to
critical resources, such as land, training,
credit, and machinery. More than 70%
of the women surveyed did not know
how to access land for personal use and
88% did not receive any training in rice
production.
Similarly, a gender-mainstreaming
analysis carried out as part of a project
on inland valley-based rice and vegetable
value chains in Benin and Mali showed
that male farmers have more control
over resources and access to training
opportunities than women.
Listening to women farmers
In sub-Saharan African, rice is primarily
a womens crop in rainfed upland and
lowland ecologies. For example, a
majority of West and Central Africas 20
million upland rice farmers who grow
rice are women.
Women provide the bulk of the labor
in rice cultivationsowing, weeding,
bird scaring, harvesting, processing,
As more men seek greener pastures in the city, the women are left to farm and
feed not just their families but the whole region
the pillars
of Africas
agricultur
20
re
and marketing. Similarly, in East
African countries such as Tanzania and
Uganda, women play a major role in their
respective countrys rice production.
Recognizing their importance, since
the 1990s, AfricaRice has been focusing
on the needs of this group of farmers
that had been generally neglected
by agricultural research until then.
Women farmers are invited to be part
of participatory varietal selection (PVS)
activities and their views are especially
sought regarding new genetic materials.
The PVS approach was adopted to
identify NERICA varieties that are best
suited to farmers, particularly women
Iarmers, typifed by Bintu, a composite
West African woman farmer who has
been featured in several publications and
videos on NERICA. (See http://snipurl.
com/farmer-bintu.)
PVS exercises revealed that women
and men rank plant traits differently,
which refects their diIIerent roles. For
instance, women particularly preferred
tall plant height because it takes the
backache out of harvesting, especially
when they carry their babies with them.
They also preferred traits that
indicate weed competitiveness, since
they are mostly involved in sowing
and weeding. Processing and cooking
qualities were also of more interest to
women than to men. The women liked
the early maturity of the upland NERICA
varieties, as this shortens the lean or
hungry season before harvest, when
women struggle to feed their families.
Recent impact studies in Benin have
shown that the adoption of NERICA
varieties reduces the households
likelihood of being poor by 10%, with
a higher reduction for female-headed
households (14%) than for male-headed
households (6%).
Empowering women farmers
To improve rural womens access to
learning, several thousand women
farmers have been trained in rice
cultivation, seed production, and
postharvest techniques, particularly
by the African Rice Initiative, with
support from the African Development
Bank, the United Nations Development
Programme, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency, the Common Fund
for Commodities, the European Union
(EU), and the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Rural women across Africa have
also greatly benefted Irom learning
about improved rice farming and
postharvest techniques through
innovative farmer-to-farmer training
videos that have helped them improve
the quality of their rice, increase their
income, and gain empowerment.
In close association with the West
and Central African Women Rice Farmer
Group Association, AfricaRice is laying
the foundation of a grass-roots seed
enterprise in Benin, Togo, and Senegal.
The project, funded by the New Field
Foundation, EU, and IFAD, aims to
link smallholder women farmers to
research, microfnance, and marets,
opening up opportunities for them to
become successful businesswomen in
producing and marketing seeds.
Global support for women
With increasing focus on gender
mainstreaming, the recently launched
Global Rice Science Partnership gives
attention to how gender will be tackled
in all its research activities.
African countries have also realized
the importance of including women-
oriented strategies. The National Rice
Development Strategies that have been
developed in several African countries
with the help of AfricaRice and the
Coalition for African Rice Development
have highlighted this need.
As Liberias Agriculture Minister
Florence Chenoweth put it, Helping
female farmers is a good investment
in the countrys future. We know that,
when we support women, more food
and money go into feeding children at
home.
WOMEN FARMERS in Glazoue, Benin, learn how to
produce quality seeds as part of a community-based
seed enterprise.
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T
he hills of Rwanda are once
again alive with the sound of
farmers singing as they harvest
their crops. Rwanda, known
as The Land of a Thousand Hills, is
the most densely populated country in
Africa and nearly 90% of the population
depends on subsistence agriculture.
As the country moves on from the
horrors of the 1994 genocide, it tries to
build a new future for itself based on
peace and sustainable growth. But, this
is a diIfcult tas because the civil war
destroyed most of the seeds, crops, and
livestoc, and its Iarmers either fed the
countryside or were killed in the strife.
With them, knowledge about local crop
varieties also disappeared.
The rise of rice
The Rwandan government has identifed
the improvement of rice production as
a cornerstone oI Rwanda`s fght against
poverty and malnutrition. Domestic
rice consumption has risen substantially
and the country currently imports about
30% of the rice it consumes. Thus, the
need for the country to improve its rice
productivity is urgent.
The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
has been helping rehabilitate Rwandas
rice sector by working closely with
the national program in distributing
appropriate rice varieties and training
national research staff. In order to build
new seed supply systems that farmers
can rely upon, the AfricaRice has
recommended a comprehensive strategy
to rebuild the countrys rice seed sector.
In addition, AfricaRice and the
International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) are carrying out several
important joint projects with support
from the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD),
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), and the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation. Through
these projects, the country benefts Irom
the recent advances in rice science,
targeted training of researchers and seed
producers, and the exchange of elite
germplasm.
