Professional Documents
Culture Documents
org
"Scuba rice"
New varieties save farms from floods
Zero-till hero
Drought-proof rice in Africa
Rice science in the digital age
Bangladesh copes with the hunger months
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Rice Today April-June 2009
Rice Today April-June 2009
ARIEL JAVELLANA NEWS http://ricenews.irri.org
ARIEL JAVELLANA
A n ambitious project to re-engineer
photosynthesis in rice, led by
the International Rice Research
have evolved a much more efficient
form of photosynthesis known as C4.
According to IRRI scientist and
Institute (IRRI) through a global project leader Dr. John Sheehy, in
consortium of scientists, has received tropical climates the efficiency of
a grant of US$11 million over 3 solar energy conversion of crops
years from the Bill & Melinda Gates using the so-called C4 photosynthesis
Foundation. As a result of research is about 50% higher than that of C3
being conducted by this group, rice crops. Given the demands from an
plants that can produce 50% more increasing population, combined
grain using less fertilizer and less with less available land and water,
water are a step closer to reality. adequate future supplies of rice will
Currently, more than a billion need to come in large part through
people worldwide live on less than substantial yield boosts and more
DR. JOHN Sheehy, IRRI senior scientist, leads the
a dollar a day and nearly one billion efficient use of crop inputs. project to re-engineer photosynthesis in rice to
live in hunger. Over the next 50 “Converting the photosynthesis potentially double rice yields.
years, the population of the world of rice from the less-efficient C3
will increase by about 50% and water form to the C4 form would increase
scarcity will grow. About half of the yields by 50%,” said Dr. Sheehy, biologists, geneticists, physiologists,
world’s population consumes rice adding that C4 rice would also biochemists, and mathematicians,
as a staple cereal, so boosting its use water twice as efficiently. In representing leading research
productivity is crucial to achieving developing tropical countries, organizations worldwide. Members
long-term food security. IRRI is where billions of poor people rely include Yale, Cornell, Florida, and
leading the effort to achieve a major on rice as their staple food, “The Washington State universities
increase in global rice production benefits of such an improvement in the United States; Oxford,
by using modern molecular tools in the face of increasing world Cambridge, Dundee, Nottingham,
to develop a more efficient and population, increasing food prices, and Sheffield universities in
higher-yielding form of rice. and decreasing natural resources Britain; the Commonwealth
Photosynthesis, the process by would be immense,” he added. Scientific and Industrial Research
which plants use solar energy to “This is a long-term, complex Organisation (CSIRO), Australian
capture carbon dioxide and convert project that will take a decade National University, and James
it into the carbohydrates required for or more to complete,” said Dr. Cook University in Australia;
growth, is not the same for all plants. Sheehy. “The result of this strategic Heinrich Heine University and the
Some species, including rice, have a research has the potential to Institute for Biology in Germany;
mode of photosynthesis (known as benefit billions of poor people.” Jiangsu Academy in China; the
C3), in which the capture of carbon The C4 Rice Consortium University of Toronto in Canada;
dioxide is relatively inefficient. Other combines the strengths of a range and the Food and Agriculture
plants, such as maize and sorghum, of partners, including molecular Organization of the United Nations.
Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug calls for second Green Revolution
IRRI
$10 million scholarship program important tool for rice breeding. since 2003, according to the World
for young rice scientists Fu Xiangdong, a researcher Health Organization.
Monsanto Company has pledged at the Institute of Genetics and Source: SciDevNet
$10 million to establish the Developmental Biology, Chinese
Beachell-Borlaug International Academy of Sciences, said that his Gene found for rice root development
Scholars Program to identify team has found the gene dep1 in Scientists from the Huazhong
and support young scientists high-yielding rice varieties mostly Agricultural University in China
interested in improving rice and grown in the Yangtze Plains and found that a gene in rice, named
wheat research through plant northeastern China. Fu added that WOX11, is involved in the activation
breeding techniques. The program the gene can have a similar function of crown-root emergence and growth.
honors the accomplishments in other crops such as wheat and In rice, the shoot-borne crown
of Dr. Henry Beachell and Dr. barley, raising hopes of breeding roots are the major root type and
Norman Borlaug, pioneers in plant high-yielding cereal varieties. are initiated at lower stem nodes as
breeding and research in rice and Source: Xinhua part of normal plant development.
wheat, respectively. Apply at www. Source: Plant Cell
monsanto.com/mbbischolars. GM rice that protects poultry from
bird flu Modified rice may resist disease in
Critical gene for enhancing China's Chinese university scientists in Hong Southeast Asia
super rice yield identified Kong say that they have created Researchers at the Donald Danforth
Chinese scientists have identified genetically modified rice that can Plant Science Center say that they
a gene, DEP1, and its mutant, protect poultry against bird flu. The have discovered how to genetically
dep1, which have played a key role rice is modified using a gene from the modify rice to make it more resistant
in increasing the yield of China's Chinese plant Yuzhu, which is used in to a disease that is ravaging Asian
high-yielding super rice. The dep1 traditional medicine. Their research rice farms. A viral disease, known as
gene, which can accelerate the cell shows that a protein found in Yuzhu is rice tungro, destroys about US$1.5
division of rice and lead to more a strong inhibitor of the bird flu virus billion worth of rice every year in
grains per panicle, will become an H5N1, which has killed 248 people Southeast Asia. That’s roughly 5–10%
ARIEL JAVELLANA
the roads in fire in fields, could be a source
Albay Province of abundant energy that would
showed obvious benefit people around the globe?
