rice today vol. 10, no. 3

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1Rice Today July-September 2011

www.irri.org

International Rice Research Institute July-September 2011, Vol. 10, No. 3

Mankind takes agiant leapagain

The Americas have two faces

Beware of bronzing

A rice breeder's odyssey

Bangladesh fghts its salinity problem

ISSN 1655-5422


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2 Rice Today July-September 2011


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contents Vol. 10, No. 3


cover Isagani Serranopublisher Jeremy Zwingerassociate publisher Sophie Claytonmanaging editor V. Subramanianeditors Mia Aureus, Lanie Reyescontributing writersGene Hettel, Samarendu Mohanty, Andrew Nelson,Alaric Santiaguel, Ma. Lizbeth Baroa, Ma. Leah Baroa-Cruz

A rica editorSavitri Mohapatra (AfricaRice)copy editor Bill Hardyart director Juan Lazaro IVdesigner and production supervisor Grant Lecetaphoto editors Chris Quintana, Isagani SerranocirculationLourdes ColumbresWeb master Darell Sisonprinter DHL Global Mail (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Rice Today is published by The Rice Trader Inc. (TRT) in association with theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

TRT, or 21 years, has brought subscribers crucial, up-to-the-minute in ormationon rice trade through its weekly publication, The Rice Trader. Acknowledged asthe only source o con dential in ormation about the rice market, this weeklysummary o market data analysis has helped both the leading commercial ricecompanies and regional government o cials make in ormed decisions, which arecritical in todays market.

IRRI is the worlds leading international rice research and training center. Basedin the Philippines and with o ces in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous,nonpro t institution ocused on improving the well-being o present and uturegenerations o rice armers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes,while preserving natural resources. It is one o the 15 nonpro t internationalresearch centers supported, in part, by members o the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research (CGIAR www.cgiar.org) and a range o other

unding agencies.Responsibility or this publication rests with TRT and IRRI. Designations used

in this publication should not be construed as expressing TRT or IRRI policy or

opinion on the legal status o any country, territory, city, or area, or its authorities,or the delimitation o its rontiers or boundaries.Rice Today welcomes comments and suggestions rom readers. Rice Today

assumes no responsibility or loss o or damage to unsolicited submissions, whichshould be accompanied by su cient return postage.

The opinions expressed by columnists in Rice Today do not necessarily refectthe views o TRT or IRRI.

International Rice Research Institute 2011

This magazine is copyrighted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and is licensed or use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Lic(Unported). Unless otherwise noted, users are ree to copy, duplicate, or reproduce, and distribute, display, or transmit any o the articles or port ions o the articles, and to make translatioadaptations, or other derivative works under the ollowing conditions. To view the ull text o this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

On the cover:

White deposits o salt cover the rice felds in the coastalareas o South Asia, especially during the dry season.Dubbed the white plague, soil salinity is a seriousproblem in arming that can push cash-strappedsubsistence rice armers urther below the povertyline. Fortunately, armers can now combat salinity bycultivating BRRI dhan47, a salt-tolerant rice variety thatnow becoming popular in Bangladesh.

International Rice Research InstituteDAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, PhilippinesWeb (IRRI): www.irri.org; www.irri.org/ricetodayWeb (Library): http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.orgWeb (Rice Knowledge Bank): www.knowledgebank.irri.orgRice Today editorialtelephone: (+63-2) 580-5600 or (+63-2) 844-3351 to 53, ext 2725; ax: (+63-2) 580-5or (+63-2) 845-0606; email: [email protected], [email protected]

The Rice Trader Inc.9287 Midway, Suite 2B, Durham, CA 95938Web: www.thericetrader.com

EDITORIAL ................................................................ 4On the threshold o 7 billion

NEWS ......................................................................... 5

A RICE BREEDERS ODYSSEY FROM SURFER TOSCIENTISTAND ONWARD TO MARS .......... 12

HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVEFOR RICE .............. 14In the incredibly small world o rice science, two hearts

fnd their true love

COUNTRY SNAPSHOT: BRAZIL ............................. 16

THE PERFECT MARRIAGE ...................................... 18Brazil develops a hybrid rice seed technology that

weds good grain quality and high yield

THE AMERICAS HAVE TWO FACES ....................... 21The changing trade in the Americas reveals recovering

rice production in Brazil and a struggling crop inthe U.S.

BANGLADESH COMBATS THEWHITE PLAGUE ....................................................... 26Salt may be a blessing to good cooking, but, in rice

cultivation, it is a deadly sin

MANKIND TAKES A GIANT LEAPAGAIN ...........30Governments, individuals, and organizations,

including IRRI, come together to secure the worldsood in a rozen cellar located just over a thousand

kilometers away rom the North Pole

WHATS COOKING? ................................................ 32

RICE IN THEIR EYES ................................................ 34Visual artists give us a glimpse o the ethereal essence

o rice that otherwise lies invisible to the naked eye

BEWARE OF BRONZING ......................................... 38Rice aces its own kryptoniteiron toxicityand

A ricaRice is fnding a way to help rice survive it

MAPS ....................................................................... 40Malis river o li e

HIDDEN TREASURE ................................................ 43 RICE FACTS ..............................................................44The search or direction

GRAIN OF TRUTH ................................................... 46Iron-clad rice

P e g g y R e i m c h e n


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On 31 October, the United Nations estimatesthat the worlds population will hit 7 billion.For many o usoccupied, most o the time,by the daily stresses o our own personal

livesthis is merely a number. We cannot truly athom thesigni cance o this number. However, or people such as theagricultural scientists here at the International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI) and other ood-related research centersaround the world, this number is a heavy weight to bear. The world is growing, but, given the many setbacks in oodproduction, climate change, increasingly scarce resources,etc., production has o ten allen short o consumptiondemand in many countries, especially the developingnations. Hence, scientists strive to always be one step aheadto meet the challenges o today and tomorrow.

This issue o ers a ascinating look at how the world o rice science is keeping abreast o the emerging problemsthat a ect peoples ability to sustain their nourishmentneeds.

First, understanding the signi cance o preservingthe diverse ood crops and protecting them againstdestructive orces to ensure ood security or the succeedinggenerations, a Doomsday Vault was constructed deepwithin the rozen mountains o Svalbard, Norway, just 1,130kilometers rom the North Pole.