Rebuilding Africa
AIricaRice has been helping postconfict
countries across Africa (Burundi, Chad,
Cte dIvoire, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia,
Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and
Uganda) rebuild their national rice sector
by restoring rice agrobiodiversity and
strengthening human and institutional
capacities.
These efforts have been made
in partnership with national research
systems, nongovernmental agencies, and
farmer organizations with support from
the African Development Bank (AfDB),
Belgian Development Cooperation,
Canadian International Development
Agency, GTZ, IFAD, the Japanese
government, Swedish International
Cooperation Development Agency,
United Kingdom Department for
International Development, and United
Nations Development Programme.
When necessary, AfricaRice has
provided infusions of seed of improved
varieties, such as WITA and NERICA
varieties, and helped restore lost
germplasm collections. For instance,
in Sierra Leone and Liberia, which
have suffered years of civil war, over
5,000 rice varieties were restored to the
national programs between 1994 and
2002.
Sierra Leone
With 70% of its population living below
the poverty line, Sierra Leone is one of
the poorest countries in the world, ranked
180th out of 182 nations in the Human
Rice for peace
War-torn African nations turn back to rice to rebuild lives and
regain peace
A POURING rainstorm does not stop Project
participants of the Japan-funded Emergency Rice
Project in Sierra Leone from posing with AfricaRice
Deputy Director General for Research, Dr. Marco
Wopereis, IRRI Deputy Director General for Research,
Dr. Achim Dobermann, and African Rice Coordinator
from AfricaRice, Dr. Inoussa Akintayo.

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Development Index. Rice is a strategic
crop for Sierra Leone, where about
120 kilograms per capita of rice are
consumed annually compared with 80
kilograms in Asia. Domestic production
meets only 70% of the countrys
requirements.
The AfricaRice intervention in
Sierra Leone after the war was mainly
carried out through the AfDB-funded
NERICA rice dissemination project in
partnership with the national agricultural
research system. As part of this project,
42 NERICA varieties were tested
between 2005 and 2008, from which
10 were selected and seven adopted by
farmers for cultivation.
About 415 farmer groups
representing 65,500 farmers (including
over 21,000 women) were involved in
the testing program. More than 140 tons
of foundation seeds and 3,880 tons of
farmers seeds were produced. Yield rose
from 0.6 ton per hectare in 2005 to 1.8
tons per hectare in 2008.
Liberia
AfricaRice has also been actively helping
Liberia, where rice is the staple food and
problems in supply have caused deadly
riots and civil strife in the past. The
country is still trying to recover from
more than a decade of civil war. Despite
its natural wealth in gems, rubber,
and timber, Liberia remains one of the
poorest countries in the world.
Liberia produces only about 40% of
the rice it needs to feed its population,
relying on imports to cover the rest.
With support from UNDP, AfricaRice,
through its African Rice Initiative (ARI),
is rebuilding the capacity of smallholder
rice Iarmers in postconfict Liberia.
AfricaRice is also training technicians
and farmers on seed production within
the framework of the Millennium Village
Project.
Through this collaborative project,
the ARI is providing technical assistance
and guidance across the rice value chain
from seed production to harvest and
postharvest processing in partnership
with the national agricultural research
and extension system.
AfricaRice has recently provided
about 60 tons of foundation seeds to
the national seed bank. The linkages
forged by AfricaRice with international
development agencies have led to
stronger capacity of farmers for seed
production and increased rice cultivation.
Specifcally, the linages have resulted in
the development of a national seed policy
with a seed certifcation Iramewor and
a seed strategy, which will include a
national seed service and national variety
release agency for rice in Liberia.
Uganda
AfricaRice technologies, such as
NERICA varieties accompanied with
rice training videos, have played a key
role in helping displaced farmers in
northern Uganda. After more than 20
years, about 1.5 million refugees are
gradually returning to their original
lands. The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
NERICA project is helping the farmers
by introducing rice-based farming
systems to increase food security and
reduce poverty in Uganda.
A rice initiative
In 2008, the food crisis caused by soaring
prices of rice sparked violent riots in
several West African countries (Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Cte dIvoire,
Mauritania, Senegal, etc.), illustrating the
continents vulnerability to international
rice market shocks.
The Emergency Rice Initiative
launched by AfricaRice in the wake of
the food crisis in 20 countries across sub-
Saharan Africa, with support from Japan,
has been able to help more than 58,000
vulnerable farmers get access to quality
seed and, at the same time, reinforce or
rebuild seed systems.
Similarly, the United States Agency
for International Development-supported
Famine Prevention Fund Project launched
in partnership with IFDC, the Catholic
Relief Services, and national programs,
in response to the food crisis, is seeking
to help about 10,000 farm families in
each of the four project countries (Mali,
Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal) to have
better access to improved seed, fertilizer,
and knowledge on rice production
practices.
Hopefully, such concerted efforts to
stimulate agricultural growth and reduce
hunger can help prevent conficts and
reduce vulnerability among resource-
poor people in Africa.
SIERRA LEONE is
one of the seven pilot
countries of the African
Development Bank
(AfDB)-funded NERICA
project carried out by
the African Rice Initia-
tive (ARI). Dr. Inoussa
Akintayo, Regional ARI
Coordinator (front left),
and Ms. Chileshe Paxina,
AfDB representative
(right) with project
participants.
IN RESPONSE to Liberias request, the African Rice
Initiative provided about 60 tons of NERICA-foundation
seeds to the national seed bank for multiplication and
distribution to farmers.
