Professional Documents
Culture Documents
4 NEWS
New CURE for tackling
unfavorable environments
Rice scientists win major
environmental prize
Thailand bullish on expanding Lao prime minister visits IRRI
research relations with IRRI
6 IRRI IN THE NEWS: Good news – and bad – about IRRI and rice in the journal Nature
Supercharging photosynthesis Poor nations’ crop research hurt
by Japanese cutbacks
Green Revolution gene is sequenced
16 SOWING PEACE
IN SOUTH ASIA
A cropping system that unites millions
20 MEKONG
HARVESTS
Innovative research
of farmers across South Asia promises in the Mekong Delta
to play a key role in helping to achieve of Vietnam promotes
peace and stability in Afghanistan farmers’ fair sharing
of natural resources
25 FUTURE HARVEST
News from IRRI’s sister Future Harvest centers in the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural
26 PEOPLE
IRRI director general renews 5-year contract
Research Trustee wins Charles A. Black Award
28 EVENTS
Conferences, meetings
and workshops
29 RICE FACTS
Essential food for the poor 30 GRAIN OF TRUTH
Lessons learned in the
long term
Rice Today is published by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Rice Today welcomes comments and suggestions from readers. Potential
world’s leading international rice research and training center. Based in the contributors are encouraged to query first, rather than submit unsolicited materials.
Philippines and with offices in 11 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, Rice Today assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited
nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being of present and future submissions, which should be accompanied by sufficient return postage.
generations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes, Responsibility for this publication rests with IRRI. Designations used in this
while preserving natural resources. IRRI is one of 16 Future Harvest centers publication should not be construed as expressing IRRI policy or opinion on the
funded by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or its authorities, or the
an association of public and private donor agencies. delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
For more information, visit the websites of the CGIAR (www.cgiar.org) and
Future Harvest (www.futureharvest.org), a nonprofit organization that builds
awareness and supports food and environmental research. Copyright International Rice Research Institute 2002
Edwin Javier (right), acting head of the Genetic Resources Center, shows part of the
Genebank germplasm collection to Prime Minister Vorachith (left) and Heherson Alvarez,
secretary of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
New CURE for tackling Southeast Asia) and Casiana Vera Cruz a high-powered Thai trade delegation led by
(permanent cultivation systems in Prachuab Chaiyasan, trade representative
unfavorable environments
Southeast Asia with long rainy seasons). and former foreign minister of the kingdom.
IRRI’s Research Program 3 (Improving Steering Committee Chair B.N. Singh will Acting on specific instructions from Prime
Productivity and Livelihood for Fragile lead the salinity group, and P.K. Sinha, head Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr.
Environments) recently shifted into high of the Central Rainfed Upland Rice Chaiyasan and his delegation took special
gear with the formation of the Consortium Research Station in Hazaribagh, India, will interest in IRRI’s current research agenda,
for Unfavorable Rice Environments head the working group on permanent the rice genome, the new plant type and
(CURE). The new consortium merges the cultivation systems in South Asia. Group progress in biotechnology.
former Rainfed Lowland Rice Research leaders report to Tom Mew, consortium Thailand is a major IRRI partner in rice
Consortium and the Upland Rice Research coordinator and Program 3 leader. research, collaborating on several ongoing
Consortium to further develop IRRI’s and The working groups include farmer projects, such as the Consortium for
its national partners’ ability to do strategic organizations, NGOs, extension agents, rice Unfavorable Rice Environments, the Asian
research and to achieve a greater impact in scientists and other stakeholders to ensure Rice Biotechnology Network, the Inter-
farmers’ fields. that the technologies developed become national Network for the Genetic Evaluation
The CURE Steering Committee held its available to farmers as early as possible. of Rice, and efforts to develop aerobic rice
first meeting in June in New Delhi, where Integration across scientific disciplines is germplasm for water-scarce tropical
B.N. Singh, director of the Central Rice achieved by focusing research and environments and to improve livelihoods
Research Institute (CRRI) in Cuttack, development activities at eight key sites that and profitability for rice farmers in
Orissa, was elected chairperson. Other represent the major features of the northeast Thailand.
committee members are S.B. Siddique, unfavorable rice environments. The delegation included high officials
director of the Bangladesh Rice Research of the Thailand Trade Representative Office,
Institute; Andi Hasanuddin, director of the Thailand bullish on expanding the National Center for Genetic Engineering
Central Research Institute for Food Crops and Biotechnology, the Ministry of Science,
research relations with IRRI
in Indonesia; Soulivanthong Kingkeo, Technology and Environment, the Patum
deputy director general of the National Expansion of IRRI-Thailand collaboration Rice Mill Granary Public Company Limited,
Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute in rice research and production promises to and rice miller, exporter and farmer
in Laos; Leocadio Sebastian, executive result from the June visit to the institute of associations.
director of the Philippine Rice Research
Institute; Sutep Limthongkul, deputy IRRI’s Communication and
director general of the Department of Publications Services won two
Agriculture in Thailand; and Pham Van silver awards in the graphic
Chuong, deputy director general of the design category of the 2002
Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute. international competition
CURE’s activities are implemented sponsored by Agricultural
through six working groups, based on the Communicators in Education.
major rainfed subecosystems. Elected to One award went to the set of
four landscape posters (the
lead four of the working groups were IRRI
poster shown here is Guilin,
scientists Gary Atlin (drought-prone
China, by Rob Kendrick), and
subecosystems), V.P. Singh (submergence- the other was for the jewel
and flood-prone subecosystems), Sushil box and CD design for the
Pandey (shifting cultivation systems in hilly RiceIPM CD.