Meanwhile, armers and scientists in Bangladesh andsub-Saharan A rica are working together to battle theircurrent problems o salinity and iron toxicity, respectively.Since land resources are as limited as they can possibly be,

armers have to make do with what they havewhetherlands are avorable or not to rice production. Fortunately,scientists are constantly developing new and improvedvarieties that are equipped with tolerance against theseenvironmental stresses, so armers are able to cope withtheir arming problems. As one scientist puts it, reapingsomething is better than nothing.

Regarding A rica, our Maps section ocuses on the NigerRiver, the river that provides irrigation to water systemsin Mali, essentially bringing li e to the many people in theregion.

On the threshold of 7 billion

Interestingly, as we busy ourselves with the productiono this issue, our publisher, The Rice Trader, is holding its 5thRice Americas Con erence in Panama City, Panama. Hence,you will nd here a review o this signi cant event thatgathered many important players in the rice industry. Alongwith this, we deemed it appropriate to put together a LatinAmerica eature to highlight this regions importance inrice production, as well as in trade. Brazil particularly comesinto the spotlight as we turn our attention to this countrysoverall rice production and its collaborations with IRRI, aswell as the development o its hybrid rice industry.

With the population clock turning 7 billion soon, theuture o the world is not about doom and gloom, however.

This issue looks at the scientists who are working to solveagricultural problemsthe hopes o world ood production.We have Dr. David Mackill, who caught the wave o theadvancing genetics research to help develop scuba rice, afood-tolerant rice variety. Although IRRI will greatly miss Dr.Mackill, who has become an institution in plant breeding,we also welcome the younger generation o scientists whonow hold much o the uture in rice research. Two o themare postdoctoral research ellows GovindaRizal and Shanta Karki, whose love story isintertwined with their love or rice science.

While these people ound a love orrice science, some people ound a love

or rice as their art subject. Through theeyes o artists such as the amed FernandoAmorsolo, as well as contemporaryBritish artist John Dyer, rice is seen in itscultural contexta vital aspect o li eimmortalized on canvasses.

You will nd all these and morein this issue. And, as we have openedup the subject o the tickingpopulation clock, watch or theOctober-December issue, as itwill be a special edition about theworld reaching 7 billion people.

Mia AureusEditor

Lanie ReyesEditor


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News


Thailand moves to stop insecticide use in rice

The International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI) has applaudedthe Thai Sustainable Planthopper initiative to restrict the use of two types

of insecticides that are major causesof outbreaks of brown planthoppers (BPH), which devastate rice crops acrossThailand.

BPH outbreaks have affected nearly11% of the Thai rice crop this year andare expected to cause losses of about 840million baht (US$28 million), puttingin jeopardy the lives of many farmersdependent on rice for an income anddenting the countrys rice exports.

Thailands Rice Departmenthas developed a well-thought-out andintegrated pest management initiativeto reduce the damages caused by brown

planthopper by promoting and facilitating best management practices, whichincludes stopping the use of insecticidessuch as abamectin and cypermethrinthat signi cantly contribute to brown

planthopper outbreaks, said Dr. RobertZeigler , IRRI director general.

It is of international signi cancethat Thailand will undertake thisinitiative because, as the worlds largestrice exporter, it is recognized as a globalleader in the rice industry, he added.Brown planthoppers are a problem

across many other rice-growing nationsand, if Thailand is successful in its battleagainst the pest, others can con dentlyfollow suit and implement similar measures.

The $12.8-million initiative, which

is supported by Thailands Minister of Agriculture and CooperativesTheera Wongsamut, was announced atThailands National Rice Conference.It aims to multiply the seed of brown

planthopper-resistant rice varietiesto 15,000 tons and distribute thisseed to Thai rice farmers, establishin 20 provinces giant light traps thatattract and catch brown planthoppers,manage 300 BPH community centersand communication campaigns across

the country, establish mobile unitsthat will visit villages to promote bestmanagement practices to reduce theoccurrence of BPH outbreaks, anddiscourage farmers from using abamectinand cypermethrin.

IRRI advocates that rice farmersuse environment-friendly approaches to

pest management, such as integrated pestmanagement that controls pests throughthe use of pest-resistant varieties, asmarter understanding and managementof pest ecology, and an elimination of ineffective and problematic insecticides.

According to Dr. WeerawoothKatanyukul, president of the ThaiAgro Business Association , Thailands

pesticide industry association alsosupports the restricted use of abamectinand cypermethrin in r ice due to their

ineffectiveness in controlling BPH.IRRI is currently developing clear recommendations about insecticide usein rice crops to help farmers make better decisions. Topics under consideration arethe licensing of insecticide salespeople,identifying insecticides that shouldnever be used in rice, identifying whichinsecticides could be used in rice andunder what circumstances, and ways tosupport extension and communication of

better insecticide use to farmers.

Brown planthopper u b ks v y 11% t 2011.

a thai s u g s m s s us gs s us s u b ks.

I Thailand is success ul inits battle against the pest,others can confdently ollow

suit and implement similarmeasures.Dr. Robert ZeiglerIRRI director general


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Mozambique gets new designer rice

GM rice 10,000 years ago

Ancient humans selected differentstrains of rice and, without knowing,mixed different genes of the plant tocreate an ideal version of the crop withhigher yields and better cultivation.

Dr. Masanori Yamasaki of KobeUniversity discovered that ancienthumans started selecting for semidwarfrice more than 10,000 years ago.

This selection process helped themmodify the genetic composition of onesubspecies of modern rice such that it hasshorter stems, sturdier stalks, and greater grain output.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Makassane is the rst rice variety bred by the International RiceResearch Institute (IRRI)that has been designed especially for

Mozambique consumers and farmers toensure it suits local market needs and

production conditions. It has the sameyield potential (67 tons per hectare)as the current most popular variety,

Limpopo . Also, it is resistant to twomajor diseasesbacterial leaf blight and

blast.In addition, Makassane was chosen

by farmers and scientists as the besttasting locally selected long-grainvariety. It has a desirable texture wheneaten, making it superior to the other existing varieties.

This is just the beginning,said Dr. Surapong Sarkarung, IRRIscoordinator for rice breeding in East andSouthern Afr ica. We have identi ed

many promising rice varieties for Mozambique.

Mozambique has a vast areaof land suitable for rice production,he added. If better varieties such as

Makassane can be more widely adopted,Mozambique would not only becomeself-suf cient in rice, but could also

become a rice exporter because the grainquality of Makassane and the other rice varieties we are developing meetinternational quality standards.

From 2002 to 2007, riceconsumption per person in Mozambiquemore than doubled, exceeding 20kilograms per person per year. Demandis expected to keep increasing andimports exploded from around 75,000 to350,000 tons per year between 2002 and2008more than a fourfold increase.