AfricaRice has trained extension workers and farmers
in Liberia as part of the Millennium Village Project
with support from the United Nations Development
Programme.
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I
n view of the severe lack of
capacity in rice production,
which is throttling the
development of Africas
rice sector, participants at the
Africa Rice Congress 2010 held
in Bamako, Mali, in March
2010 called for a "Marshal Plan"
to overcome this weakness.
The Congress brought
together nearly 450 participants
from 54 countries, particularly
from Africa. The participants
included rice farmers; seed
producers; processors; input
dealers; manufacturers of
agricultural machinery; national
rice research and extension systems;
representatives from agricultural
ministries, international and advanced
research institutes, nongovernment
organizations, and the donor
community; and other development
partners.
The participants took this
opportunity to deliberate on strategies
to signifcantly increase rice production
in Africa, develop competitive and
equitable rice value chains, reduce
imports, and enhance regional trade.
They enthusiastically supported the
newly proposed Global Rice Science
Partnership, an initiative of the
Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), the
International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), and the International Center
for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to
harmonize national and international rice
research agendas worldwide for increased
impact in Africa.
Interestingly, the Congress
highlighted that rice has become a
strategic commodity that can potentially
fuel economic growth and reduce hunger
and poverty across the continent. Rice
consumption in Africa is growing at
67% per year. To meet this demand,
Africa imports close to 10 million tons
each year, which is equivalent to one-
third of the rice traded in the world
market, and this costs US$4 billion in
foreign exchange.
Our studies show that the continent
has suIfcient land and water resources
and favorable growth environments
to close the gap between Africas rice
consumption and production, and that
local rice production can be competitive
vis--vis imported rice, said Papa
Abdoulaye Seck, AfricaRice director
general.
He underlined that the capacity of
national programs has to be strengthened
with support from regional and
international organizations.
There has to be increased
technological innovations
supported by an appropriate
policy environment, he added.
The Africa Rice Congress
2010, with a theme Innovation
and partnerships to realize
Africas rice potential, was
organized by AfricaRice
in collaboration with the
national programthe Institut
dconomie rurale (IER)
under the aegis of the Malian
government.
Under the main theme, the topics
included rice genetic diversity and
improvement; ecological intensifcation
and diversifcation oI rice-based systems;
developing competitive rice value
chains; new alliances and tools for rural
learning and innovations and policy
implications; integrated management
of pests, diseases, and weeds in rice-
based systems; and rice physiology and
modeling.
A major part of the Congress was
a forum on Investing in Africas rice
sector: opportunities and challenges, in
which ways to increase investments in the
rice sector in Africa particularly through
innovative public-private partnerships
were explored. Issues such as the need
to increase investments for increasing
the area under irrigation, improving
rural infrastructure, and introducing
agricultural mechanization were raised.
The forum featured exhibitions of
machinery, inputs, and rice products.
Africa seeks "Marshall Plan"*
for capacity building
African states work together to unlock the regions potential to
increase rice production
RICE HAS become a strategic commodity in Africa.
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* Africa's "Marshall Plan" was largely inspired by the Europe Recovery Program, which was used to re-build Europe after the devastation caused by World War II.
24
During the opening ceremony,
on behalf of Malis President Amadou
Toumani Tour, Prime Minister Modibo
Sidibpresented distinguished service
awards to Drs. Jacques Diouf, Eugene
Terry, and Kanayo Nwanze for their
outstanding contributions to rice research
and development in Africa during their
respective terms as director general of
AfricaRice.
Dr. Getachew Engida, AfricaRice
Board chair, presented a plaque of
appreciation to President Tour for his
governments tremendous efforts to raise
rice productivity through the Presidential
Initiative on Rice in Mali, which has
led to a 50% increase in rice production
in the country. Awards for the best
presentation per theme, the best poster,
and the Most Promising Young Scientist
were also presented.
At the end of the Congress, the
following key recommendations were
made to boost Africas rice sector:
Investments in Africas rice sector
1. Africas rice farmers need to be
involved in the defnition and
implementation of policies that
modernize rice farming, lessen the
burden on women, and turn it into
a viable agribusiness, attractive to
young people.
2. National and foreign investments are
needed to unlock Africas tremendous
rice potential, while ensuring that this
leads to win-win situations for all of
Africas rice farmers and consumers.
Rice Today J uly-September 2010 20
3. Sustainable intensifcation and
diversifcation oI rice-based
production systems are necessary
to meet the demand of Africas
population.
4. National seed regulatory bodies need
to be established and/or strengthened
to map and meet rice seed demand
for target ecosystems and consumer
preferences. They should ensure
eIfcient varietal release mechanisms,
link public- and private-sector seed
producers, and establish functional
and decentralized seed control
systems.
5. Small-scale enterprises will need
support to help them create and
sustain a viable seed business.
Private medium- and large-size
seed companies should play an
increasingly important role in high-
input systems, especially for hybrid
rice seed.
6. Regional economic communities
should be strengthened to contribute
to harmonizing seed legislation,
and import tariffs, and regulating
rice imports, in line with the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme framework.
7. National governments should
lead in promoting public-private
partnerships across the rice value
chain for adequate production,
storage, processing, and distribution
infrastructure to produce quality rice
for the African market.
8. A global effort to develop targeted
technological options to help African
farmers to adapt and mitigate the
effects of climate change is needed.
