Rice Today

28/11/2023

Scientists, researchers, and producers from private seed companies were trained to upgrade their skills with cutting-edge knowledge and advanced techniques in seed technology, genetic enhancement, and agricultural innovation.

The training aims to help empower the private seed sector and ensure every farmer in Bangladesh has access to high-quality seeds and agriculture is sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change.
Read more: shorturl.at/nAIP8

24/11/2023

Developing an international collaboration system and disseminating applicable agricultural technologies will contribute to the transformation of food systems in the Asia-Monsoon region, according to The Green Asia Project.

The Asia-Monsoon region covers eastern, southeastern, and southern Asia where most smallholder farmers cultivate rice paddies under hot and humid climate conditions. The region commonly experiences similar climatic and other environmental stresses that significantly affect the productivity of farming activities.

The Asia-Monsoon region accounts for 40% of the global non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture.

Manila, Philippines (17 October 2023) – Developing an international collaboration system and disseminating applicable agricultural technologies will contribute to the transformation of food systems in

21/11/2023

Leaders representing different sectors in Southeast Asia discussed how rice research needs to evolve to cater to the needs of an ever-growing population in the region at the 6th International Rice Congress.

Manila, Philippines, 19 October 2023 — Leaders representing different sectors in Southeast Asia discussed how rice research needs to evolve to cater to the needs of an ever-growing population in the r

20/11/2023

The rising demand for nutritious foods provides manufacturers an opportunity to diversify their products to cater to specific markets. Whole-grain cookies made from GI-tagged rice landraces, Kalanamak and Chak-hao, offer distinct sensory qualities and are nutritious and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, fiber, and bioactive compounds.
Read more: https://shorturl.at/bhiwG

13/11/2023

Rice production in Uttar Pradesh is not very productive and profitable due to the slow introduction of new rice varieties and a fragile system for providing quality seeds of high-yielding and climate-resilient rice varieties.

Addressing these aspects contributes to the broader goals of improving agricultural productivity, enhancing rural livelihoods, and fostering regional agricultural sustainability to promote sustainable agriculture in the state.
https://shorturl.at/gsV46

10/11/2023

IRRI showcased the many accomplishments of Indian scientists and agencies in advancing rice science and rice sector development at the recent 6th International Rice Congress.

The session featured the history, legacy, and achievements of the IRRI-India partnership, and how it has contributed to India’s leading position in the global rice sector.

Manila, Philippines (18 October 2023) ~ The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) showcased the many accomplishments of Indian scientists and agencies in advancing rice science and rice sector

09/11/2023

Evidence of the positive impact of rice breeding innovations and technologies on the productivity, income, and resilience to climate change of Asian and African rice farmers was presented at the symposium titled Adoption and impacts of rice innovations: What do we know so far?, organized by the Transformative Policies & Investments Unit of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at the sidelines of the 6th International Rice Congress.

In 1966, IRRI introduced the high-yielding semi-dwarf rice variety IR8 in the Philippines and India. Dubbed the “Miracle Rice,” IR8 dramatically increased the yields of rice and played a significant part in the Green Revolution. IRRI has released hundreds of other varieties of rice since IR8 to keep rice production ahead of population growth.

What would have been the aftermath if the IRRI breeding program had not released new rice lines after IR8?
Read more:

Manila, Philippines (27 October 2023) – Evidence of the positive impact of rice breeding innovations and technologies on the productivity, income, and resilience to climate change of Asian and African

08/11/2023

A milestone in rice breeding involved the SUB1 gene that enables rice to survive underwater for 14 days. The gene has been introduced into several mega rice varieties to overcome the challenges of flooding and provide relief to millions of poor rice farmers in flood-prone areas across the globe. One of these varieties, Swarna-Sub1, was hailed as a major innovation with great potential for helping rice farmers in flood-prone areas of India.

However, SUB1 rice varieties are not invincible when flooding extends beyond 14 days. The next goal is going beyond the SUB1 gene and hunting genotypes to develop the next-generation flood-tolerant varieties that can survive more than two weeks of submergence.
Read more: tinyurl.com/yt2d4tk9

01/11/2023

The high use of chemical pesticides at large scales and the co-dependence of technologies, such as hybrid rice varieties and direct-seeded rice, are associated with higher pesticide use than traditional varieties and establishment methods have resulted in a technological lock-in for pesticide use, whereby the increasing use of pesticides reduces farmers’ willingness to adopt more environmentally friendly pest and w**d management options.