This research is done incollaboration with the governmentagricultural research institute for Mozambique (Instituto de InvestigaoAgrria de Moambique).

Bangladesh: zinc-rich rice

The Bangladesh Rice ResearchInstitute (BRRI), with the support of HarvestPlus, is developing rice enrichedwith zinc.

Seeds of the new rice variety will

be made available to the farmers for cultivation by 2013, said BRRI Director General Mohammad Abdul Mannan.

Bangladeshs Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said that, through thedevelopment of the new variety, it would

be possible to protect the next generationfrom malnutrition caused by the lack of zinc.

Source: www.bdnews24.com

One-third of food wasted

Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for humanconsumption every yearapproximately1.3 billion tonsgets lost or wasted,according to a study commissioned by

the Food and Agriculture Organization.The report also said that theamount of food lost or wasted everyyear is equivalent to more than half of the worlds annual cereals crop, whichwas 2.3 billion tons in 2009-10.

The report, Global Food Lossesand Food Waste, was released in May2011.

Source: www.fao.org

ir80482 Makassane s f s v y irri b s y M z mb qu .

i r r i


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The International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI) and the national rice

research institutes in Bangladeshand the Philippines have joined withHelen Keller International (HKI) ina new effort to further develop andevaluate Golden Rice as a potential toolto reduce vitamin A de ciency.

Golden Rice contains beta carotene,a source of vitamin A.

Vitamin A de ciency is the leadingcause of preventable blindness inchildren. It impairs immune systemfunction and increases the risk of death from certain childhood diseases.Globally, approximately 670,000 childrendie every year and another 350,000go blind because they are vitaminA-de cient.

IRRI and its par tners have beenworking on Golden Rice to develop a safeand effective way to overcome vitaminA de ciency, prevent blindness, and savelives, said Dr. Gerard Barry, GoldenRice Network coordinator and IRRIsGolden Rice project leader. Our lateststage of work will bring in HKIa new

partner from the nutrition sectortofurther understand how well Golden Ricecan reduce vitamin A de ciency.

HKI has been advocating theelimination of vitamin A de ciency

New Golden Rice partners join orces againstvitamin A defciency

for more than 40years. They have

been working withgovernments andother partners toreach those most inneed through variousinterventions.

The mostvulnerable childrenand women inhard-to-reach areasare often missed byexisting interventionsthat can improvevitamin A status, including vitaminA supplementation, food forti cation,dietary diversi cation, and promotion of optimal breast-feeding, said Ms. NancyHaselow, HKI vice president and regionaldirector for Asia-Paci c.

We welcome the opportunity to seeif Golden Rice is ef cacious and can llthe gap in access to adequate vitamin Afor all vulnerable groups in a sustainableway, she added.

According to a study publishedin the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition , daily consumption of verymodest amount of Golden Riceabouta cup (or around 150 grams, uncookedweight)could supply 50% of the

Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin A for an adult.

The Bangladesh Rice ResearchInstitute (BRRI) and the Philippine RiceResearch Institute (PhilRice) have beenworking with IRRI on Golden Rice for several years.

We are conducting our breedingcarefully to make sure that the newGolden Rice variety retains the samehigh yield, pest resistance, and excellentgrain and eating qualities, said Dr.Antonio Alfonso, chief science specialistand Golden Rice team leader at PhilRice.

I am delighted with our successin breeding a Golden Rice version of Bangladeshs most popular rice variety,BRRI dhan29, which we hope will makea substantial contribution to reducingvitamin A de ciency, said Dr. Alamgir Hossain, principal plant breeder at BRRI.

Golden Rice is genetically modi edand will be available to farmers andconsumers only after it has beenapproved by national regulatory bodies.

If, at the end of this project, GoldenRice proves to be safe and effective,and can reach those most in need,the partners will continue to work tointroduce it.

This project is supported by theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation,the Rockefeller Foundation, and theUnited States Agency for InternationalDevelopment, among other donors.

www.irri.org/goldenrice

Golden rice ( left ) s b s

mb v m a f

Senior ScientiSt p m V k s ss m s G r .

i r r i ( 2 )


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In Search of BiohappinessBy M.S. Swaminathan; published by World Scientifc Publishing Co. Inc.

This book describes how an era o biohappiness, based on

conservation and sustainable and equitable use o biodiversity,can be launched. It deals with all aspects o conservation such as in situ, ex situ, and community conservation. It covers the conservationissues related to mangroves and other coastal bioresources, theimportance o which will grow with the emerging possibility o sea-level rise caused by global warming. Furthermore, this literatureincludes concrete examples o how local tribal amilies have taken tothe establishment o gene, seed, grain, and water banks in villages,thus linking conservation, cultivation, consumption, and commerce ina mutually rein orcing manner.

For more background in ormation, see www.scidev.net/en/news/ biohappiness-key-to- uture-says-swaminathan.html. To order online,go to www.worldscibooks.com/environsci/7987.html.

Research Methods in Toxicology and Insecticide ResistanceMonitoring of Rice PlanthoppersBy K.L. Heong, K.H. Tan, C.P.F. Garcia, L.T. Fabellar, and Z. Lu

By 2020, the world will require about 500 million tons o milled ricea year. To achieve this, production will need to average 5 tons perhectare. Farmers, however, are constantly challenged by insects thatcause losses in production. The regular application o prophylacticinsecticides may get rid o these pests, but, at the same time, it willdestroy ecosystem services and cause planthopper outbreaks. Itwill also induce rapid development o insecticide resistance. In thepast 10 years, we have witnessed this type o insecticide resistance

against some active ingredients. Note that insecticide resistance canbe a major threat to the sustainability o rice production. Scientistswill need to constantly monitor its development in order to designand implement strategies to manage the problem. In the feld o

insecticide toxicology, it is important that experimental techniquesbe well established and properly used to eliminate errors arising rombiotic and abiotic variations in these methods.

This book will be an important tool or scientists, pro essors, andstudents involved in insecticide toxicology and research on insecticideresistance. IRRI thanks the Asian Development Bank or providingtechnical assistance that has made this publication possible.