Investments in capacity building
9. A "Marshal Plan" by African
governments and their development
partners is needed to substantially
strengthen the training and retention
of new staff, while updating
agricultural curricula in vocational
training schools and universities and
ensuring eIfcient spillover to actors
in the rice value chain. Conducive
working environments are required to
retain an effective level of capacity in
agriculture.
10. The Congress initiated the
task force concept, a collective
research-for-development effort on
critical thematic areas in the rice
sector, based on the principles of
sustainability, buildup of critical
mass, and ownership by national
systems. AIricaRice was specifcally
asked to facilitate and animate these
task forces.
11. The Congress endorsed the
emergence of a Global Rice
Science Partnership, an initiative
of AfricaRice, IRRI, and CIAT, as
part of the revamped Consultative
Group on International Agricultural
Research, to pool resources, build
capacity, and align national and
international research agendas,
thus enabling greater eIfciency and
eIfcacy in rice research.
CONGRESS PARTICIPANTS visit the Ofce
du Niger irrigation rice project in Mali.
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O
n the Danyi plateau in Togo,
villagers still bless newly-wed
couples by sprinkling rice
grains over their heads. They
use indigenous African rice, which was
domesticated about 3,500 years ago in
West Africa. The villagers also continue
to appease the souls of their ancestors by
offering them this rice.
African rice is not only an integral
part of the culture but also the preferred
food. Once you taste our rice, you will
never like any other rice and it stays
in your stomach unlike the modern
varieties, the women say. The elderly
villagers mourn, however, that their
children and grandchildren are no longer
interested in growing this rice.
According to some historians,
SclenusLs nd a Lreasure Lrove of lnformauon ln Afrlca's lndlgenous rlce LhaL could help
breed beuer varleues for Lomorrow's generauon
African rice sustained the great empires
of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai in West and
Central Africa during the 11th to 16th
century. Today, however, this type of rice
is becoming extinct as it is grown only
in pockets of West Africa. In some areas,
the deepwater or foating rice plants
belonging to this species are still found.
AIrican rice, whose scientifc name
is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa.
About 450 years ago, the Asian species,
O. sativa, was introduced to Africa
from Asia and quickly became popular
because of its high yield potential.
Over the years, African rice has
been replaced in the region by Asian rice
because it is prone to lodging (plants fall
over) and shattering (the panicle scatters
seed at maturity). For years, it has also
been neglected by research.
However, new fndings presented
by Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)
scientists and their partners during the
Africa Rice Congress held last 22-26
March 2010 in Bamako, Mali, have
sparked renewed interest in this species.
A few African farmers, such as
the villagers in the Danyi plateau, have
continued to grow African rice because
of its adaptability and its ceremonial and
cultural value. These farmers inspired
AfricaRice scientists to investigate the
species and tap into its rich reservoir of
genes for resistance to several stresses,
including weeds.
For example, studies have shown
that one of the O. glaberrima varieties,
CG 14, is weed competitive and has
TODAY, INDIGENOUS African rice is grown
only by a few farmers in isolated areas
of West Africa.
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good resistance to iron toxicity, drought,
nematodes, waterlogging, and major
African rice diseases and pests. It seems
to adapt to acid soil with low phosphorus
availability.
Such multiple resistance to
indigenous constraints is a highly
desirable character for rice cultivated
in the rainfed ecology in West Africa
by resource-poor farmers, who cannot
afford to adopt intensive agronomic
measures against such constraints, said
Dr. Moussa Si, senior rice breeder and
coordinator of the Rice Breeding Task
Force of AfricaRice.
That is why AfricaRice scientist
Dr. MontyJones and his team selected
CG 14 when they decided to cross O.
glaberrima with O. sativa in the 1990s
to develop productive rice varieties that
can adapt to African conditions. They
succeeded in breaking the natural barrier
that maes it diIfcult Ior the two species
to cross. This was the genesis of the New
Rice for Africa (NERICA). The best
NERICA varieties combine the stress
tolerance of O. glaberrima with the high
yield potential of O. sativa.
However, there are still gaps
between the NERICA varieties and
O. glaberrima in relation to resistance
to some local constraints, Dr. Koichi
Futakuchi, AfricaRice ecophysiologist,
observes.
AfricaRice therefore started to
systematically characterize its entire O.
glaberrima collection of 2,500 samples
in 2009. A special effort is being
made to screen for major diseases and
environmental stresses such as acidity,
iron toxicity, cold, and salinity.
Explaining this comprehensive
effort, Dr. Kayode Sanni, coordinator of
the International Network for Genetic
Evaluation of Rice for Africa (INGER-
Africa), says that until now only a few
accessions of O. glaberrima have been
used in the breeding programs.
By characterizing our O.
glaberrima collection in our genebank,
we may fnd new O. glaberrima lines
with better traits than the current parental
lines of NERICA, Dr. Sanni says.
AfricaRice is also changing the
breeding concept as well as breeding
procedures to develop new interspecifc
varieties. The new concept for
interspecifc breeding between O.
more O. glaberrima genes in the genome
than the current NERICA varieties,
which were developed from backcrossing
to an O. sativa parent. We are using
interspecifc bridge lines in crosses
with O. glaberrima and O. barthii and
no backcrossing has been done with
the O. sativa parent, he explains. The
progenies will be ready Ior feld testing
soon.