In well-managed rice fields, a diversity of generalist and specialist natural enemies, a high degree of intraguild predation, and a range of interconnected negative feedback loops regulate arthropod densities such that rice herbivores normally occur in relatively low numbers and decline in abundance as the crop matures.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2jvkys9y

27/10/2023

Bangladesh and Nepal are two important rice economies of South Asia with large rice-consuming populations. Rice productivity in these countries often goes beyond food security. It is at the core of these countries’ social and economic stability and environmental sustainability. However, there are some common and stark differences in rice production challenges between the two countries. In the past two decades, Bangladesh turned from rice deficit to surplus while Nepal turned from rice surplus to deficit.

Rice scientists and policymakers from Bangladesh, Nepal, and South Asia came together at the 6th International Rice Congress in Manila to discuss these as well as other challenges, and their future visions for the Bangladesh and Nepal rice sectors

Bangladesh and Nepal are two important rice economies of South Asia with large rice consuming populations. Rice productivity in these countries often goes beyond food security.

26/10/2023

The success of the Green Revolution technologies that transformed several rice-growing Asian countries from importers to exporters can be the foundation of Africa’s Green Revolution.

Rice is a promising cereal crop for Africa because the agricultural technologies developed for Asia under the Green Revolution have high transferability, according to Dr. Keijiro Otsuka, a professor of Development Economics at the Graduate School of Economics at Kobe University.

Manila, Philippines (23 October 2023) — The success of the Green Revolution technologies that transformed several rice-growing Asian countries from importers to exporters can be the foundation of Afri

26/10/2023

Dr. J.K. Ladha shared his vision for sustainable agriculture emphasizing several key aspects of nature-based farming solutions with a particular focus on managing carbon and nitrogen

Manila, Philippines (23 October 2023) — In a world grappling with the dual challenges of food security and environmental sustainability, J.K.

24/10/2023

Rice research continues to be the core business of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). However, for the institute’s scientific outputs to have an impact, IRRI needs to communicate its research to farmers across Asia and Africa. This is where science communication comes in.

Science communication plays an important role in ensuring IRRI’s research-for-development products are shared with different stakeholders, most importantly the farmers, to motivate them to adopt new and better rice varieties and farm management techniques.

Manila, Philippines (October 17, 2023) — Rice research continues to be the core business of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

23/10/2023

Global rice prices are heavily affected by disruptive events. Effective and inclusive government policies, backed by investments in sustainable agriculture, can help improve current trends in the world rice market.

Manila, Philippines (October 16, 2023) — Global rice prices are heavily affected by the emergence of disruptive events.

19/10/2023

Gender in agriculture is more than the disaggregation of data based on s*x. It goes beyond the realms of the mere number of men and women farmers. The deeper issues such as the impact of social dynamics and identities, technological changes, research, and opportunities in understanding equality and social inclusion were taken up at the 6th International Rice Conference.

Gender and social inclusion experts gathered at the panel discussion, Intersecting Identities of Gender, Youth and Class: What Matters Most for Research for the Development of Rice-based Food Systems, to explore the more complicated components behind the issue of gender equality and inclusion to achieve transformative change. e

Manila, Philippines (October 17, 2023) — Gender in agriculture is more than the disaggregation of data based on s*x. It goes beyond the realms of the mere number of men and women farmers.

19/10/2023

Rice cultivation is one of the biggest sources of methane gas in the agriculture sector. However, it also has the highest mitigation potential which makes it a promising crop for reducing GHG emissions.

The impacts of sustainable practices can be exciting in theory. In reality, farmers must understand their climate impact so they are more encouraged to adopt sustainable agricultural techniques

Manila, Philippines (17 October 2023) — Private sector representatives attending the 6th International Rice Conference (IRC 2023) discussed how climate financing initiatives supported by Measurement,

19/10/2023

Innovative strategies and technologies to address the problem of salinity intrusion in rice production in Asian mega delta countries were presented by experts from various disciplines at the 6th International Rice Congress in Manila.

The side event, Coping with Salinity in Asian Mega-Deltas, was organized by the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) to provide a platform for exploring practical solutions and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address salinity intrusions in the Mekong, Irrawaddy, and Ganges-Brahmaputra Deltas that pose significant threats to the agri-food systems in these regions.

Manila, Philippines (October 17, 2023) — Innovative strategies and technologies to address the problem of salinity intrusion in rice production in Asian mega delta countries were presented by experts

18/10/2023

China’s high-tech rice industry is experiencing significant growth and holds promising prospects for the future driven by research collaboration and cooperation

Manila, Philippines (October 16, 2023) – China’s high-tech rice industry is experiencing significant growth and holds promising prospects for the future driven by research collaboration and cooperatio

18/10/2023

Collaborative action and advancement of direct-seeded rice can be an important solution for food security and climate change challenges facing the world

16 October 2023, MANILA, Philippines ~ Collaborative action and advancement of direct-seeded rice can be an important solution for food security and climate change challenges facing the world, accordi

16/10/2023

The first batch of ultra-low GI rice developed from the Samba Mahsuri x IR36ae, was formally presented to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. at the opening ceremony of the 6th International Rice Congress

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (16 October 2023) - In an effort to help curb the rising cases of diabetes globally, scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), a CGIAR Research Center, have

16/10/2023

High temperatures cause significant yield losses in major rice-growing areas of the world, posing a stiff challenge in meeting the demand for rice from a steadily increasing population.