Supercharging
photosynthesis
by Christopher Surridge
F
irst, some sobering facts and figures: The modified crops created so far generally
over the next 50 years, the world’s involve the addition of a single gene — for a
population is expected to increase by natural insecticide, say, or tolerance of a
a third, to some 8 billion. Much of this rise herbicide. For geneticists, this is like
will be in Southeast Asia, where half the improving a car’s performance by adding an
population is already poorly nourished. aerodynamic spoiler or changing the tires.
Global production of rice ( Oryza But boosting a plant’s photosynthetic
sativa), the world’s most important staple efficiency will involve manipulating a whole
crop, has risen threefold over the past three suite of genes. By the same analogy, it’s like
decades — and if similar progress could be supercharging a car’s engine by fitting a new
maintained, there should be enough food to fuel injection system.
meet the rising demand. But here’s the rub: Thankfully, evolution provides plant
yields are fast approaching a theoretical scientists with precedents. On at least 30
limit set by the crop’s efficiency in separate occasions, different plant lineages
harvesting sunlight and using its energy to have evolved to use the sun’s energy more
make carbohydrates. efficiently, making sugars in a two-stage
So to feed the world, rice may have to process known as C4 photosynthesis.
be reengineered at the biochemical level. Exactly when this trick first evolved is
“The only way to increase yields and reduce unknown, but from about 10 million years
the use of nitrogen fertilizers is to increase ago, falling concentrations of carbon dioxide John Sheehy (above) ponders a feat of genetic
photosynthetic efficiency,” argues John in the atmosphere gave plants using C4 engineering audacious as the rice terraces of
Sheehy, an ecologist at IRRI who specializes photosynthesis an important selective Banaue in the Philippines (opposite).
in modeling crop yields. He calculates that advantage. The ancestors of maize were
a boost of 20% should do the trick. among these plants. But rice, wheat and a decade or two. Aside from the scientific
Easily said, rather more difficult to do. most other cereals all use conventional C3 challenges, funding could become an
The first Green Revolution, which photosynthesis. obstacle. Japan is the most significant
began in the late 1960s, depended on dwarf Given that it would involve major benefactor for rice research, and its largesse
varieties of rice, wheat and maize that, put changes in both biochemistry and anatomy, will be needed to support efforts to re-
simply, made more grain for less stem. It turning rice into a typical C4 plant is no engineer the crop’s photosynthetic
has since been shown that this relied on trivial matter. But that hasn’t stopped some efficiency. But given the present state of the
breeding mutants that do not produce, or plant scientists from tinkering with the country’s economy, Japan has slashed its
fail to respond to, the plant hormone genes that control photosynthesis reactions support for IRRI, which is the natural home
gibberellic acid. in an effort to imbue rice with some C4 for the project.
Now we can add the techniques of characteristics. Many of the nongovernmental bodies
genetic engineering to the old methods of And, given such obstacles, turning rice committed to fighting world hunger,
mutation and traditional plant breeding. into a C4 plant is an endeavor that could take meanwhile, remain vehemently opposed to
I
RRI and rice have been in the news as recent and ongoing scientific advances
this year. January saw the publication offer an unprecedented wealth of prom-
of an in-depth, four-part series on ising new technologies for improving
Golden Rice in the New Jersey-based food security
Star-Ledger, one of the top U.S. daily and livelihoods
newspapers in terms of circulation and for poor rice
syndication. IRRI is developing tropical farmers, steep
varieties of this transgenic rice rich in funding cuts
provitamin A, which series author Kitta s e v e r e l y
Macpherson describes as “the world’s first hamper the
example of food genetically engineered to ability of scien-
convey a benefit directly to the consumer.” tists to capital-
To view the articles, log on to www.nj.com/ ize on this
specialprojects/index.ssf?/special potential.
projects/rice/main.html Read on...
W
ith recent breakthroughs such as the institute’s director general.
the draft rice genome sequence, The impending cut led IRRI, following
agricultural researchers should a board meeting in April, to reduce staff
have plenty to look forward to. But the levels by over 20% to 785. In addition, some
research centers that are best placed to tap projects will be scaled back. The cuts will
that promise are facing a funding crisis. not affect the maintenance of the world’s
Japan, a major supporter of such largest collection of rice germplasm, which
research, cut funding for the Consultative is kept at the institute, Cantrell says.