To better exploit the assets of O.
glaberrima without being hampered by
the sterility problems of hybridization
with another species, AfricaRice
scientists have begun working on the
intraspecifc breeding oI O. glaberrima
and are taking steps to develop plants
that are less prone to lodging and
shattering.
Since O. glaberrima had been
considered to have generally low yield
potential, interspecifc hybridization with
O. sativa, which has high yield potential,
was a major method in using this species.
However, AfricaRice breeders now think
that O. glaberrima can potentially yield
56 tons per hectare, which is suIfcient
for rainfed rice ecosystems in Africa.
Initial results from crossing different
types of O. glaberrima also show that
completely different sets of genes are
responsible for tolerance of submergence,
rice yellow mottle virus, and phosphorus
defciency in soils Irom those in O.
sativa.
Some new products will likely
be derived using molecular breeding
approaches, through collaborative efforts
with the International Rice Research
Institute and Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences. AfricaRice
scientists are already using this approach
to introduce resistance to disease and
other stresses into some of Africas most
popular rice varieties.
With Cornell University in the
U.S., a single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) chip is being developed based
on core collections of O. glaberrima
and O. barthii. This chip can eIfciently
analyze African germplasm and screen
interspecifc progenies Ior desirable
traits.
We have new products in the
pipeline for Africas rice farmers,
particularly those who want to continue
to grow African ricelike those of the
Danyi plateau, says Dr. Si.
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AfricaRice upland rice
breeder Dr. Mand Semon
looks at the new rice
lines developed from
Oryza glaberrima.
Central and Western Africa.
glaberrima and O. sativa is to combine
the adaptability of O. glaberrima to
local environments with the optimal
conjunction of the best traits of the two
species in relation to yielding ability,
says Dr. Futakuchi.
Studies made by Dr. Futakuchi
and his colleagues show that the O.
glaberrima parent of the upland NERICA
varieties, CG 14, even produced more
panicles than the panicle-number
type high-yielding O. sativa varieties,
although its individual panicle was
smaller. The introduction of such an
extraordinary trait may favor yielding
ability.
Such studies increasingly recognize
the need to exploit the treasure trove
that is in African rice germplasm, as
AfricaRice upland rice breeder Dr.
Mand Semon puts it.
Dr. Semon is leading the effort to
obtain interspecifc hybrids that have
Bamako
Danyi
plateau
27
F
or Glgnon Codjo, a smallholder
rice farmer in Benin, climate
change is not a matter of debate.
It is fast eroding his source
of livelihood. Our seasons have gone
crazy: either the rains dont come when
our crops need them or there is so much
rain that our crops rot, he laments. I
thought God was angry with us. But
now, I am told that all this is happening
because of climate change.
Like Glgnon, millions of
smallholder farmers in Africa are
increasingly grappling with the changing
climate around them. Scientists predict
that climate change will make extreme
weather conditionssuch as foods and
droughts that can erode soil and lead to
crop failuremore common.
When combined with the natural
vulnerability and poor adaptive capacity
in Africa, these impacts on agriculture
could have devastating consequences
for food security, poverty, and social
welfare. Therefore, climate change is
likely to have a far greater impact here
than in other parts of the world.
Scientists, governments, and
donors need to take urgent measures to
improve the resilience of rural African
communities to enable them to better
adapt to climate change.
Rice is increasingly becoming
important in Africaboth as a food and
cash cropand increased rice production
will be crucial to achieving the necessary
adaptation. Rice production in the
region, however, is affected by such
stresses as drought, salinity, and extreme
temperatures, all of which are expected
to worsen with climate change. To adapt
successfully to climate change, farmers
need rice technologies with greater
tolerance of these stresses.
Since these stresses have always
posed a signifcant threat to rice
production, the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice) has been developing for
several years now rice varieties adapted
to local stresses and more eIfcient
farming techniques to help poor
farmers better manage their use of the
increasingly scarce water and fragile soil
in Africa. Their efforts are now paying
rich dividends.
The African cultivated rice species
Oryza glaberrima is a rich reservoir
of useful genes for resistance to major
stresses. This discovery led AfricaRice
scientists to cross the African rice species
with the higher-yielding Asian O. sativa,
which resulted in the birth of a generation
of new rice varieties, called NERICA
.
The NERICA varieties are promising for
rainfed systems in Africa. Farmers like
these varieties because they mature early
and thus often escape drought.
Using both conventional breeding
and biotechnology, AfricaRice scientists
continue to develop rice varieties that
are even hardier than NERICA by
maximizing the diversity of the African
rice germplasm pool consisting of O.
glaberrima, its wild relatives (O. barthii
and O. longistaminata), and O. sativa
landraces. These offer a massive potential
for use as sources for resistances to major
stresses in rice.
Africa develops climate change-resilient rice technologies
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New scientifc tools, such as
molecular biology techniques, help speed
up the development of new stress-tolerant
rice varieties as they enable AfricaRice
breeders and their partners to more
eIfciently identiIy and select genes
that control stress tolerance. Because of
this, the scientists can then successfully
transfer the desirable traits from the
African rice gene pool into popular
varieties.
This work is closely allied with the
farmer participatory approach, which
is highly effective in ensuring that rice
improvement also takes into account
farmers valuable local knowledge. It
is crucial for these new varieties to suit
local needs and preferences.