A CD version o the book is available or sale. To order online,please e-mail [email protected]. Also, see http://snipurl.com/planthopper_monitoring.

v


TR AINING COURSES AT IRRI

Course Title Date

Working in a Multicultural Organization and Working and Living in the Philippines 4 AugustIntermediate R 8-12 AugustRice Breeding Course 9-24 AugustLeadership in Rice Sciences 15-26 August

Research Data Management 16-18 AugustRice Technology Trans er Systems in Asia 16-27 AugustSupervisory Training Program (2nd o ering) 17-19 AugustProject Management Level 2 ( or scientists) 12-16 SeptemberMolecular Breeding Course 19-30 SeptemberLeadership Course or Asian and A rican Women or Research and Extension in Rain ed RiceEcosystems (in Bangladesh)

19-30 September

Rice Production Techniques or Researchers ( or A rican participants) 10-28 OctoberRice Postproduction Training Course 17-28 OctoberBioin ormatics or Candidate Gene Discovery (BCGD) 18-20 OctoberPersonal Skills or Pro essional Excellence (IRRI, Philippines) 18-20 OctoberBasic Scientifc Writing Workshop 24-28 OctoberWorking in a Multicultural Organization and Working and Living in the Philippines 27 October

For the complete list and information about the 2011 IRRI Training Courses, visit http://snipurl.com/training_courses.

For inquiries, email [email protected], call (63-2) 580-5600 loc 2538/2824/ 2437/2324, or send a fax to (63-2) 580-5699, 891-1292, 845-0606.

Books


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1. THE ADVENTURER. IRRIphotographer Isagani Serranopacks Rice Today among his manyessentials during his trip to the TajMahal in Agra, India.

2. THAIFEX 2011.Rice Today managingeditor V. Subramanian is all smilesas he brandishes a copy of themagazine at the THAIFEX-WorldFood Asia 2011 in Bangkok,Thailand.

3. SUMMER LOVIN.Rice Today andCommunication and PublicationsServices summer trainees cozy upwith Filipino crooner Nyoy Volante.

4. VALLEY OF THE ROCKS. Wearinghis cool Rice Today shirt andIRRI hat, former director for program planning and commu-nications Dr. Michael Jackson isunfazed by the hot sun, whiletraveling in the MonumentValley of Arizona and Utah inSouthwestern U.S.

Rice Today July-September 201110

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11Rice Today July-September 2011Farm and Trade Inc. is a m ember of the International Commodity Institute.

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D

avid Mackill grew up in SanDiego, California, in the 1960sand early 70s, enjoying thelife of a surfer on the nearby

Paci c coast. I spent a lot of time onthe waves and quite a bit of t ime beingsubmerged by the waves, he said,fondly recalling his surfer days. And,I sometimes thought, its too bad thereisnt a career in this. Little did he knowthen, thatusing the operational wordsubmergedhe indeed would end up ina profession that would ultimately enablehim to improve the lives of millions of rice farmers in Asia and beyond!

Father of the SUB1 geneFlash forward about 40 years toTilaktajpur (photo above) and Samautavillages in Bihar State situated innortheastern India. In this region, vastexpanses of rice elds are annually

prone to total crop losses due to seriousooding or submergence of the plants.

When farmers from these areas heardthat Dr. Mackill was in India, theyinvited the former principal scientistand plant breeder for the InternationalRice Research Institute (IRRI) to visitthem in their elds. When he arrived inSamauta village, many hailed him astheir messiah and the father of theSUB1 gene.

These farmers had started plantingSwarna-Sub1, a new submergence-tolerantrice variety, during the 2009-10 growingseason. They had received the seedsthrough Rajendra Agricultural Universityin Pusa, Bihar, under IRRIs Stress-Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africaand South Asia (STRASA) project.

During that cropping season,many rice elds around the villages

were ooded for 8 to 12 days and thecrop failed completely. However, somefarmers who had planted Swarna-Sub1in the same areas and experienced the

same submergence were surprised tosee the rice plants in their elds rapidlyregenerate after the water receded. Thefarmers harvested 56 tons per hectarefrom their elds and found the newsubmergence-tolerant rice to have goodcooking quality as well. They called ita miracle varietya variety that Dr.Mackill and his colleagues at IRRI wereresponsible for developing.

The farmers also shared their experiences and concerns with me, Dr.Mackill recalled. Many of the farmersin Samauta village were excited aboutgrowing Swarna-Sub1 in the forthcomingseason, which has started in June 2011. Ithanked them for their invitation to visitthem and promised that their feedback will help in our further research toimprove rice.

Later, upon hearing about Dr.Mackills interactions with the Bihar farmers, IRRI Director General RobertZeigler commented: The gratitude of the farmers expressed towards Dave is a

profound reminder and endorsement of what IRRI is all about.

Those particular encounters alsoful lled a young surfers dream to dosomething one day that would have a lotof impact and help people. As he plannedhis university studies back in 1972 toachieve that dream, Dr. Mackill began tolook into agriculture and the agriculturalsciences.

Rice by chanceHe started college at UC San Diego, butthen switched to the large agricultural

college at UC Davis, the University of California campus just west of the statecapital of Sacramento. I was alwaysinterested in genetics, which was one

of my best subjects in the biologicalsciences, Dr. Mackill said. Fortuitously,I put genetics and agriculture together and came up with plant breeding. Onething I like about plant breeding is thatit is kind of an art. It is not just con nedto analyzing data; you never really knowwhat is going to come out of your efforts.

During the time he was anundergraduate in college (1972-76),the international agricultural researchcenters were becoming well known for their work on the hunger problem inthe world. IRRI, of course, was at theforefront of the Green Revolution in Asia.So, this came to his attention early on.

More or less by chance, Iended up getting a job working as anundergraduate in a rice research projectinvolving genetics at UC Davis, recalledDr. Mackill.

While at UC Davis working on rice,the budding plant breeder got to knowsome of the people who occasionallyvisited from IRRI, including GurdevKhush, future World Food PrizeLaureate and IRRI rice breeder and

principal scientist, 1967-2001; andRonnie Coffman, IRRI plant breeder,1971-81, and cur rently chair of CornellUniversitys Depar tment of PlantBreeding and Genetics, and director of International Programs. Soon, he would

be a colleague of both.I became aware of a project of

the Rockefeller Foundation that gavestudents fellowships to work overseas atone of the international centers, said Dr.Mackill. So, in 1978, Ronnie Coffman

by Gene Hettel

A rice breedersodyssey rom sur er

to scientistandonward to Marsstrasa



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Somewhere within the halls of D.L. Umali Laboratory at theInternational Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI), two kindred

hearts are smilingGovinda Rizal andShanta Karki, postdoctoral researchfellows of the C 4 Rice Project.

The C 4 Rice Project is implemented by a team of experts from all over theworld who look for a way to supercharge

photosynthesis in rice and enable the plant to produce more grains than thecurrent high-yielding varieties.