Group on International Agricultural The situation is especially frustrating
Research (CGIAR) by almost half, from last because so many data are now available for
year’s ¥3.6 billion (US$29 million). The agricultural research, says Cantrell. “The
CGIAR’s 16 institutes form the main global world is bursting with new technologies,” he
network of research centers addressing the says. “We are really on the cusp of
agricultural needs of poor countries. something exciting.”
The impact was felt immediately at
Adapted from Poor nations’ crop research hurt by
IRRI. “Japan had been our largest and Japanese cutbacks, by David Cyranoski, Nature, Vol.
most faithful donor,” laments Ron Cantrell, 416, 25 April 2002. Reprinted with permission.
T
he milestone publication in the 5 April 2002 issue and of the japonica subspecies by Syngenta will have a
of Science (Vol. 296) of not one, but two, draft global impact on human health. These drafts will be
genome sequences of rice (Oryza sativa) brings the combined with a complete rice genome sequence being
cereal crop of the world’s poor to center stage. Just 16 compiled by the public International Rice Genome
months earlier, the science community caught its first Sequencing Project (IRGSP) coordinated by the Japan
glimpse of the completed genome sequence of Arabidopsis Rice Genome Program. The IRGSP sequence is expected to
thaliana, an economically insignificant but “research- be published later this year. The BGI and Syngenta draft
friendly” weed related to the cabbage and mustard family. sequences do not diminish the value of IRGSP’s public
Only 64 days later, Celera and the International Human sequencing effort. Indeed, all three versions contribute to
Genome Sequencing Consortium published draft the completion of a truly accurate rice genome road map
sequences of the human genome itself. that will be invaluable to plant biologists and agricultural
We believe that the scientific community will conclude scientists. The highly accurate IRGSP sequence will serve
that sequencing of the genomes of two rice subspecies will as the gold standard for all future investigations of genetic
be the first sequencing project to yield tangible results for variation in crops.
humankind from the standpoints of food security and If a single plant species were to be voted the most
combating malnutrition. The draft sequence of the indica popular by scientists and laymen alike, it would be Oryza
rice subspecies by the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) sativa. Rice, the world’s most important cereal crop for
W
hen Science published draft sequences of the genome, or genetic makeup, of the indica and japonica
su bspecies of rice in its groundbreaking 5 April 2002 issue, the prestigious journal included a cornucopia
of associated news stories and commentaries. The feast begins with an editorial by Donald Kennedy, the
editor-in-chief of Science, defending the controversial decision to publish the Syngenta paper without requiring
the corporation to follow the usual practice of depositing its research data in GenBank.
One news feature details the history and fortunes of the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project
(IRGSP) in Japan, which is slated to publish a highly detailed and accurate sequence by the end of this year.
Another tracks the meteoric rise of the Beijing Genomics Institute, which produced the indica draft sequence. Two
letters call for continued support for completing the IRGSP sequence and closer collaboration “toward the common
goal of a finished and accurate genome sequence.” A pull-out section highlighting rice genomics makes an attractive
poster.
There are no fewer than four perspective essays related to the rice genome. One of these analyzes the
potential, and the responsibility, of science to abolish world poverty and hunger. Another focuses on the opportunities
that genomic sequencing brings to comparative plant biology. Reprinted here are abridged versions of the remaining
two perspectives, which reflect the views of two key figures at IRRI and their coauthors, as they consider this
historic milestone in the ongoing history of rice science for a better world.
Sylvia O. Inciong
ndia is a world away from Indiana, and none would Through Holy Cross KVK, located at the foot of the
Seed health and gender analysis are among the teachings of Sister Sajita.
This computer-generated graphic illustrates how a laser instrument atop a tripod beams an invisible, perfectly flat disc of laser light that strikes a
receiving unit mounted on the box scraper. The receiver unit controls a hydraulic system that raises or lowers the blade as the box scraper is pulled
around by a tractor, scraping up or dumping soil depending on whether the field surface is high or low. The result is a field level to within 1 cm.
I
n northeast China, harvesting machinery bogs down use it without adapting it to local conditions.”
in poorly drained fields as farmers race to bring in By 1999, Dr. Coulter was a private consultant
the rice crop before it freezes. In the arid Xinjiang commissioned by the World Bank to design a laser-
region of northwest China, cotton fields guzzle precious leveling procurement-and-transfer package for the
water resources and gag on the soluble salts evaporation expanses of Xinjiang. “The fields out there can be as big as
leaves behind. John Coulter has long known that laser where I come from in Australia,” he recalls, “so I knew big,
land leveling could solve both problems, but the 20-year imported equipment would be best” — a scraper at least
veteran of technology transfer to China struggled to make 3.6 meters wide, pulled by a minimum 250-hp tractor. The
it happen. price tag topped US$200,000, horrifying the Chinese.