JOSE RAYMOND PANALIGAN
of the yield in major rice-growing Economic Cooperation and reduces the amount of water wasted
areas in the Philippines, Malaysia, Development (OECD), is a report compared to the common method of
Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, and titled “Agricultural Policies in discharging water directly into the
Thailand. Scientists from the Emerging Economies: Monitoring highest paddy and allowing water
Danforth Center have been looking and Evaluation 2009.” The years to overflow into lower paddies.
for a solution for about 20 years. 2006-08 were marked by a Source: uSda agricultural Research Service
Recently, they discovered that a significant increase in world prices
transgenic, or genetically modified, for most, but not all, agricultural Rice and electronic gadgets
rice produces certain proteins commodities. This report analyzes Next time your iPod or mobile phone
that are more tolerant of infection policy developments during this gets wet, try nature’s desiccant, rice,
from the rice tungro virus. They period in seven emerging economies: to revive it. That’s what Ernesto
announced their findings in January. Brazil, Chile, China, India, Russia, Londoño of the Washington Post
“The breakthrough came when we South Africa, and Ukraine. did to fix his BlackBerry when it got
understood how the virus made the Source: OECD wet. His advice? Just turn off the
plant sick,” said Roger N. Beachy, device and cover it with uncooked
president of the center. “Then we New irrigation system cuts rice to help absorb the moisture and
used that information against the water use prolong the life of your gadget.
virus.” The technology is viable in The United States Agricultural Source: Washington Post
the greenhouse and in the laboratory. Research Service (ARS) and
CHRISANTO QUINTANA
The next step is to test it in the field. cooperating scientists are studying
Source: St. Louis Post-dispatch a system that, in rice field tests,
cuts water use by 24%. The system,
Agricultural policy of emerging called multiple-inlet rice irrigation
economies analyzed (MIRI), involves laying disposable,
The most recent offering from thin-walled, polyethylene irrigation
the intergovernmental think tubing to connect rice paddies as
tank, the Organisation for they are flooded with water. This
MACKY MONTECILLO
IRRI Training Center, Los Baños, Philippines, 18 May-5 June 2009
the course aims to create a new generation of plant scientists
that are well networked in the international community and
understand the importance of innovative plant science in tackling
global problems. topics include an understanding of the basics of
rice production in asia; familiarity with the germplasm collection
at iRRi and current issues related to germplasm exchange and
intellectual property; an appreciation of the research issues of iRRi
and its developing partners; hands-on skills related to rice breed-
ing, molecular genetics, and genomics; an understanding of how
to structure effective international collaboration; and a plan and
personal contacts to work effectively as part of the international
research community in the future.
Basic Experimental Design and Data Analysis Using CropStat Mixed Model Analysis Using CropStat
(2nd offering) IRRI Training Center, Los Baños, Philippines, 5-9 October 2009
IRRI Training Center, Los Baños, Philippines, 22-26 June 2009
the course is designed to acquaint researchers with mixed model
the course is designed to acquaint researchers with the principles analysis and introduce cropStat’s module on mixed model analysis
of experimental design, basic experimental designs used in rice using REmL (restricted maximum likelihood). it employs a combi-
research, analysis of variance and regression, and correlation analy- nation of lectures and hands-on exercises on cropStat to help the
sis. it also introduces cropStat, a microcomputer-based statistical participants become more familiar with basic statistical methods
package that facilitates the analysis of experimental data. such as computing descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and
analysis of variance.
Rice Breeding Course: Laying the Foundation for the Second those interested in registering must have experience in data
Green Revolution analysis and knowledge of at least one statistical software.
IRRI Training Center, Los Baños, Philippines, 1-16 September 2009
Leadership Course for Asian Women in Agricultural R&D
the course aims to develop the next generation of rice breed- and Extension
ers adept in using modern tools for enhancing the precision and IRRI Training Center, Los Baños, Philippines, 19-30 October 2009
efficiency of their breeding programs. it will provide the theoreti-
cal background on modern breeding methods and techniques, topics include asian women in the workplace, mainstreaming
including the use of biotechnology; planning and information gender concerns in the workplace, leadership and management,
management tools and experimental techniques and software; the personality development, developing work-related knowledge and
opportunity to share experiences with other rice breeders; and the skills, and relating to others.
latest updates on areas relevant to rice breeding and the worldwide
exchange of rice genetic resources. the course is for breeders and
For more details, contact Dr. Noel Magor, head, IRRI Training Center
agronomists working on variety development or testing in both the
(IRRITraining@cgiar.org) or see www.training.irri.org.
public and private sector.
. cALVIN, VIctORIA,
and craig, children of
David and Mariju Dawe,
pose with Rice Today at
Napapiiri Arctic circle,
Rovaniemi, finland.