Part of this team, on whoseshoulders rests one of the biggest

challenges of rice research, are Govindaand Shanta, two scientists who found notonly a passion for science but also a deeplove for each other. And, although IRRIvarieties have always been a labor of love for science, the time will soon comewhen we can perhaps say, these grainsare also a labor of people in love.

ShantaShanta Karki , a native of Lamjung,

Nepal, is a molecular biologist and plant

breeder who came to IRRI in July 2009to join the molecular engineering team of the C

4Rice Consortium.

Shanta grew up in a farmingcommunity and was exposed very earlyto agricultural problems. She yearnedto help nd a way to increase crop yieldand, hence, specialized in molecular

breeding techniques, working on wildrice species.

Her af nity with agriculture startedat a very young age. My family plantedrice, and, as a small child, I had fun

playing with mud, says Shanta. I wasexposed to various areas of study as I

got older but, somehow, I always knew Iwould end up in agricultural research.Did she always know she would

end up with someone in agriculturalresearch?

She smiles up to her ears and looksover at Govinda. He grins back.

GovindaGovinda Rizal , from Lodrai inGaylegphug, Bhutan, joined IRRI under the C 4 Rice Project in April 2010less

than a year after Shanta did. He is also a plant breeder whose experience includeswork on rice, soybean, and wheat.

At IRRI, he hunts for genes for the C 4 syndrome among mutant sorghum

populations. When his team nds such agene, it is passed on to Shantas team toinsert into rice.

Head over heelsin lovefor rice

In the incredibly small world o ricescience, two hearts fnd their true love

by Leah Baroa Cruz

Govinda and Shanta l g b u g w g l n p l, F b u 2003.

Leah Baroa-Cruz

G o v i n d a r i z a L

a n d

S h a n t a K a r K i f i L e p h o t o

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by Andr Ribeiro Coutinho and Michela Okada Chaves

razil develops a hybrid rice seed technology that weds good grain quality and high yield

good cooking and visual qualities.And, to understand better the

concerns and prejudices about hybridrice seeds, a survey and a focus groupdiscussion were conducted in 2009-10among growers from the main rice-

producing area in the country. The results proved useful for designing a marketingstrategy for the product.

The perfect marriage between grainquality and yield was the advertisingslogan for BRSCIRAD 302, whichwas of cially introduced in May 2010at the 20th Fenarroz, a well-knownnational Brazilian rice fair. The launchwas followed by direct marketing,

broadcasting on radio stations, andadvertising in local magazines and onrural Web sites. Also, several pressreleases were issued to supply ampleknowledge to farmers and to motivatefuture adoption. The Web site (www.embrapa.br/hibridos) turned out to be anexcellent channel for selling seeds as itfacilitated contact between farmers andseed sellers. In fact, almost half of thesales came from growers who registeredonline.

Hybrids for the uplandsMore developments are expected in2011. BRSCIRAD 302 has been testedin upland conditions and the results are

promising. In Sinop, in the state of MatoGrosso, production has reached 5 tons

per hectare, a 40% increase over theaverage yield of conventional upland ricevarieties. Today, Brazil has 1.4 millionhectares of upland rice area.

The rst BRSCIRAD 302 harvest began in March 2011. Some farmersreportedly faced hard negotiations withthe rice industry because of the negativeimage that dogged hybrids in the market.Again, the preparationwork proved to be

worthwhile. Once theywere able to appealto the positive resultsof BRSCIRAD 302s

performance produced by the rice millsthemselves, farmerswere able to sell their

produce without theusual price discountsgiven to low-qualitygrains.

The perfect marriage

Rice Today July-September 2011Rice Today July-September 2011

Seed trialsBrazilian farmers usually test a seed technology before decidingadopt it on a larger scale. In its ryear, BRSCIRAD 302 was triedsmall areas by nearly every growwho had bought it. A good examthis took place at the CooperativAlegreteCAAL, one of the manfarmer cooperatives in Rio GranSul. In order to assess the value different commercially availableseeds, 20 hectares were planted BRSCIRAD 302 under varying conditions at six associated farm22 April 2011, CAAL organized aday to show these varieties to faand the local press. According to Luciano Freitas, CAALs managa traditional strategy and the coowas very pleased with BRSCIRA302s results. A marketing surveamong BRSCIRAD 302 grain phas shown that many are satis edthe yield and other plant aspectsas development, disease resistanlodging.

The history of hybrid seedshigh prices, and mistrust in the ishow that adoption of hybrid ricetechnology in Brazil is likely to bHowever, given the increasing nof companies in the business (tw

private organizations also releasvarieties in 2011), it is reasonableexpect improvement from now o

Percles de Carvalho Neves, JameTaillebois, and Ariano Magalhescontributed to this article.

Mr. Coutinho and Ms. Chaves aremarketing analysts for rice and be

Embrapa.

Worldwide, rice is an importantstaple food for billions of

people. Since the demand for rice is projected to surpass

pply eventually, researchers areallenged to develop ways to increasee yield sustainably.

In China, hybrid rice covers about% of the total rice area, which therebyows that this technology may represente of the main strategies to meet the

creasing demand (see Hybridizing theorld on pages 32-35 of Rice Today Vol.No. 4).

In Brazil, however, hybrid ricevers only about 2% of the total riceea and, therefore, it has considerabletential for growth.

In contrast to the Chinesechnology of producing hybrid rice seed,hich is based on hand-transplantingsmall parcels, in Brazil, a high crosstilization rate is desired, so it is

essential that the parental lines havetheir owering period synchronized byhaving the same vegetative cycle. As aresult, extensive areas can be planted in asingle operation, thus reducing costs. Thesuccess of this technology has a directimpact on the nal cost of seeds, whosehigh prices are often one of the mainconstraints to adoption.

Moreover, this new seed productionsystem in the upland conditions of Mato

Grosso, in west-central Brazil, helpedreduce the average market price of hybridseeds. Notably, in Brazil, hybrid rice seed

prices are about eight times higher thanthose of conventional seed. Hybrid riceseed sells for approximately US$8 per kilogram, thus making the technologyalmost out of reach for small farmers.

Furthermore, the new relationshipmodel adopted between the BrazilianAgricultural Research Corporation(Embrapa) and its licensees involves

close monitoring and intense training,which is a production system far more complex than that required for conventional seeds.