Thus, climate-resilient rice
varieties resulting from this work have
already reached Iarmers` felds, and more
are in the making, said Dr. Baboucarr
Manneh, AfricaRice coordinator for the
IRRI-AfricaRice joint project on Stress-
tolerant rice for poor farmers in Africa
and South Asia (STRASA).
The STRASA project, which
involves 14 African countries and three
South Asian countries, is funded by
bbby bbbby bb
and drying later on can save water
with little or no yield loss in a Sahelian
environment, provided weeds are
controlled.
AfricaRice is closely involved in a
multipartnership project on Developing
rice and sorghum crop adaptation
strategies for climate change in vulnerable
environments in Africa (RISOCAS),
which is led by the University of
Hohenheim. This endeavor is carried
out in partnership with the Centre de
coopration internationale en recherche
agronomique pour le dveloppement
(CIRAD) for crop modeling. It aims to
deliver coping strategies for crops to adapt
to changing climatic conditions, along
with tools and methods that will enable
stakeholders to develop such strategies
further, or to apply them to other crops or
environments.
As part of a new project to be
launched in 2010, AfricaRice will initiate
a study on the relationship between
rice diseases and climate change. Two
of the major rice diseases affecting the
region are rice blast and bacterial blight.
Both are greatly infuenced by climate,
especially temperature and humidity.
Funded by Gesellschaft fr Technische
Zusammenarbeit, the project will be
carried out in Uganda, Rwanda, and
Tanzania in collaboration with German
universities and IRRI.
We are also planning to get
climatologists and geographic
information systems (GIS) experts
more involved in environmental
characterization, explained Dr. Paul
Kiepe, the focal person in charge of
climate changerelated research at
AfricaRice. More precise predictions of
future climate patterns are needed in this
research that aims to develop climate-
resilient, rice-based technologies.
AIricaRice continues to fnd and
improve technologies for resource-poor
farmers in Africa that are suitable and
effective in reducing the negative effects
of climate change on rice production and
marketing.
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
through the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI). It aims to accelerate the
development and delivery of improved
rice varieties tolerant oI fve major
stressesdrought, submergence, salinity,
iron toxicity, and low temperature.
Thanks to this project, new stress-tolerant
rice varieties are now being evaluated
in Iarmers` felds using the Iarmer
participatory varietal selection approach.
However, integrated crop and soil
fertility management strategies still
need to be developed and disseminated
to realize the full potential of climate-
resilient varieties of rice and also to
stabilize yields and reduce environmental
degradation arising from climate change
in rice ecosystems.
AfricaRice has developed an
integrated crop management (ICM)
approach for irrigated and rainfed
lowlands. Signifcant gains in yields and
profts Irom ICM have been obtained
across the continent.
A study by AfricaRice demonstrates
that a paddy irrigation regime that starts
with the traditional fooding practice
and then changes to alternate wetting
(Left) AfricaRice investigates the climate-
resilient traits of the indigenous African rice,
Oryza glaberrima. (Right) Most of the rice
farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are women.
Through participatory approaches, they have
become very much involved in AfricaRices
research on stress-tolerant rice.
29
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News
Rice varieties
released
in Tanzania
T
anzanian farmers can now boost
rice production by adopting
two IRRI-bred high-yielding
rice varieties, Komboka (IR05N
221; photo below) and Tai (IR03A
262). The new varieties are highly
preferred by farmers for their long,
slender, and translucent grains
and soft texture for cooking. Both
varieties can be grown twice a year.
A
new generation of high-
performing rice varieties,
branded as ARICA (Advanced
Rice Varieties for Africa), has been
launched by the Africa Rice Breeding
Task Force. Five ARICA varieties
(three lowland varieties and two
upland varieties) outyielded the most
popular check varieties in the trials.
The three lowland varieties have
a yield advantage of 3050% over
NERICA-L19 while the two upland
varieties can yield 15% more than
NERICA 4.
Unlike the NERICA varieties,
the ARICAs are not restricted to
inlersecihc crosses,said Dr. Marco
Wopereis, deputy director general at
the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice).
Any line that shows promise,
regardless of its origin can become
an ARICA variety as long as the data
lhal are coIIecled are convincing.
The ARICA varielies oer
promising opportunities to Africas
rice seclor and can make a dierence
to the lives of Africas rice farmers,
who do not have access to new
varielies lhal are beuer adaled lo
their growing environment and
IikeIy lo seII veII, said Dr. Iaa Seck,
AfricaRice director general.
The Breeding Task Force,
which was set up in 2010, comprises
international and national rice
breeders from 30 African countries
and operates as part of the Japan-
funded project, Developing the Next
Generation of New Rice Varieties for Sub-
Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Africa
gets rice
varieties
with higher
yields
It has adopted a systematic and
multi-environment testing approach
lo increase ils eciency and ecacy.
In addition to rice breeders, farmers,
members of national variety release
commiuees and olher slakehoIders
participate in the evaluation. The
breeding lines that enter the Task
Force are provided by many institutes
that are part of the Global Rice
Science Iarlnershi, vhich is lhe
CGIAR Research Irogram on Rice.
This will contribute to faster,
beuer documenled and beuer
targeted releases of new climate-
resilient and stress-tolerant rice
varieties for major production
syslems in Africa, said Moussa
Sie, Africa Rice Breeding Task Force
coordinalor. Dr. Sie is a senior rice
breeder who developed the lowland
NERICAs for which he received the
Japan International Koshihikari Rice
Irize in 2006.