F
rom its huge volume of For a time during the 1980s into
research results on rice the 1990s, IRRI was undoubtedly the
and rice-related subject largest publisher of scientific books
matter, the International in the Philippines, according to Tom
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Hargrove, CPS head during those
has, for nearly 50 years, generated days and most recently coordinator of
and disseminated knowledge and the Information and Communications
technology as public goods to rice Unit at the International Center
farmers via its partners in the for Soil Fertility and Agricultural
developing and developed world. Development in Muscle Shoals,
Since 1962 (when IRRI began Alabama, USA. “We published 18
publishing), the Institute has to 25 books annually back then,” he
produced some 500 scientific titles says. “By 1990, at least 130 editions
encompassing around 100,000 of 33 books (particularly field guides
printed pages, in the form of and manuals) had been published
monographs, workshop proceedings, by collaborating publishers in 29
field guides, and manuals. “These countries and in 42 languages. The
books have always been distributed linchpin among these, A Farmer’s
for free or at minimal cost to our Primer on Growing Rice (42
partners in the developing countries languages including 10 Philippine
primarily through their institutional dialects), was easily the world’s most
libraries,” says Gene Hettel, head widely published agricultural book.”
of IRRI’s Communication and A popular field guide in this 100,000 mark when adding 25 non-
Publications Services (CPS). “Many impressive family of extension-type English editions in Khmer, Burmese,
titles are published solely by IRRI; publications, Friends of the Rice Vietnamese, Tagalog, Tamil, Nepali,
some are copublished with reputable Farmer: Helpful Insects, Spiders, and and others.
science publishers, such as World Pathogens, just had its tenth printing Although the number of IRRI-
Scientific, Elsevier, Wiley, Kluwer, in English in March 2009, thrusting produced titles has tapered off
CABI, and others.” the total number of copies past the somewhat in recent years due to
Book Search
GLENN GREGORIO
East and Southern Africa Region office in Mozambique, the
Africa Rice Center’s (WARDA) office in Nigeria, and IRRI’s 11
country offices in South and Southeast Asia.
They are being redistributed to needy national libraries
across these regions. New IRRI publishing policies in the digital age, which will require lower book pressruns in the future,
negate the need for a book storage warehouse at headquarters.
In the photo at left, Glenn Gregorio, IRRI’s rice breeder for
Africa based at the WARDA office in Nigeria, determines some
of the titles to ship to West Africa in consultation with Anna
Arsenal, former CPS marketing and fulfillment specialist.
The photo above shows some of the books being used in
one of their new homes, the IRRI-Office library at the WARDA
Nigeria station of the International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture in Ibadan. The users are trainees of IRRI and WARDA
coming from different Nigerian agricultural universities. Says Dr.
Gregorio, “Friday afternoon is a special time for them because
they attend lectures on rice breeding and biotechnology and
GENE HETTEL
they get to use the library. Books on rice statistics, the Rice
Almanac, and biotechnology titles are their favorites.”
products; prohibit commercialization; com/irrivideo), which compositely However, IRRI’s CC policy has
and require attribution as well as have had some 75,000 views. presented the CPS staff with some
the release of derivative products According to Marco van den new challenges when they deal
under the same license as the original Berg, ITS manager, the digital with science publishers looking to
product was released by IRRI, hence, distribution of IRRI information copublish some of IRRI’s books,
some rights reserved.” and photos achieved via GBS and most of whom still request exclusive
This new Creative Commons flickr gives access to audiences publication rights if not downright
(CC) policy, which covers Rice Today that have been difficult to reach copyright assignment.
as well as spelled out at the bottom using traditional methods, for a According to Bill Hardy, IRRI
of the contents page, doesn’t really variety of reasons. “Among the top senior science editor and publisher,
change IRRI’s long-standing policy 25 countries that have downloaded some conflicts with potential
of always granting permission to books from our co-branded GBS copublishers that are not on the
use its information products for site are Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, CC bandwagon include the outside
noncommercial purposes. “This new Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, publisher’s interest in having
policy simply bypasses the ‘permission and Myanmar,” he says. hard-copy commercial sales and
requirement’ altogether and clarifies Anyone can now obtain, a perpetual license. IRRI, on the
and enhances the Institute’s intention repurpose, distribute, and even other hand, has primary interests
where sharing of information is modify the content (self-service in delivering global public goods
concerned,” says Mr. Hettel. publishing) of IRRI publications, and providing free online access
In addition to placing books on photos, and videos with proper to its communication products.
GBS, IRRI has embraced this policy attribution using CC licenses. “Even so,” says Dr. Hardy, “IRRI is
by placing this same CC statement tackling these issues by drafting some
on its Web site (http://irri.org) and creative contractual arrangements
featuring some 4,500 images on the and compromises with some flexible
public photo management facility, copublishers, such as World Scientific
flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/ in Singapore, with which IRRI has
ricephotos), and some 60 videos and recently copublished Rice Genetics V,
counting on YouTube (www.youtube. Charting New Pathways to C4 Rice,
Register today at www.trtamericas.com or call +1 530.345.4140 and ask for Mr. Brad Rudkin
STRENGTHENING
THE SYSTEM Story and photos by Adam Barclay
I
n the early 1990s, the alarming because Philaris was the land six to eight times before
northwestern Indian state of causing havoc across the rice-wheat planting rice. Although zero-tillage
Haryana—one of the country’s belt, responsible for the vast majority wheat would undoubtedly save labor
most agriculturally productive— of the state’s wheat production costs, previous efforts to test the
faced a crisis. A weed, and employment. In the 1993-94 method had failed to gain traction.