“In 1995, I was chief representative in China for a
large American farm-machinery manufacturer,” he recalls. Pioneering work
“When I told the Heilongjiang State Farm Bureau Today, Dr. Coulter is a self-funded researcher based at
divisional chief of farm machinery that he needed laser China Agricultural University in Beijing, where Wang
leveling, he cut me off in mid-sentence, angrily Maohua, an energetic and influential academician of the
denouncing lasers as expensive and a waste of time. I later Chinese Academy of Engineering, raised the idea of small-
learned that he had imported laser equipment and tried to scale laser leveling. Dr. Coulter recalled pioneering work
R
ice and wheat are traditionally planted in
rotation in eastern Afghanistan, as they are
on much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, which
extends east of Afghanistan through
Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Restoring a productive rice-wheat system in Afghanistan is
essential to reviving Afghan agriculture, ensuring food
security, and setting the war-torn country on the road to
economic recovery.
“We must focus our attention on reestablishing food
security as quickly as possible,” said a senior aid official.
“Restoring Afghanistan’s agricultural sector has multiple
benefits. Historically, 80% of the population depends on
farming and grazing. Revitalizing this sector not only will
reduce dependency on international food assistance, but
give employment to former combatants, help stabilize the
security environment, and spur the economy.”
The World Bank estimates that cereal production, the
mainstay of Afghanistan’s food security, has fallen by
almost 40% since 1999 and is only half of what it was
during the prewar years. In addition to wheat, rice is a
major staple for the Afghan people, who consume on
average 17 kg per capita per year (equal to 30 kg of
unmilled rice). Historically, Afghanistan is largely self-
sufficient in rice. However, in the past decade, when the
country’s total rice requirement rose by 42%, the area
planted to the grain fell by 35%, yields fell 6% to 1.8 tons
per hectare (less than half of the world average), and total
rice production plunged by 43%. As a result, rice imports
have risen 20-fold, from 5,000 to more than 100,000 tons
per year, at an annual cost of more than US$15 million.
Rice and wheat grown in rotation account for one-third of the cropping
area of both grains in South Asia. Maintaining soil fertility and boosting
yields in the rice-wheat system are vital to improving food security in this
volatile region and to restoring peace in Afghanistan.
17
17
countries involved, including repre-
sentatives of the often antagonistic
neighbors India and Pakistan.
After the first phase of the project
was completed in 1994, the project
members established the Rice-Wheat
Consortium, a major systemwide
ecoregional initiative of the Consulta-
tive Group on International Agricul-
tural Research (CGIAR), which
includes the Future Harvest centers
named above. The aim of the project
has been to promote research that is
fundamental to achieving enhanced
productivity and the sustainability of
the rice-wheat cropping system in
South Asia.
Of particular note has been the
Imported rice accounts for some tional Crops Research Institute for the project’s success in getting farmers to
30% of Afghan consumption of the Semi-Arid Tropics in India, the move away from the high-input
grain, a figure roughly parallel to the International Water Management farming strategies introduced since
one-third of the Afghan people who Institute in Sri Lanka, and the the Green Revolution of the 1960s
depend on international food aid. International Potato Center in Peru — and 1970s toward more sustainable,
The rice-wheat system is the to form the Rice-Wheat Consortium profitable and environmentally
focus of an ongoing ten-year scientific for the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The friendly technologies.
effort to ensure the continued produc- consortium is funded by the Asian In addition to this fundamental
tivity of the 13.5 million hectares of Development Bank, the government strategy, the consortium has adopted
the Indo-Gangetic Plain where the of The Netherlands, the Department several other key principles. One of
system is practiced, as well as a for International Development the first of these is the “precision
further 10.5 million hectares in China. (United Kingdom), the International farming” concept, which advances
“It’s crucial that the rice-wheat Fund for Agricultural Development resource-conserving technologies that
farmers of South Asia continue to be (Italy), the United States Agency for can increase crop productivity while
able to harvest their crops and so feed International Development, the at the same time reducing crop
the hundreds of millions of people government of Japan, and the production costs, increasing farmers’
who depend on them,” warned IRRI Australian Centre for International income, and sustainably improving
Director General Ronald P. Cantrell. Agricultural Research. the quality of each farm’s natural
“And, today, it’s a pressing need that resources.
the rice-wheat farmers of Afghanistan Sustainable strategies Jagdish Kumar Ladha, IRRI soil
receive assistance in restoring the The Rice-Wheat Consortium grew out nutritionist and rice-wheat coordina-
productivity of their farms.” of a joint project between IRRI and tor, said that years of intensive
In a global effort to assist rice- CIMMYT that started in 1990 as part cropping in rice-wheat areas have
wheat farmers in South Asia, the of a major new effort to help rice- seriously depleted the levels of soil
national agricultural research and wheat farmers find sustainable new nutrients available to future crops.