He added that the Task Force
helps strengthen breeding capacity
and ensures that national breeders
can use the materials from the Task
Force not just to evaluate, but also
to develop or improve their own
varielies lo gel a beuer hl vilh
their consumers preferences and
ecologies.
ARICA, a new generation of
high-performing rice varieties.
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News
T
he average rice yield in sub-
Saharan Africa (SSA) expanded
by about 30% from 2007 to
2012, and it is increasing faster than
the global average according to an
analysis by the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice).
From 1961 to 2007, the average rice
yield in SSA increased by about 11 kg
per hectare per year. And, it rose by
a spectacular average of 108 kg per
hectare per year from 2007 to 2012,
desile droughl and oods in severaI
African countries in 2011 and 2012.
AfricaRice revealed that the
paddy rice production growth rate in
SSA shot up from 3.2% per year from
2000 to 2007 to 8.4% per year from
2007 to 2012.
This is very encouraging news,
said AfricaRice Director General
Papa Seck. The surge in SSAs rice
production and yield is a result of
key investments made by farmers,
governments, the private sector, the
research community, and donors to
develop Africas rice sector.
Dr. Seck underlined that it
is crucial to maintain this trend,
because rice consumption in SSA
continues to increase at 5% annually.
AfricaRice Deputy Director
General Marco Wopereis explained
that such growth rates are compa-
rable with cereal yield growth rates
after World War II in the United
Kingdom and the U.S.
Currently, 71% of the increase
in paddy rice production in SSA can
be explained by yield increases and
29% by area expansion, whereas,
before the rice crisis, only 24% of
the production increase could be
auribuled lo increases in yieId and
H
ousehoId veaIlh slrongIy aecls
farmers' decisions on whether
to use improved rice varieties
(IRVs), according to a study of rice
farmers in Nigeria.
"Wealthier households are more
likely to adopt IRVs than their poorer
counterparts," said Aliou Diagne,
AfricaRice economist. "The richest
rice farmers have beuer access lo re-
Average rice yield in sub-Saharan Africa
jumps 30%
76% to increases in harvested area,
Dr. Wopereis said.
This is evidence of increased
use of technological innovation, such
as improved varieties and improved
crop management in general, he
added.
Rice yield worldwidedriven
by the Green Revolution in Asia
increased by 52 kg per ha per year
from 1960 to 2010.
Source: http://africarice.wordpress.com
Nigeria: Rich farmers more likely to
adopt improved rice varieties
sources and may be more able to take
risks. Similarly, expensive technolo-
gies are available only toand thus
adopted bythe richest farmers."
The adoption of IRVs has had
a signihcanl osilive imacl on
household income and on Nigerian
rice production, Dr. Diagne said.
But, he added that boosting
the adoption of IRVs by farmers,
regardless of wealth, will require
improving their awareness of IRV
benehls, disseminaling IRVs more
videIy, invesling in farmer educalion
rograms, faciIilaling farmer
access to credit, seeds, and farmer
organizalions, and oering lhem
beuer suervision by exlension agenls.
Source: www.scidev.net
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LOCAL RICE market in Mopti, Mali.
32
News
A nancial boost for
C
4
rice
T
he pursuit to rein in hunger
with the development of a
cuuing-edge rice of lhe fulure
has received a hnanciaI boosl,
and is now rolling into its second
phase.
The project seeks to create
"C
4
rice"rice vilh a buiIl-in fueI
in|eclor lo beuer converl sunIighl
inlo grain, olenliaIIy resuIling
in up to 50% higher production
while using less water and
nutrients.
The Bill & Melinda Gates
Ioundalion, lhe UK governmenl,
and IRRI have put $14 million
behind C
4
rice over the next 3
years.
This is exaclIy lhe sorl of
innovalive scienlihc research lhal
the Prime Minister was calling
for at the Hunger Summit at
Dovning Slreel earIier lhis year,
said Lynne Iealherslone, UK
IarIiamenlary Under-Secrelary
of State for International
Development.
The researchers have aIready
idenlihed cruciaI genes needed
lo assembIe C
4
holosynlhesis in
rice, dehned lhe basic eIemenls
required for functional C
4

holosynlhesis, and successfuIIy
introduced 10 out of the 13 genes
needed for C
4
rice.
In this second phase of the
ro|ecl, lhe leam aims lo roduce
C
4
rice rololyes for lesling (see
more on C
4
on page 14).
THE WEED identication tool is also accessible as an app on a tablet.
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"Weeds are perhaps
the most important
constraint in rice
production."
Dr. Jonne Rodenburg, AfricaRice
weed scientist
A
new interactive tool can now
idenlify nearIy 200 dierenl
weed species of lowland rice in
East and West Africa.
Africa Rice Cenler (AfricaRice)
recenlIy unveiIed lhis looI buiIl on
a comprehensive
knovIedge base. Il
is accessibIe onIine
and oine (CD
or as an app on
smartphones and
labIel comulers).
Weeds are
perhaps the most
important constraint
in rice roduclion,
so lhis is a vaIuabIe
resource for all
lhose invoIved in research, lraining,
and management of rice weeds in
sub-Saharan Africa, vhere lolaI rice
roduclion Iosses because of veeds
are eslimaled al US$1.5 biIIion, said
Dr. }onne Rodenburg, AfricaRice
weed scientist.