Philaris minor
minor, had season, wheat yields crashed. The This time around, however, things
evolved resistance to only solution seemed to be newer would turn out rather differently.
all commonly available but more expensive herbicides. To Prof. Malik’s happy surprise,
herbicides. This Haryana’s farmers and not only did zero tillage cut costs, it
was particularly agricultural experts also solved the Philaris problem—the
were desperate. weed seeds inhabited the upper
In an attempt to 5 centimeters of the soil; any sort
reduce farmers’ costs of tillage resulted in substantial
and make the new Philaris emergence. Better still,
herbicides affordable, it saved farmers 2 weeks after the
R.K. Malik and rice harvest, allowing wheat to
his colleagues be planted at the optimal time in
at Haryana early November. When farmers
Agricultural spend time tilling the land after
University harvesting rice, wheat planting tends
in Hissar to occur later than is ideal, with
convinced a the attendant lower temperatures
few farmers to leading to a yield penalty of around
use a simple 50 kilograms per hectare for every
tractor-pulled day that planting is delayed.
planting machine “Although zero tillage wasn’t a
that allowed wheat part of the management strategy for
to be sowed without Philaris,” recalls Prof. Malik, “the
first tilling the land magnitude of the problem meant that
following the rice farmers were desperate, and therefore
harvest. The usual very open to new technologies.”
practice was to till Prof. Malik says that this
atmosphere converged with the
establishment in 1994 of the
Jagdeep Singh Dhillon tows a Happy Seeder behind a Rice-Wheat Consortium (RWC),
tractor. punjab State’s first farmer to sow his entire
wheat crop with a Happy Seeder, he has pledged to currently led by the International
“never, ever burn rice residue again.”
BefORe pLANtING wheat, most rice-wheat farmers opt to burn their rice
straw—with dire environmental and health consequences. the Rice-wheat
consortium has developed alternatives, such as the Happy Seeder, that
enable farmers to keep rice residue in their fields.
Rice24
Today April-June 2009, Vol. 8, No. 2 Rice Today April-June 2009
International Rice Research Institute and University of California researchers
Rice visit
Today theApril-June
women 2009and children of Harir Danga Village in northwestern Bangladesh
25
near Rangpur. They are soliciting views on the flood-tolerant Sub1 rice varieties being planted in nearby fields. See following article on scuba rice.
GEnE HETTEL (2)
Scuba rice
Stemming the tide in flood-prone South Asia
by Adam Barclay
New versions of popular varieties of rice, which can withstand 2 weeks of complete submergence,
are set to make a big impact in South Asia
S
cientists had long known into some of the modern high-yielding
of an Indian rice variety, rice varieties planted over vast flood-
unromantically dubbed FR13A, prone areas across Asia.
that could handle a week or His reasoning, which emerged
more of complete submergence from discussions with IRRI
and recover sufficiently to offer a deepwater rice breeder Derk
reasonable harvest. Rice, although HilleRisLambers, was that a flood-
often grown in standing water, will tolerant version of a popular modern
drown like any other plant if hit with variety could have an enormous
severe flooding. impact. In Bangladesh and India,
Despite its remarkable for example, farmers suffer annual
properties, FR13A (FR stands for crop losses because of flooding of up
“flood resistant”), as a low-yielding to 4 million tons of rice—enough to
traditional variety grown across feed 30 million people. To the farm
limited areas in the Indian state families and workers, and to the poor
of Orissa, was never expected to consumers who rely on rice for the
make a big impact on a wide scale. bulk of their food, flooding can be
Nevertheless, rice breeders—including truly disastrous.
David Mackill, a young Californian So, the IRRI breeders—people
plant breeder working at the who spend their careers mixing irri PLANT breeder Dave Mackill (right) swaps
notes at Brri’s rangpur station with Uc Davis
International Rice Research Institute the genes of plants to develop new Professor Pam ronald.
(IRRI) in the 1980s—saw the potential varieties that can handle harsh
to breed FR13A’s sought-after trait climates, or resist diseases and pests,
aDam BarCLaY
And they succeeded. Sort of. They Dr. Ronald’s group’s success in
created higher-yielding rice plants proving that SUB1A was indeed the
that could handle major floods, right gene, Julia Bailey-Serres, a
but they never even got close to geneticist from UC Riverside who also
releasing them to farmers. During the worked on the gene’s identification,
breeding process, which transferred began investigating exactly how
to the modern varieties whichever SUB1A confers flood tolerance. It
genes were giving FR13A its flood turns out that the secret is all about
tolerance, too many unwanted genes saving energy.
moved across as well. The result With colleague Takeshi Fukao,
was poor-tasting, flood-tolerant rice Dr. Bailey-Serres has determined
that yielded no more than existing that, when submerged, rice without
varieties. And so the idea moved to SUB1A responds by increasing the
the back burner. pace of its elongation in an attempt to
In 1991, Dr. Mackill left IRRI escape the submergence. Deepwater
for the University of California (UC) rice varieties are able to do this
at Davis. With FR13A still on his rapidly enough to succeed. In modern
mind, he and his graduate student high-yielding varieties, however, the
Kenong Xu took up the challenge of Dr. iSMAiL and Uc riverside scientist Julia Bailey- elongation is insufficient. If the flood
identifying the genes responsible Serres share a laugh at Brri’s rangpur station. lasts for more than a few days, the
for FR13A’s scuba abilities. They normal varieties expend so much
eventually pinpointed the precise energy trying—unsuccessfully—to
stretch of DNA that made the variety SUB1A into widely grown modern escape that they’re unable to recover.