extension systems of Pakistan, India, strategies and technologies to im- “Additionally,” he said, “the inappro-
Nepal and Bangladesh have joined prove their lives. Fundamental to the priate use of fertilizers, which has
forces with scientists from IRRI and project right from the start has been been rampant in the region, has also
other Future Harvest centers — farmer participation to ensure that adversely affected local soils.”
including the International Maize and research is demand-driven. Equally He explained that precision
Wheat Improvement Center important has been close collabora- farming teaches farmers about site-
(CIMMYT) in Mexico, the Interna- tion among scientists from all the specific nutrient management and
18 Rice Today September 2002
how to apply nitrogen, potassium and strategies such as cultivating rice on for greater water and labor savings,
phosphorus in ways that avoid further raised irrigated beds rather than in alternative practices for weed and
nutrient depletion. “Every field is puddled soils with standing water. residue management for environmen-
different, so farmers need to be quite They have also learned how to adapt tal protection and nutrient savings,
specific about what each crop will rice production to leave the soil in and the conjunctive use of organic
need,” Dr. Ladha stressed. suitable condition for the following and inorganic nutrient sources for
One of the great successes of the wheat crop. balanced nutrient management and
consortium has been the introduction “The future sustainability of such fertilizer savings.”
of a simple tool known as the leaf an agricultural system strongly According to Raj K. Gupta, the
color chart to help farmers determine depends on maximizing input-use consortium’s regional facilitator, and
the amount of nitrogen a rice or wheat efficiency and reducing the cost of Peter Hobbs, a CIMMYT agronomist,
crop needs. A recent study found that cultivation,” explained Dr. Ladha, there is no doubt that the consortium
175 farmers from India’s Haryana who added that the consortium is already one of the finest examples
State were successfully using the research team is intensively monitor- of collaboration in South Asia,
leaf color chart to cut their use of ing the rice-wheat system. “Techno- providing clear evidence that coun-
nitrogen fertilizer by up to 20%. Other logical options for producing more tries in the region can work together
precision-farming techniques, such as rice and wheat through the more to help their citizens improve their
the deep placement of nitrogen tablets efficient use of resources such as lives.
(or briquettes) and controlled-release water, labor, fertilizer and crop- “The major challenge for the
fertilizers, helped further reduce protection agents are a major chal- consortium members is to find new
farmers’ application of nitrogenous lenge that needs an integrated ways to ensure the food security of
fertilizer by up to 30%. approach based on farmer participa- the region’s millions of grain consum-
tion. ers while at the same time making
Water savings “Other technologies being rice-wheat farming more profitable,”
Researchers have enjoyed success in considered for integration into the Dr. Hobbs explained. “While funding
helping grain growers cut their water rice-wheat system,” added Dr. Ladha, is a key constraint because many
use, in some cases achieving savings “include land leveling for water donor agencies are placing less
of up to 40%. This has been achieved savings [see Laser Lite on page 14], emphasis on agriculture, we have to
by helping farmers introduce new growing rice in unpuddled conditions be optimistic.”
Harvested grain drying in a village yard. Yields must grow by 2.5% a year to feed growing populations, raise incomes and reduce malnutrition.
S
ome 2,000 kilometers
from its start on the
Chinese border, Vietnam’s
fabled National Route 1
cuts flat and straight
across the Mekong Delta province
of Bac Lieu. Lining the two-lane
highway are houses and shops, many
of them perched on stilts over canals.
Bicycles, motorbikes, pedestrians and
buffalo carts hem the edges of the
road, as buses, vans and trucks career
down the middle, vying noisily for
right-of-way.
The haphazard flow of traffic is
routine. What makes this stretch of
Route 1 unusual is how the road’s
century-old embankment is now
being used to regulate the flow of
water to improve agricultural
productivity. The results are raising
questions that challenge the
entrenched assumptions and
priorities that govern natural resource
management. Beyond improving the
lives of poor Vietnamese farmers ensures food security, promotes — the second poorest province in the
today, the lessons being learned in farmers’ livelihood, and protects the delta, with an annual per capita
Bac Lieu may help other regions cope environment is a delicate balancing income of US$380 — managed to
with a future affected by global act. Getting it right requires the active grow more than one rice crop per
warming. participation of farmers, agricultural year. This was due to tidal inflows of
Farmland, like natural scientists and extension workers, and seawater invading the canals that
wilderness, is a complex ecosystem in government policymakers. crisscross the province. Only during
which one altered feature can have The Mekong Delta is the rice bowl the rainy season, from June to
far-reaching consequences. Managing of southern Vietnam, but until October, are tidal forces overwhelmed
natural resources in a way that recently very few farmers in Bac Lieu by the outward flow of freshwater
Shrimp farming became very profitable with the introduction of large varieties raised for export (inset below, shown with small, native shrimp), just as
protection against saltwater intrusion made possible multiple rice cropping and bigger harvests (opposite). But rice requires freshwater, shrimp brackish
water. The question became how best to manage water resources to balance these competing demands.
caption
○
Honors for IRRI scientists Khush Hall is tribute
○
○
to retired plant breeder
S ant Singh Virmani,
○
○
plant breeder and
○
deputy head of Plant
G urdev S. Khush Hall is the new name
○
for the former Collaborators’ Center
○
Breeding, Genetics and
○
Biochemistry, will receive building on the IRRI research campus.