The veed idenlihcalion looI
is lhe roducl of a 3-year ro|ecl
on African Weeds of Rice
(AIROveeds), vhich is coordinaled
Identifying rice weeds in Africa
by lhe Cenlre de cooeralion
internationale en recherche
agronomique our Ie deveIoemenl
(CIRAD) and AfricaRice, vilh
suorl from lhe IU Africa,
Caribbean, Iacihc (ACI) Science and
TechnoIogy Irogram.
The ro|ecl, nov
aImosl comIele,
is carried out in
partnership with
national agricultural
research and
exlension syslems in
sub-Saharan Africa.
The project
has also developed
Weedsbooka
professional social
network for sharing information
belveen rofessionaIs and sludenls
inleresled in aIied bolany, veed
science, and veed managemenl in
rice in Africa.
These resources have been
developed to help disseminate
knowledge and exchange information
nol onIy among lhe ro|ecl members
bul aIso among aII lhe communily
of aclors in lhe rice vaIue chain,
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said Dr. Thomas Le ourgeois, veed
scientist from CIRAD and leader of
lhe AIROveeds ro|ecl.
The target users are weed
scienlisls and agronomisls, sludenls
and rofessors of universilies,
farmers' associalions, and exlension
services, he added.
33
T
wo newly-released varieties, IR77713
and IR79511, are expected to boost
food production and meet the rapidly
growing demand for rice in Burundi.
Farmers and agricultural
stakeholders in Burundi chose the two
rice varieties (IR77713 and IR79511)
bred by the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) over the countrys
locally grown varietiesV14, V18, Watt,
and Rukaramubecause they produce
more rice and taste and look better.
The new varieties easily gained
favor because they are high-yielding and
early-maturing. They yield up to 7 tons
per hectare, which is 11.5 tons more
than the locally grown varieties, and they
mature 23 weeks earlier.
The farmers also ranked IR77713
and IR79511 highest in grain quality of
unmilled, milled, and cooked rice. In
addition, a sensory test revealed that
farmers nd IRRIs new varieties tasty.
The new varieties are suitable to be
planted in lowland areas of the country
(800900 meters above sea level).
Burundi releases two new
rice varieties March 2012
FARMERS chose IR77713 and IR79511 as the best looking rice varieties.
N
ine PhD students Irom AIrica have
been granted 2011 Global Rice
Science Scholarships (GRiSS).
They represent one-third oI the total
number oI successIul GRiSS candidates
selected Irom around the world through a
highly competitive process.
GRiSS was launched in 2011 under
the CGIAR Research Program 'Global
Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP). The
scholarship oIIers young agricultural
scientists the opportunity to be experts in
a scientifc discipline relating to rice and
to have a broader understanding oI the
global issues that aIIect rice science Ior
development.
'These young students will be part
oI the new generation oI rice scientists
who will strengthen AIrica`s research
capacity, said Papa Abdoulaye Seck,
director general, Africa Rice Center
(AIricaRice). AIricaRice, one oI the
architects oI GRiSP, leads its activities in
AIrica.
These awardees Irom AIrica will
conduct their doctoral research under the
joint supervision of AfricaRice scientists
and their respective universities.
Representing diverse agricultural
disciplines, their thesis topics cover
agronomy, plant pathology, entomology,
soil and water science, plant breeding,
and social science.
Reacting to the news oI their
selection, the frst batch oI awardees, who
have begun discussing issues related to
their research topic with their respective
supervisors, expressed their delight and
sense oI pride.
'It is very encouraging to receive
an international scholarship like GRiSS
that will allow me to Iulfll my dream oI
becoming an entomologist and teaching
in our university, said Carline Santos
Irom Benin, one oI the two women
awardees in 2011.
Alexander Nimo Wiredu from
Ghana and Abibou Niang Irom Senegal
remarked that they Ielt honored because
GRiSS aims to produce world-class
scholars.
African PhD students receive
Global Rice Science Scholarships
Mr. Wiredu will investigate the
impact oI Iertilizer subsidy on Iarm-
level rice productivity and Iood security
in northern Ghana, while Mr. Niang
will study the Iactors behind rice yield
differences among farmers in selected
countries of West Africa, among other
things.
Underlining the desperate lack of
trained capacity in rice research and
development on the continent, Dr. Seck
said, Skills are lacking in all major
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(
2
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TOP PHOTO: (Left to
right) GRiSS scholars
Omar Ndaw Faye from
Senegal and Jasper
Mwesigwa Batureine
from Uganda visited
AfricaRice to discuss
their research topics.
CARLINE SANTOS from
Benin is one of the
two African women
who received a GRiSS
scholarship.
disciplines relating to rice science, from
plant breeding to policy research. This
threatens to impede the progress in
developing AIrica`s rice sector.
'Currently, 6070 graduate students
Irom both AIrican and non-AIrican
countries are supervised by AIricaRice
researchers across the continent and we
hope to increase this number gradually,
stated Dr. Marco Wopereis, AIricaRice
deputy director general and director oI
research Ior development.
News
34
Working together for the rice farmers
and consumers of Africa!
Rice Today is published by the International Rice Research Institute
on behalf of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP)

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Selected features on the impact

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