so interesting, and named the rice varieties without affecting other Submergence of FR13A or any of
assumed gene SUB1. characteristics—such as high yield, the new Sub1 varieties, on the other
The group subsequently teamed good grain quality, and pest and hand, activates the SUB1A gene,
up with another UC Davis researcher, disease resistance—that made the which suppresses this elongation
Pamela Ronald, an expert in isolating varieties popular in the first place. strategy, effectively shunting the rice
genes that give plants particular By 2006, the first Sub1 varieties plant into a dormant state until the
traits. Working in Dr. Ronald’s lab, were ready for testing at IRRI. The floodwaters recede. Thus, the plants
Dr. Xu and his wife, Xia, discovered researchers set up plots of what conserve their energy for a postflood
a single gene, which they named they hoped would be flood-tolerant recovery.
SUB1A, and demonstrated that this versions of several varieties—IR64, “Understanding things from this
alone was responsible for most of the Swarna, and Samba Mahsuri—next to very basic perspective should allow us
flood tolerance. plots of their non-Sub1 counterparts. to achieve an even better plant more
Dr. Mackill, who by now had Once the plants had established rapidly,” says Dr. Bailey-Serres.
returned to IRRI, realized that the themselves, the plots were flooded, According to Dr. Mackill, the
FR13A game was back on. By that completely submerging the rice for 15 Sub1 project has shown the advantage
time, 25 years after the first breeding days. Next, the water was drained to of combining practical, applied work
attempts, agricultural science had reveal muddy plots of limp, flattened, such as breeding and upstream,
come a long way. A new “precision- deathly looking plants. fundamental research.
breeding” method, known as marker- Then, a remarkable thing ““Knowing the exact gene
assisted selection (MAS; see On your happened. Within 2 weeks of the responsible for a trait is not absolutely
mark, get set, select on pages 28-29 flood, almost all of the Sub1 plants necessary for the MAS breeding
of Rice Today Vol. 3, No. 3; also see recovered. They came back to life approach, because a larger piece
From genes to farmers’ fields on as if coached by Lazarus1 himself. A of the chromosome is transferred,
pages 28-31 of Rice Today Vol. 5, No. few scattered clumps of the original normally containing many genes,”
4), allowed breeders to do much of versions made a comeback, but there he says. “However, by understanding
their work in the lab. The new method was no comparison. At harvest, the the processes triggered by SUB1A in
shortened the breeding process and Sub1 rice yielded more than twice detail, “we hope to improve on the
vastly improved the precision with as much as its neighbor (to view a existing Sub1 varieties by identifying
which specific traits could be moved dramatic time-lapse video of the novel flood-tolerance genes that
from one variety into another. He experiment, visit http://snipurl. allow us to develop hardier plants
and his team were able to transfer com/ebql8). that survive even longer periods of
1
A Biblical name used to connote apparent restoration to life.
I
n Bangladesh, hunger and poverty some management options could institutions and nongovernment
are part of the sad reality. Here, help soften the blow on the people. organizations (NGOs), including
in one of the poorest and most The IRRC is a regional partnership Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service,
densely populated nations in program of the International Rice Solidarity, Intercooperation, and
the world, millions of people suffer Research Institute (IRRI), with 11 Grameen Atto Unnayn Sangstha.
from severe hunger each year. The countries committed to developing Together, they are promoting
streets of Dhaka City are dotted with rice-growing technologies and earlier harvests through the use
men, women, and children begging disseminating these to farmers of a shorter-duration rice variety
for alms. In the north, however, across South and Southeast Asia (BRRI dhan 33), direct seeding,
life is even harder. In five districts (see Hungry for knowledge, pages and weed control options.
(Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, 32-33 of Rice Today Vol. 7, No. 2). Compared with the traditional
Gaibandha, and Lalmonirhat) 7 hours The IRRC teamed up with the practice of transplanting, with direct
away from the country’s capital, a Bangladesh Rice Research Institute seeding of rice, seeds are sown
famine known as monga occurs from (BRRI) and a local alliance called directly into an unflooded field,
September to November each year. the Northwest Area Local Forum, either as dry or “wet” pregerminated
Monga (hunger months) occurs which is composed of government seeds. But, without the flooding of
after the previous season’s food has
run out, before the transplanted rice
is harvested in December. Millions
of rural families who rely mostly
on farm work for their livelihood
are jobless and cannot afford to buy
food in the market. In Rangpur, one
farmer shared that he simply tries to
sleep off the pangs of hunger during
this period. He gets up only when he
needs to check his field and if he has
money to buy food in the market.