○
this year’s International Angeline Kamba, chair of the IRRI Board
○
of Trustees, unveiled the commemorative
○
Service in Crop Science
○
Award from the Crop
○
marker during a ceremony in April, saying
Science Society of America that Dr. Khush had, “over a period of 34
○
○
of the potential for irrigated hybrid rice in Dr. Virmani (second from right), Professor Yuan
○
the tropics, and hybrid rice varieties are now Long-ping (right), and Dat Van Tran (partly hidden) contributions in helping the Filipino people
○
grown commercially in Vietnam, India, are honored by Nguyen Cong Tan (second from in producing more food by increasing rice
○
Philippines, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. In production in the country through the use
○
Agriculture and Rural Development Medal noputri presented Dr. Khush with a
○
for his contribution to the advancement of Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy certificate of recognition for his dedication
○
hybrid rice technology in that country. at its annual meeting in November. Dr.
○
Tom Mew, IRRI plant pathologist and Ladha’s research focuses on developing and Saragih (left in photo), the Indonesian
○
head of the Entomology and Plant Pathology implementing farm-nutrient management minister of Agriculture, looked on.
○
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Division, was named a Fellow of the and crop-establishment strategies that In May, Dr. Khush was elected as a
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American Phytopathological Society at a minimize environmental effects and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of
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ceremony in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July. maximize farmers’ income. Dr. Ladha chairs
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Dr. Mew’s achievements have spanned the Commission of Soil Biology of the academician of the Russian Academy of
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nearly three decades in plant pathology, International Union of Soil Science. Agricultural Sciences.
○
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breeding and agronomy, balancing scientific Darshan Brar, IRRI plant breeder,
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depth with practical approaches to disease was named an Honorary Fellow of the Crop
○
○
control that benefit rice growers throughout Science Society of the Philippines for 2002
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Asia. His promotion of pathology research at the society’s annual conference in April.
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programs in the developing world has Dr. Brar is recognized for his pioneering
○
○
now lead worldwide efforts in crop has introgressed genes from wild species
○
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J.K. Ladha, IRRI soil-fertility and bacterial blight, brown planthopper, blast
○
○
○
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K T
○
wame Akuffo-Akoto was he Council for Agricultural Science and
○
scheduled to start as IRRI’s new Technology (CAST) in March awarded
○
treasurer and director for Finance in Calvin Qualset, IRRI Board of Trustees
○
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September. Born in Ghana, Mr. Akuffo- member since 1999, the 2002 Charles A.
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Akoto was director for Finance and Black Award for his life’s work in germplasm
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Administration at the International Crops preservation and enhancement. A Nebraska
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Research Institute for the Semi-Arid native, Dr. Qualset is founding director of the
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Tropics in India from 1996 to 2002 and Genetic Resources Conservation Program at
○
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earlier exercised similar functions at the the University of California-Davis, where he
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West Africa Rice Development Association in Côte d'Ivoire. A is also professor emeritus and research
○
member of the Board of Trustees of the Association of International professor. His research areas include crop
○
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Agricultural Research Centers, he replaces Gordon MacNeil, who breeding, genetics and evolution, conservation of plant genetic
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returned to the World Bank in Washington, D.C. resources, and biotechnology policy.
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Nigel Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton Dr. Qualset has served as chair of the Section on Agriculture,
○
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assumed his duties as the new head of IRRI’s Food and Renewable Natural Resources for the American
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Genetic Resources Center in August. Dr. Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), president of
○
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Sackville Hamilton was previously the the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and president of the Crop
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biodiversity group leader and head of the Science Society of America (CSSA). He has been honored as a fellow
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Genetic Resources Unit at the Institute of by the AAAS, ASA and CSSA. He was a Fulbright Senior Research
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Grassland and Environmental Research in his Scholar and Fulbright Senior Research Lecturer. Dr. Qualset was a
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native United Kingdom. member of the task force that prepared the CAST issue paper
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Roland Buresh of Crop, Soil and Water Sciences became Applications of biotechnology to crops: benefits and risks.
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the new program leader for Program 2 (Enhancing productivity ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
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the IRRC.