Given that global warming is expected to continue with more frequent heat episodes, adaptation of field-scale crop management practices for preventing heat-induced yield and grain quality losses is vital. Water management is considered to be one of the important practices to prevent yield losses under high air temperature conditions.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2htadczk

09/10/2023

Significant efforts in agronomic research for development have been undertaken to address the challenges in rice cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these efforts and achievements, considerable yield gaps in researcher-managed trials as well as farmers’ fields persist.

The objectives of this paper are to provide the status quo of rice production and its main challenges, selected achievements in rice agronomy research mainly by Africa Rice Center, and its partners, and perspectives for future research on rice agronomy.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2w45p95d

02/10/2023

For approaches to be transformative, what is required is a broader and more comprehensive understanding and appreciation of farmers’ realities and the changes needed to foster large-scale transformation in their livelihood trajectories while avoiding or mitigating the dangers of maladaptation.

This means that the climate response has to involve those from numerous disciplines across the natural and social sciences.

Furthermore, it has to ensure that it is embedded in transformative adaptation with more focus on tackling the root cause of vulnerability and giving more emphasis to human development.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/m77aj9hx

24/09/2023

Traditional rice varieties have been critical for developing improved stress-tolerant rice varieties. Tools to analyze the genome sequences of traditional varieties are accelerating the identification and deployment of genes conferring climate-change resilience.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/4jhakvwk

20/09/2023

The Mekong River Delta is undergoing a remarkable digital transformation in the region’s rice production management with the Rice production monitoring and reporting system (RiceMoRe).

RiceMoRe provides a platform for standardizing and recording time-series rice production activity and the adoption of low-emission practices. It is a valuable tool in the decision-making process by providing accurate and up-to-date information to optimize rice production for both domestic consumption and export purposes.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/bdfdh8yx

17/09/2023

Even though Telangana is one of the leading rice-producing states in India, the awareness and options around new varieties among a significant number of smallholder farmers is a major challenge.
Providing access to seed, particularly of newer varieties, is a difficult task because of capacity constraints in formal seed systems.
Additionally, the community-led seed network is underdeveloped and underutilized by mainstream seed programs.

Farmer-led interventions are closing these loopholes, widening the varietal choices available to the farmers, and evaluating on-farm assessment to aid farmers in the selection and adoption of the potential varieties.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yeyrcn3m

11/09/2023

A review of the digital ecosystem in the rice value chain in Vietnam reports a few digital tools focused on rice production providing a variety of functions, including technical advisory, record keeping, and performance assessment.

A small proportion of the surveyed farmers use agriculture-specific digital apps for rice farming. However, 75% are willing or strongly willing to use mobile apps for farming needs indicating that either (i) farmers have limited access to rice apps, (ii) there is a gap between farmers’ needs and what the tools are offering, or (iii) the existing apps are not in the form that farmers are comfortable to use.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/ynezjuy2

05/09/2023

Natural calamities, primarily floods, of varying intensity adversely affect the standing crop leading to poor harvests. Such untoward climatic shocks invariably hit almost all blocks of Puri District in Odisha.

The variety-based climate-smart intervention was a potential response in the flood-prone rice areas. This can be replicated and scaled up in other blocks within the district as part of contingency plans for rice-growing areas affected by floods in the state.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/mr3akyzr

29/08/2023

Joint decision-making is gaining significant traction in literature. To this end, studies investigating the adoption of technologies focusing on male decision-makers may lead to biased estimates. However, more studies are needed on the married couple’s participation in decision-making regarding farming-related activities, especially rice seed varieties in India.

This study investigates the factors affecting married couples’ participation in the joint decision-making of adopting rice varieties and assesses the impact of the joint decision-making strategy on food security—measured by rice productivity.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/3c54cfce

23/08/2023

The Haor Region has been experiencing early-season flash floods almost every year. The flash floods completely inundate rice fields immediately before rice harvesting causing massive losses to farmers and posing threats to the food security and livelihood of the people.

BRRI dhan-96 has brought about a transformation in the lives of the Haor farmers. It not only provided them with a sustainable solution to the challenges they faced but also empowered them to escape poverty. With increased productivity, they were able to realize higher incomes, improve their standard of living, and invest in their children’s education.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2mmpcsku