A team from the Irrigated
Rice Research Consortium (IRRC)
journeyed to these districts in
A MOTher feeds her daughters
October 2007 to learn more about rice and curry for lunch.
the yearly famine and to see how
M
y father, S. Ram Singh, to me and asked many questions,
was a progressive farmer which I tried to answer. So, I would
and I would say that I say I was married to IRRI.
inherited from him the
gene that bestowed upon me my Two more memorable occasions
love for agriculture. After earning On 22 April 1987, one great occasion
my master’s degree in economics happened. Norman E. Borlaug [the
in 1960, I worked full time on 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate]
this farm to produce seeds, as my visited me on my farm and, just
father had. I also continued to grow by coincidence Gurdev S. Khush
various crops [wheat, potato, corn, [IRRI’s then principal plant breeder
ground nut]. In 1966, when the rice and future 1996 World Food Prize
revolution came, I started to grow Laureate] also came. So, hanging
rice, not only as a commercial crop I returned home with a “charged on my wall now is a unique and rare
but also for seed production. battery” because I had seen so many picture (photo opposite page) of these
In 1985, to my great surprise, field trials at the IRRI research two world-renowned scientists—a
I got a big honor when I was center—how to add fertilizer, the wheat breeder [Borlaug center] and
recommended for an IRRI award latest hybrid rice technology, etc. a rice breeder—with one fortunate
as an outstanding farmer. My I wanted to share those things I farmer. It is difficult to describe
wife, Surjit, was also invited but, learned with my fellow farmers here. in words how I felt that day.
because of family reasons, she I acquired this culture of sharing In September 1991, [the then
couldn’t accompany me. It was a experiences from the International IRRI director general, 1988-95]
great occasion. I was so excited and Farm Youth Exchange Program in Dr. Klaus Lampe visited the nearby
elated that such a huge international America, which I attended in 1966. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU),
honor would come to me—something Generally, people want to keep their an institution I am deeply associated
I had never even dreamed of. It knowledge to themselves, maybe to with. They told him about me, that
was gratifying to meet the 13 other put it in book form and sell it. But I I am an IRRI outstanding farmer
Asian farmers recognized that day. had a commitment, a vow, to share awardee, and so he came to see me.
I was unique [among that group] my experiences, such as those I had When he saw my setup, he invited me
because I was a seed producer. at IRRI. When I came back from to come to IRRI again. I told him, “Dr.
T
he global financial crisis Challenges emerged, however,
may have slowed the from the global credit crunch, the
consumption of various declines in economic growth rates in
commodities, but Asian key emerging markets (the economies
JeAN crAVeN, export Trading corporation, detailing
demand for grains (as food and feed) of China and India were expected the finer points of trading with Africa.
remains strong. The first World to drop by 3–5%), and increased
Grains Trade Summit held on 17 to awareness and policy initiatives to
18 February 2009, organized by the ensure food security. possible return to the market. India
Centre for Management Technology Nevertheless, the changing banned exports of nonbasmati rice
in Singapore, reported that demand nutritional trends in the emerging last year following the food crisis. If it
for 2009 will largely come from Asia. Asian markets and the regional lifts the ban soon and releases its rice
As the world continues to recover governments’ efforts to maintain stocks, chances are prices will come
from the effects of the 2008 crisis, and protect strategic reserves have further down. Many fail to realize,
the Summit expressed concerns about created a positive demand for grains, however, that the fundamentals have
the current grain market riddled which would help drive consumption not changed. The world continues
with risks and slowed by the world trend. to consume at a rate faster than
economic downturn. The participants production growth. The market
hoped for the market to be less False sense of comfort needs efforts to overcome this gap.
volatile, but the Summit reports Rajeev Raina, head of Olam But, results do not happen overnight.
indicated that this year’s market International’s Rice Division, It may take more than 10 years to
will be affected by policies, climate said that, following the market see the results from any research
changes, and other factors that may developments of 2008 and their initiative; hence, we can expect rice
disrupt supply such as pests and impact on trade this year, rice availability to be tight over the next
natural calamities. markets may offer the world a false decade.
sense of comfort. In addition, although buffer
The growing Asian population Not known to many, the world stocks are rising, amounts remain
According to Diego Barber, global saw high production from 2003 to relatively low. Hence, potential
head of grains at Noble Group, 2008. This increase in production short-term imbalances in supply
Asia is home to 60% of the world’s is misleading because, for 4 years and demand are becoming more
population, which continues to grow (2003-06) within that period, pronounced. Government export
at 1–1.4% per year. He stressed that consumption exceeded production. restrictions as well as climate changes
the region will play an important Stock amounts also rose since late can easily tip this finely balanced
if not critical role in bringing more 2008 on the back of food security situation over to the critical side.
demand to trade in grains. In these measures. Since 1991, yields have The Summit cautioned the
volatile times, Asian grain demand been falling behind population participants against the possible
has been upheld by population growth, which suggests that the risks of today’s market. Among the
growth, rising per capita incomes, production comfort zone has, for 18 many key features that would affect
strong food policies, as well as years now, been eroded by the rising trends were the financial crisis,
decreasing energy and food prices, tide of consumption. Raina said that how investment funds will react or
which helped reduce the risk of the world needed a 1.5% yield increase when they will return, the long-term
inflation. every year for the next 12 years just to promise of research, and the potential
“Global inflation reversed its retain the current balance. benefits offered by genetically
sharp upward trend after 2008 Production increased last year in modified crops. The event’s presenters
as energy and food prices fell as a Thailand, India, Pakistan, and even pinned much hope on Asia’s strong
result of the economic slowdown,” Vietnam because of the rice price consumption trend, which would
Barber said. “Lower inflation rates hike. Prices subsequently went down, help keep demand firm. Prices and
and declining food prices gave Asian which gave consumers a relative sense policies, however, will still greatly
consumers some relief, which helped of security. This false sense of relief determine the market’s capacity to
maintain consumption patterns.” may be further exacerbated by India’s meet these future needs.