Meeting standardsHybrid rice varieties have been madeavailable to Brazilian farmers since2003 by a pr ivate company. Yet, one of the greatest challenges for hybrids is toachieve the quality standards demanded

by the Brazilian rice industr y, especiallyin terms of head rice rate and cookingquality. This may be due to the stronger focus on yield adopted by most research

programs. Nevertheless, yield in Brazilaverages 7.6 tons per hectare under theirrigated conditions of Rio Grande doSul and 3 tons per hectare in the upland

production system of Mato Grosso.Embrapa and the French Centre de

Coopration Internationale en RechercheAgronomique pour le Dveloppement

(CIRAD) have established a partnershipin order to research and develop hybridrice of superior yield compared withconventional varieties, and with high-quality grain. In 2010, Embrapa andCIRAD released their rst hybrid ricecultivar, named BRSCIRAD 302. It canyield up to 13 tons per hectare, with ahead rice rate of about 64%, a smoothhusk, and excellent cooking quality.The cultivar was recommended to the

southern state of Rio Grande do Sul to be grown under irrigated conditions. Toassess BRSCIRAD 302s overall market

performance furt her, and, aware of the existing negative perception on thequality of hybrid grains among the riceindustry and growers alike, the Embrapa-CIRAD team carried out a two-round testwith six large rice mills, to which codedBRSCIRAD 302 samples were sent. Theresults con rmed that the cultivar had anexceedingly high head rice rate, and very

BRSCIRAD 302 r l as for far rs atF narroz, Cac o ira do Sul, RS.

New hyBRIDS ar ac i vingig r grain qualit .

e emBRApA-Cirad brid s d roduction s st inand conditions at Sino , mato Grosso.


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In 2010, the 4th The Rice Trader (TRT) Rice Americas Conferencecovered Brazils poor productioncaused by unexpected rains

and oods in late 2009, an expectedrecord crop in the U.S., and the effortof the Southern Common Market, or MERCOSUR region ( Argentina, Brazil,Paraguay, and Uruguay in this report),to help Brazil meet its shortfallwhichmeant giving up market share in keyAfrican and European rice markets.This year, however, it was the opposite.The 5th TRT Rice Americas conferencein Panama revealed how the U.S. 2010crop was eventually plagued withquality problems and how the currentcrop has been battered by oods aroundthe Mississippi River and droughts inTexas in the Mid-South growing area.

Several analysts predict the worstfor the expected U.S. rice output.The anticipated drop in yields caused

by bad weather was aggravated by adecrease in rice area. Several farms alsodecided to move away from rice to plantsoybeans, maize, and cotton. With theseevents, the TRT conference this year was not short of excitement. Delegatesdescribed quality problems seen fromthe imported American rice, with U.S.rice production expected to be lower,while South American production hitrecord highs, which could make up for the shortfall in the U.S.

Widespread risksConference Chairman and TRTPresident/CEO Jeremy Zwinger star tedthe ball rolling with an explicit look at the risks, speci cally the weather,currency, and the general state of the American and even Europeaneconomies, and the well-documentedturmoil that now grips the Middle Eastand North Africa.

Risk has gotten more widespread,claimed Mr. Zwinger, with rice tradingno longer just about buying and sellingrice. He said that buyers, sellers,and the broader rice supply chain areexpected to face new challenges fromincreased risks that look set to keepglobal rice markets on edge. Althougha good supply is available in 2011, Mr.Zwinger cited factors such as high oil

prices, increasing wheat and maize prices, and a more volatile global food balance that will have an impact on ricemarkets. Comparing wheat, maize, andrice prices over the last 8 years, rice

prices are relatively cheaper today thanduring the 2006-07 market years, whichsuggest a market imbalance that shouldresult in lower wheat and maize pricesor a higher price for rice.

Moreover, Mr. Zwinger notedthat some analysts predicted a 40%reduction in the U.S. crop in 2011

because of the erratic weather in thecountry. Weather anomalies hit boththe southern rice-growing regions andCalifornia rice belt.

Odd weatherStill on the subject of the weather,

Elwyn Taylor, an extension agronomistfrom the Climatology and MeteorologyDepartment of Iowa State University,revealed extensive studies on globalweather patterns over a period of morethan 100 years. Dr. Taylor suggested thatthe frequency and intensity of weather anomalies appear to be on the rise.

Needless to say, crop output would bemore dif cult to predict in the future. Hedid, however, suggest that some quick tweaks to the way analysts combine

The Americas havetwo facesThe changing trade in the Americas reveals recovering rice production in Brazil and astruggling crop in the U.S.

by V. Subramanian

The Americas

Mr. Nicolas rubDr. s. E n T Mr. JErEMy Z n e

t h e r i c e t r a d e r

( 5 )


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weather developments with crop analysiscould also yield more accurate forecaststhat could aid planning.

Brazils crop recoveryTiago Sarmento Barata, a rice marketanalyst at Agrotendncias Consultingin Agribusiness, highlighted a recordcrop in Brazil. In stark contrast with its11.6-million-ton production last year,which represented an 8.3% drop comparedwith that of 2009 (see Pressure in theSouth on page 17 of Rice Today Vol. 9,

No. 3), this year Brazil produced 23.3%or 2.3 million tons more than in 2010.With 13.9 million tons (milled equivalent),the countrys production even surpassedits domestic consumption of about 12.5million tons (milled equivalent). Moreinterestingly, Mr. Barata revealed that, asa whole, the MERCOSUR bloc produceda total of 17.64 million tons, which morethan cover the regions consumptionof 14.31 million tons. MERCOSUR isthen left with an exportable surplus of 3.33 million tons. Quite signi cantly, in2011, Argentina and Uruguay will have alesser role to play as suppliers to Brazil.This suggests that the region will havemore rice to export to Africa, Europe,

and within the Americas. However, Mr.Barata pointed out that exports willface restrictions in terms of logisticallimitations, especially since Brazil willalso compete for shipping capacity with itsown lucrative soybean exports.

Looking forward to 2012, Mr. Barata projected that Brazils production wouldfall by 10% because of the high costs of rice production. He further explainedthat the high cost and need for subsidiesto support farmers and export programs

would limit production growth in thefuture, in favor of other more pro tablecrops such as soybeans. To this effect,the excess rice available for exports fromthe MERCOSUR region will likely seea record export year in 2011, with moreexports expected to reach Africa, theMiddle East, Europe, and several marketsin the Americas, which will have a SouthAmerican supply option to consider at atime when the U.S. market looks plaguedwith quality and supply problems thatcould carry over to 2012 production.