P eter Core is the new
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Suan Pheng Kam of the Social Sciences Division replaced director of the Australian
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Dr. Buresh as acting project team leader for Project 8 (Natural Centre for International
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resource management for rainfed lowland and upland rice Agricultural Research
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ecosystems). Dr. Kam continues to serve as project team leader for (ACIAR), commencing his
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Project 11 (Enhancing ecological sustainability and improving five-year term in July. He was
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le Développement, joined Australia’s agricultural research expertise. Mr. Core, who has a
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Crop, Soil and Water Sciences background in agricultural economics and a reputation for strong
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in July to work on improving and strategic leadership, succeeded Robert Clements, who
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yields in irrigated rice. became director in 1995 and is now executive director of the
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Genetics and Biochemistry Dr. Soomro has been chief scientist II and
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Nobuhiko Fuwa joined K.L. Heong received a DSc from director of the Sindh Seed Corporation (1991-92), and director
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IRRI’s Social Sciences Division Imperial College, the highest general of Agricultural Research (1989-91). He has more than 40
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as an international research academic degree awarded by the publications to his credit and in 1990 received from the Pakistani
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fellow in August. University of London, for research president the title Tamagha-I-Imtiaz for his research achievements.
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Kaung Zan passed away over the last 12 years on integ- Rajendra S. Paroda has stepped down as chairman of the
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on 22 December 2001 in rating ecology and sociology in Global Forum on Agricultural Research, a position he has filled
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Board of Trustees in 1975-77 Central Asia and the Caucasus of the International Center for
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A
pproximately 70% of the Table 1. Rice consumption, caloric intake, caloric intake from rice, percent of calories from rice,
world’s 1.3 billion poor percent of protein from rice, and gross national income per capita
people live in Asia, where rice Total GNI per capita,
is the staple food. To some extent, this Milled rice calories/ Rice calories/ % % US$
reflects Asia’s large population, but Country consumption capita/ capita/ calories protein Atlas method,
(kg/capita/year) day day from rice from rice World Bank
even in relative terms malnutrition 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000
appears to affect a substantially larger
Myanmar 211 2,803 2,050 73 68 –
share of the population in South Asia Laos 171 2,152 1,506 70 65 290
than in Africa. For these people, rice Vietnam 170 2,564 1,676 65 57 390
is the most important commodity in Bangladesh 168 2,201 1,676 76 65 370
Cambodia 165 2,000 1,527 76 70 260
their daily lives. In countries such as Indonesia 154 2,931 1,525 52 44 570
Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar, Thailand 101 2,411 1,004 42 34 2,000
the average citizen consumes 150– Philippines 100 2,357 974 41 31 1,040
Korea, Rep. of 94 2,917 1,021 35 20 8,910
200 kg annually, which accounts for Madagascar 91 1,994 917 46 43 250
two-thirds or more of caloric intake China 90 3,045 911 30 19 840
and approximately 60% of daily Malaysia 88 2,969 861 29 19 3,380
India 74 2,417 736 30 24 450
protein consumption (Table 1). Even Japan 60 2,782 642 23 12 35,620
in relatively wealthier countries such Egypt 41 3,323 426 13 9 1,490
as Thailand and Indonesia, rice still Brazil 40 3,012 409 14 10 3,580
Nigeria 23 2,833 237 8 8 260
accounts for nearly 50% of calories Pakistan 15 2,462 150 6 5 440
and one-third or more of protein. USA 9 3,754 94 3 2 34,100
Rice is also the most important Turkey 7 3,469 65 2 1 3,100
Mexico 6 3,168 61 2 1 5,070
crop to millions of small farmers who WORLD 58 2,808 577 21 15 –
grow it on millions of hectares
Sources: FAO online database (FAO update 31 May 2001); World Development Report (2002), World Bank.
throughout the region, and to the
many landless workers who derive
income from working on these farms. Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan account for less than 10% of total rice
At low levels of income, when (China), Malaysia and Thailand, consumption in Asia.
meeting energy needs is a serious have begun to experience a decline The annual income threshold at
concern, people tend to eat coarse in per capita rice consumption which consumers start substituting
grains and root crops such as cassava after reaching high levels several higher quality and more varied foods
and sweet potato. At that lowest stage decades earlier (Fig. 1). But these for rice is estimated at around
of economic development, rice is high- and middle-income countries US$1,500. This income threshold has
considered a luxury commodity. With not yet been reached in
increasing income, demand shifts Bangladesh, China, India,
from coarse grains and root crops to Indonesia, Myanmar, the
rice. At high levels of income, rice Philippines and Vietnam. These
becomes an inferior commodity, and countries account for more than
consumers prefer diverse foods with 80% of total rice consumption
more protein and vitamins, such as and are going to dominate the
vegetables, bread, fish and meat. future growth in demand.
Growing urbanization that
accompanies economic growth leads
to changes in food habits and the Adapted from Maclean JL, Dawe DC,
practice of eating away from home, Hardy B, Hettel GP, editors. 2002. Rice
which further reduces per capita rice Almanac, Third Edition. Wallingford
(UK): CABI Publishing and Los Baños
consumption. The more industrialized Fig. 1. Trend in per capita cereal consumption, selected (Philippines): International Rice
countries of Asia, such as the Asian countries, 1961-98. Research Institute. 253 p.