R
ice is often produced This sensor is on board the Terra
in the lowest parts of and Aqua satellites. These satellites
the landscape. These create a daily record for each place
are good places to on Earth at a spatial resolution (pixel
grow rice because of the clayey soils size) of 250 to 1,000 m. Because of
and the relatively humid conditions clouds, however, the rainy season
because the groundwater is nearby. can have many days when certain
However, this low position, often in areas do not have values, but,
the floodplain of a river, makes the generally, one can expect to get at
crop prone to flooding. If excessive least one good observation per week.
water causes the crop to submerge, The Modis sensor records
serious yield losses can occur. It has reflectance (the fraction of incoming
been estimated that, in Bangladesh radiant energy that is reflected
and India alone, approximately 4 from a surface of the Earth) in 36
million tons of rice are lost every different wavelengths across the
year. In South Asia, this is about electromagnetic spectrum—from
equivalent to the amount annually the visible to the thermal infrared
consumed by 30 million people. (0.4 µm to 14.4 µm). Water can
However, these estimates of be easily identified by combining
production loss are rather uncertain reflectance in the red, near-infrared,
because flooding is highly variable and shortwave. Rice is identified
in time and space, and farmers using a combination of water
have, in part, adjusted their and vegetation indices computed
cropping practices to expected flood from the reflectance data.
occurrences. We would like to have The large map illustrates the
a clearer understanding of where, results using the Modis data for
when, and for how long flooding identifying water. The lower left
is likely to occur. This could help map shows surface water during
us understand where the benefits 4-12 August 2007, when
of submergence-tolerant varieties, parts of eastern India and
which the International Rice Bangladesh were affected
Research Institute has developed (see by severe inundations.
Scuba rice on pages 26-31), would be The three small maps of
greatest, and where these varieties northeastern Thailand
would most likely be adopted by show areas with water
farmers. in three different years:
We use satellite remote sensing 7-15 October 2002, 21-29
to map the area of rice production September 2004, and
and the occurrence of flooding in 15-23 October 2006.
Asia. We use freely available data Identifying surface
from the Modis (Moderate-resolution water is relatively simple.
Imaging Spectroradiometer)1 sensor. The challenge is to
1
See http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ and http://onearth.jpl.nasa.gov/.
I
t takes, on average, preserved in the
2,500 liters of WARDA gene bank,
water (by rainfall and then shared with
or irrigation) to researchers around
produce just 1 kilogram the world through
of rice using traditional the International
cultivation methods. Network for the
Considering the effects Genetic Evaluation
of climate change, can of Rice-Africa.
farmers continue to grow This collection of
rice if the water supply African rice genetic
becomes increasingly resources was the key
scarce? to the development
Drought is particularly of NERICA®—a cross
devastating to Africa’s rice between African
production since almost and Asian rice
rv raman (2)
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• submit
ubmit an a abstract
bstract online at www.post-harvest.org
e
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Take the opportunity to present technological advancements and research
findings to an international audience.
a h
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Deadline for submission is 15 april 2009. st
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for more information please contact: Hosted by: Jointly organized by: Supported by:
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+66 2 748 7881 Ext 106
inquiries@postharvest.org Rice Today April-June 2009 43
RICE FACTS
GLOBAL RICE TRADE:
What does it mean for future
food security? by Samarendu Mohanty
Head, IRRI Social Sciences Division
R
ice is different from other major availability of rice in the domestic
field crops such as wheat, maize, market have affected many importing
and soybeans because of its high countries that rely on rice in the world
geographical concentration in market. In many rice-consuming
production and consumption (around countries, rice self-sufficiency has
90% in Asia), literally making it an become a sensitive political issue,
Asian crop. Historically, a very small prompting policymakers to implement
proportion, around 5–7%, of total programs to reduce dependence on the
rice production has been traded global market.
compared with 20% for wheat, 13% Since rice is a staple food for about
for maize, and 30% for soybeans. half of the world, it is understandable
More importantly, four of the top five 2007-08 import share on the part of rice-consuming
Data source: USDA
exporters, with a 70% share of total countries to protect domestic supply
global rice trade, are from Asia, for fig. 2. countries dependent on rice imports. in uncertain times either by imposing
which domestic food security comes trade restrictions or by expanding
first and trade is a distant second (Fig. As part of the GATT market access domestic production. These actions
1). For these rice-producing countries, commitments, countries partially of both the exporting and importing
trade is an afterthought when opened up rice trade, which caused countries are likely to reverse the
domestic need and an adequate buffer the volume to rise more than 50% in recent upward trend in rice trade.
stock are secured. However, on the the past decade. Rising trade flows in The United States Department of
import side, the top five rice import- the 1990s, characterized by a growing Agriculture’s rice outlook report now
dependent countries accounted for dependability between exporters and projects 2009 global rice trade to be
only 29% of the total trade in 2007-08 importers, contributed to the high 8% below the record level witnessed
(Fig. 2). Even the top ten importers degree of price stability during this in 2007. All this points to lower trade
accounted for only 45% of the total period. and the risk of making shortages and
trade in the same year. high prices more frequent. It may
After almost two and a half Political repercussions of the rice crisis sound odd to argue in favor of free
decades (the 1960s to late 1980s) of The recent crisis that triggered riots trade in the face of the ongoing global
being stagnant, rice trade zoomed and protests in different parts of the financial crisis, but, for rice, which
upward in the wake of trade developing world has put a big question is highly protected and regulated,
liberalization by many countries in the mark on the future of global rice trade. further protectionism can be severely
late 1980s and the General Agreement The market was primed for such a damaging for the food security of
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1994. crisis with the drawing down of stocks millions of poor people.