The struggling U.S. crop Nicolas Rubio, an internationaleconomist of the Foreign AgriculturalService of the United States Departmentof Agriculture, pointed out that theU.S. had a record production in 2010,

but it suffered from quality and disease problems, thus resulting in a near-record-low milling rate. Consequently,demand for U.S. rice weakened, leavingthe country with an ending stock of 1.75million tons (milled basis)the highestsince 1986. The 2011 production hasnot fared any better as weather-relateddamage and some shift in area away fromrice in favor of other crops have resulted

in an estimated 22% drop in productioncompared with 2010. Supplies, however,are expected to remain unchanged, as thecarryover from 2010 production helpsoffset the drop in 2011 production.

Although Mr. Rubio suggested anestimated 3.4 million tons of rice exportsin 2011, several delegates questioned the

production estimate, noting that someanalysts projected a 3540% declinein production. The low quality of thecarryover stocks was also challenged

in terms of their acceptability in themarket and price. Several buyers revealedthat the higher-than-usual chalkinessseen in U.S. rice exports, and other quality issues, have created somereluctance in accepting U.S. rice.

Volatility aheadTo sum up, the U.S. saw a fall in

production, from a record 2010 cropto a smaller 2011 crop. Now, it facesmore challenges, as the quality issueshave dented U.S. rices export potential.Meanwhile, MERCOSURs 3.3 milliontons of export availability looks likely tonot only affect Asian sales to Africa butalso attract buyers from the Americasto consider the South American option,which many have said to be of very goodqualitycertainly in comparison withU.S. rice.

The issues debated at the conferencerevealed global rice productionssusceptibility to weather-related impacts.Although the rice supply, for the moment,looks good, the increased risk incommercial markets, a tightening globalcereals market, and the fact that the lowestgrade of rice (from Myanmar) trades at a$100-per-ton premium compared to 2010

suggest a global rice market that couldquite easily struggle against volatility.In the near term, the two most importantevents that are expected to shape thetrends in the market are Indias decisionwhether to lift the ban on nonbasmati riceexports or not (expected after the monsoonseason is over and once crop output for 2011 is better known) and Thailandsrice policy, which is expected to changedepending on the results of the nationalelections on 3 July.

Mr. ZwiNgEr ( far right ) nd M . V. sub m n n (middle) t de e tef m t e c e de in en e a n m de P n m.

oVEr 350 de e te f m v u unt e ttended t e TrT r e ame


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Despite the record crop in the UnitedStates in 2010, the very hot summer last year caused quality and disease problems that hit U.S. production hard.This resulted in near-record-low milling

rates, weaker demand for rough rice fromsome Central American markets, recordsales of brokens to sub-Saharan Africanmarkets, and the highest U.S. endingstocks since 1986, most of which are long-grain rice.

Regarding 2011-12 production, asof 9 June, the United States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) projected thatrice area would be smaller at 1.28million hectares because of the oodsin the Mississippi River Delta and shiftsaway from rice to grow more pro tablecrops this year. Arkansas and Missouriaccount for most of the decline in area,mainly in long-grain rice production.With rice yields estimated at 7.89 tons

per hectare, the USDA forecast a rough product ion of 9.05 million tons, which isabout 22% lower than that of 2010-11.

For the past 3 years, the SouthernCommon Market, or MERCOSUR region (Argentina, Brazil,Paraguay, and Uruguay), has caughtmuch of the global markets attention.The 19.8% increase in the regions

production, its expanding share inthe international rice market, and itshighly valued quality rice have made itrecognized as a major player in the global

market.Many non-MERCOSUR rice playersregard the region as a little giant.The region is considered a competitivealternative supplier of excellent-qualityrice.

MERCOSUR has a great potentialin improving signi cantly its productioncapacity because it still has huge areasof land available and an abundant supplyof water. However, rice production islimited by other crops grown on large

The Americas

A look at U.S. rice productionby Nicolas Rubio

However, in spite of the drop in production, the level of U.S. supplies isalmost unchanged. The current volumeis the second-largest on record. The largecarryover stocks in 2011-12 will offsetthe lower production.

Quite signi cantly, U.S. riceconsumption is virtually at. As a result,exports are extremely important. Closeto 60% of U.S. exports go to Mexico,

Canada, Haiti, Central America, andJapan. Except for Japan, these areall long-grain markets and they willcontinue to be important to the U.S. Thecountrys rice industry is also trying toexpand its market share in places suchas Venezuela and other markets in SouthAmerica. Exports are forecast to be 3.4million tons (milled basis), slightly lower than in 2010-11.

ErraTic wEaThEr t ub e U.s. p du t n.

t h e r i c e t r a d e r

The little giantby Tiago Sarmento Barata

areas such as soybeans, maize, cotton,and sugar cane because these crops aremore pro table.

Notably, the relationship among theMERCOSUR countries has changed over the past years. In 2010, when the rice

produced in Brazil was not enough tomeet its domestic demand, it was quitenatural for Uruguay and Argentina to

ll the gap. It could be said that there

was a synergy within the bloc: Brazilabsorbedin a much adjusted manner the surpluses of the neighboringcountries. However, things have nowchanged.

In the past 5 years, Brazilsrice crop soared by 15.4%, whileconsumption fell by 2.8%. The countryachieved self-suf ciency and surpluses

began to accumulate. Consequently, prices in the domestic market plummeted and Brazil was no longer

an attractive market for Uruguay andArgentina.

Meanwhile, Paraguay is buildingits production capacity. Five years ago,it produced very little rice. But, now, itharvests approximately 270,000 tons(milled rice) of excellent quality.

In light of this, exports to countriesoutside the bloc have become an obsessionamong MERCOSUR traders. In 2011,

their total exports are projected to reach2.3 million tons (milled rice). The salesof Brazil are expected to reach 680,000tons, which involves increasing parboiledrice shipments to Africa and higher salesto Central America, other countries inSouth America, and Europe. Meanwhile,Uruguay and Argentina are estimated toexport 850,000 tons and 816,000 tons,respectively, mainly to the Middle East,other countries in South America, CentralAmerica, Europe, and Africa.

c O U r t e S Y O F i r G a


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Rice Today July-September 2011 Rice Today July-September 2011July-September 2011, Vol. 10, No. 3 Farmers push a rickshaw laden with sacks o paddy on a steep part o the road in Satkhira, Bangladesh. The fat wooden plat orm o this three-wheeled

carriage makes it so versatile that it can carry almost anything, rom people to pieces o urniture and arm produce such as rice and coconuts, among others.The rickshaw is the most common orm o transportation in the country.