Lessons learned
ROLAND J. BURESH
in the long term
Soil Scientist
T
he most intensively cropped experimental site in Asia yielding seasons. With the “best” N fertilizer practice
began four decades ago largely as a demonstration plot historically used in the LTCCE (and typically recommended
conveniently close to IRRI’s administrative buildings. to Asian rice farmers), the rate of N fertilizer for a given season
Researchers recognized its potential as an outdoor laboratory, remains constant from year to year. We have learned, however,
and today the Long-Term Continuous Cropping Experiment that rice yields can be further improved with need-based
(LTCCE) is a treasure for researching the sustainable management. This means applying N to “feed” rice only when
management of intensive irrigated rice ecosystems. it is “hungry” because the N content in plant tissue has fallen
Between the first planting on 18 February 1963 and the to a critical level.
middle of 2002, the LTCCE produced 115 rice crops on its Farmers can quickly and easily gauge this level with simple
single hectare — two crops annually until 1968, then three tools such as the chlorophyll meter or the inexpensive leaf
crops per year using short-duration modern varieties. The color chart. In the 2001 and 2002 dry seasons, need-based N
LTCCE is thus a prototype of the irrigated rice ecosystems management guided by the leaf color chart resulted in higher
that have spread across Asia and become rice yields than did the “best” N practice. We
increasingly vital to food security. Irrigated 1.5 billion rice achieved this yield improvement by better
fields producing two or three crops of rice per adjusting N fertilizer use to the growing season
year now account for more than 40% of world farmers and and climatic conditions — without decreasing
rice production. One and a half billion rice consumers depend the fertilizer’s effectiveness (yield per amount
farmers and consumers depend on their added). This demonstrates the potential for
sustainable productivity. The LTCCE provides on the sustainable knowledge-based N management practices to
early insights into the long-term effects of further boost yield, largely through adjusting
productivity of
intensive cropping on these ecosystems and how crop management to seasonal and site-specific
best to maintain their resource base and irrigated fields conditions.
productivity. We have learned that intensive rice
producing two or
We manage the LTCCE to achieve high and ecosystems can maintain soil organic matter,
stable yields on a sustainable basis, with annual three crops of rice levels of which in the LTCCE have actually
grain production for the three rice crops
per year increased slightly (5–10%) in the past 15 years.
reaching 17 t/ha. We examine high-yielding This is remarkable because we remove all
varieties and elite breeding lines in combination with optimal aboveground crop residues. Aquatic organisms and biological
nitrogen (N) fertilizer and crop management. We research the processes unique to submerged soils ensure sustained soil
soil’s microbial dynamics, organic matter, carbon organic matter and sequestration of soil carbon.
sequestration, and chemical and biological changes, as well We have learned that the capacity of irrigated rice
as cultivar micronutrient content, aquatic arthropods, and ecosystems to supply indigenous N to rice can be sustained
interactions between N fertilizer and rice diseases. under intensive cropping. The yield in LTCCE plots not
Through the LTCCE, we have learned that high rice yields receiving N fertilizer has remained constant for the past 25
remain attainable after intensive cropping for more than 30 years. In this ecosystem with relatively high inherent soil
years. A rice yield of 8.9 t/ha in the 2002 dry season with fertility, biological N2 fixation and N released from soil organic
optimal N fertilizer management was the fifth highest to date matter continue to supply a steady 50–60% of the N needed
in the history of the experiment. It was made possible by by high-yielding rice.
favorable climatic conditions. Climate, particularly solar In sum, well-managed irrigated rice ecosystems are
radiation, is the dominant factor affecting long-term yield masterpieces of ecological vitality and sustained productivity.
trends when N and crop management are optimized for high Soil submergence weaves an array of biological, chemical and
yield. physical processes that make these ecosystems unique in
Much of the N in high-yielding rice comes from agriculture. Our understanding of their ecological marvels,
indigenous soil organic matter and biological N2 fixation, but which the LTCCE continues to expand, helps us to refine
supplemental N from fertilizer is essential. The optimal natural resource management to further enhance productivity
amount is directly related to plant need, which rises in high- and sustainability in an environment-friendly fashion.
E
ditions published in 1993 and 1997 made the Rice result of collaboration among IRRI, the West Africa
Almanac a standard source book for the most Rice Development Association, Centro Internacional de
important economic activity on earth. The book Agricultura Tropical, and the Food and Agriculture
brings together general information about rice and data Organization.
about rice production worldwide. This third edition has
been fully updated and expanded to include 64 countries 253 pages. 17.78 x 25.40 cm. Orders from highly developed countries
— from Afghanistan to Venezuela. There are also should be sent to CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon 0X10 8DE, United
Kingdom. Orders from less developed countries should be sent to CPS,
discussions on international issues important to the crop
IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines; LDC price US$6.50;
such as the looming water crisis, global climate change, PhP325.00. Postage and handling for orders from outside the Philippines,
and biotechnology. The compiled information is the US$12.00; local orders PhP70.00. ISBN 971-22-0172-4