in the last few years to fill the supply-
demand imbalance arising from the What needs to be done?
slowdown in yield growth, drought, The crisis has renewed the call for a
and pest problems. However, the second Green Revolution to revamp
situation did not warrant the tripling the sagging yield growth to feed the
of rice prices in the span of six months growing global population. In 2008,
between November 2007 and May the International Rice Research
2008. Rising wheat prices due to the Institute (IRRI) identified investment
expansion of biofuel crops put pressure in agricultural infrastructure and
on rice, which led to trade restrictions rice research and extension as
in many rice-producing countries and one of the keys to improving rice
2007-08 export share
Data source: USDA unprecedented rises in prices. production. All members of the
fig. 1. Dominance of Asian rice producers in the Measures taken by many Association of Southeast Asian
global market. exporting countries to ensure the Nations have endorsed this position.
R
ice is life. So, when the and diverse rainfed environments in establishment and harvest, less
global rice crisis hit in monsoon South and Southeast Asia, labor, and better weed control. With
2008, it threatened many through more sustainable and resilient shorter-duration varieties and time-
lives. The year became well rice-based production systems. saving crop establishment, it also
remembered for the soaring prices, the Using an ecosystems paradigm, became possible to grow nonrice
long lines in the market, the panic, the the research sites under the CURE crops for cash and employment.
blame game, and the social unrest in project include drought-prone plateau Anthropologist Stephen Zolvinski
different countries. A sense of alarm uplands, drought-prone lowlands, salt- observed some of the technologies
grew when rice, known to be the affected lowlands, sloping rotational that resulted from the process. The
most “affordable” food for the poor, upland systems, the submergence- submergence-tolerance gene known
suddenly became “unaffordable.” It prone environment, and the intensive as SUB1A was transferred to Swarna,
reminded the world of rice’s crucial upland systems with long growing a popular variety in South Asia (see
role in human existence. It also seasons. The project uses a common Scuba rice, stemming the tide in flood-
revived interest in agriculture. approach to examine eight generic prone South Asia on pages 26-31).
Researchers often focus on themes (germplasm improvement, rice The development of this variety is
farming on irrigated, favorable, an example of how modern scientific
and accessible farms. But we may tools are combined with locally
fail to realize that many farmers
Using science in combination popular varieties to produce improved
contend with unfavorable areas just with local practices to meet varieties that are stress tolerant and
so their families can have enough the challenges of diverse rice acceptable to farmers. The SUB1A gene
rice to eat and survive. These so- can now be found in Samba-Mahsuri-
called unfavorable areas are rainfed
environments, CURE made Sub1, IR64-Sub1, and Swarna-Sub1.
parcels; uplands; drought-prone, rice security in less favorable More importantly, these technolo-
flooded, and submerged farms; areas a realizable goal. gies have helped reduce the number of
farms with saline soils; etc. farmers who migrate to nonfarm jobs
For a long time, rice science during the hunger months.
did not favor investing in unfavor- varietal diversity, seeds and seedling “If we have enough rice to eat,
able areas as they were too diverse, management, crop establishment, why would we leave the village?” the
complicated, and difficult. Compared cropping system enhancement, up- farmers said.
with irrigated farms, these topograph- scaling activities, patterns of labor use, In summary, to achieve the
ically, ecologically, and climatically and food security) across the different goal of rice security, CURE’s general
challenged areas provided meager sites, but the resulting technologies strategy involves early-duration and
harvests. When the international are specific to each ecosystem. higher-yielding varieties; improved
development community adopted Among these technologies, the labor-saving practices; and earlier crop
poverty as its flagship challenge, the primacy of seeds is the most recurrent. establishment and harvest, which allow
opportunity came to establish the For the Filipino farmers in the Arakan a nonrice crop to be sown on time and
Consortium for Unfavorable Rice En- Valley, for example, rice seed security intensify system productivity, enhance
vironments (CURE) in 2002. Foster- is food security. When they run out food security, and generate income.
ing cooperation between the national of food, the people start to eat their Using science in combination with
agricultural research and extension seeds. Hence, they set up a community local practices to meet the challenges
systems and the International Rice seed bank. of diverse rice environments
Research Institute, this initiative Through participatory varietal through a common approach, CURE
involves 10 countries: Bangladesh, selection, farmers chose seeds among found the common denominators
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, different varieties that performed and made rice security in less
Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, well in the field compared with the favorable areas a realizable goal.
Thailand, and Vietnam. As CURE traditional ones. Along with this,
focuses its research on the develop- CURE introduced the concept of clean
ment of less favorable areas, the goal and healthy seeds, lower seeding rates, Dr. Gelia T. Castillo is a national
is to provide more food security for and quality seedlings. Direct-seeding scientist of the Philippines and IRRI
the poor families in the marginal technologies resulted in earlier crop consultant.
Let’s trade!