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Rice Today July-September 2011 Rice Today July-September 2011

arwar GM, Khan MH. 2007. Sea Level Rise: A Threat to the Coast of Bangladesh. Internationales Asienforum. Vol. 33 (34):375-397.www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/regional/300.htm.

ach year, during the boro season(November-May), salinity is sohigh that a white lm of salt

covers paddy elds in the coastaleas of Bangladesh. For Bangladeshimers, this white color on top of their il is a warning sign that their landsick. Salinity is even dubbed the

white plague in Australias newspapersd magazines, which indicates theriousness of the problem when itikes.

(IRRI) plant breeder who is now basedin Africa, there are two ways to combatthe problem of salinityeither changethe plants growing environment (make itnormal) or change its genetic architectureso that it can grow in such areas.

The rst approach requires majorengineering processes to improve soilquality, which are often expensive forsmall and marginal farmers, Dr. Singhsaid. The second approach, which is

breeding crop varieties with built-in salinity tolerance, is the most promising.It needs fewer resources, is economical,and is socially acceptable.

For IRRI, making plants tolerate saltstress, up to an extent, is the way to go.The Institute has invested its resourcesfor many years to develop varieties thatcan solve farmers problems in saline-

prone areas.

Farm rs d f nsIt has been more than a decade nowsince the discovery of Saltol a genethat confers salinity tolerance (see Less

salt, please in Rice Today , Vol. 6, No. 2).Glenn Gregorio, an IRRI plant breeder,credited most of salinity tolerance tothe development of IR66946-3R-178-1-1,

popularly known as FL478. The Saltol gene had been incorporated into thisvariety, and had shown signi canttolerance of salinity.

Since then, through molecular-assisted breeding, the IRRImultidisciplinary team on salinitytolerance composed of physiologist

Bangladesh combats the white plague

Story by Lanie C. ReyesPhotos by Isagani Serrano

alt may be a blessing to good cooking,ut, in rice cultivation, it is a deadly sin

Salinity affects around 1 millionhectares in Bangladesh. Some climateexperts say that sea-level rise will cause

the countrys landscape to becomesicker.

No other country in South Asia ismore vulnerable to sea-level rise thandensely populated Bangladesh. 1 Withhigher sea level, more areas would beaffected by cyclonic surges; inlandfreshwater lakes, ponds, and aquiferscould also be affected by saline-water

and brackish-water intrusion according tothe Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. 2

Md. Lutfor Rahman, a 62-year-oldfarmer in Satkhira, is not an alien tosalinity. Everything is lost to salinity,Mr. Rahman said with a sigh. He wasreferring to the 10,000 taka (US$135) andthe labor he had invested in his 0.2 hectareof land. Now, his family is left withnothing but a cow. These rice stalks will

be used as her feed, said Mr. Rahman.

His next step is to nd a job as alaborer and earn a daily wage of 150 to200 taka ($23). But, only God knows

how soon that will be, he added.

th sal y chall ngSalt as a seasoning goes well with rice especially in developing countries, wherethe poor use salt as a dish to accompanytheir boiled rice. But, in rice cultivation,salt has a negative effect. Once salt getsto the roots, it becomes detrimental to thewhole plant.

According to Dr. R.K. Singh,International Rice Research Institute

Abdelbagi Ismail, molecular bioMike Thomson, Dr. R.K. Singh,Gregorio as well as country partAsia and Africa were able to intrSaltol into popular rice varieties

One of these varieties is BRdhan47, which was released inBangladesh in 2007. It is an IRRvariety, labeled as I R63307-4B-4which was evaluated and releasethe Bangladesh Rice Research I(BRRI) in collaboration with theteam for salinity tolerance now h

by Dr. Gregorio.The development of BRRI

dhan47 is one of the best results ostrong collaboration between IRRBRRI, said Dr. Md. Abdul MannBRRI director general. The tranmaterials from IRRI that can perin stress conditions and the Institassistance in our manpower devethrough both short- and long-termhave played a key role in this

Now, BRRI dhan47 is creaenthusiasm among Bangladeshi in coastal areas because it is helpalleviate their poverty and securfood for the whole year, said D rRa qul Islam, principal plantsalinity tolerance at BRRI.

Just a bund away from Mr. Rfarm, a 0.4-hectare rice eldwith ripening rice grains. It is owSirajul Islam, 50. Just like Mhe experimented by planting dkinds of varieties each season, hthat one could survive the lands

e

BRRI dhan47 helps farmers likeMd. Lutfor Rahman to overcomesalinity in Bangladesh.


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The only difference between them is thatMr. Islam tried BRRI dhan47.

With the way my rice is growingnow, I am expecting a good harvest, Mr.Islam said.

BRRI dhan47 is better, Mr.Rahman readily agreed.

Another farmer in Satkhira, Abu

Abdullah, 35, was also enthusiastic. Hehad good reasons. Three years ago, hecould not harvest anything because his

elds had become too salty for hisregular variety. During those lean years,he borrowed money even at a very highinterest rate of 2% per week.

He said that he was more than happyto see that rice could once again grow onhis salty land. And, he is expecting toharvest 4 to 5 tons at the end of the boroseason.

Now, Mr. Abdullah hopes to startrepaying his loans. I may not be able towrite off all my debts immediately, but,at least, I can program my payments in 2years, he said.

Just like most farmers in theworld, Bangladeshi farmers are mostlysubsistence farmers. They cultivate riceon a piece of land for their food.

When salinity strikes, they can nolonger grow food and they cant affordto buy food, explained Dr. Islam. For these people, there is no option. For them, the difference of having salinity-tolerant varieties is between nothing andsomething.

And, this difference couldeventually have an impact nationwide.

Our food security depends entirely onrice production, said Dr. Md. KhairulBashar, BRRI director for research.Even if salinity-tolerant varieties cover only half a million hectares that areaffected by salinity, the effect will betremendous, he added.

Dr. Gregorio is also happy to seethis positive result because to make ricewithstand salinity is the heart of histeams job at IRRI. Seeing our work in the eld gives us this great feeling of ful llment, he shared.

Humble riceAside from its yield, farmers prefer BRRIdhan47 because of its erect ag leaves.Dr. Gregorio described it as a humblevariety. At a distance, the grains are notnoticeable at once because of the cropsgreen, erect ag leaves on top of the rice

elds. But, hidden just below the greenag leaves are stooping panicles heavy

with round fat grainsmaking the grainsless conspicuous to birds.

BRRI dhan47 is not a lodgingtype, said Dr. Islam. It remains erectwhen some varieties bend over from theforce of a strong wind.

The farmers also like its longstalks of 100110 centimeters, whichstay green even at maturity, because theyuse them as feed for their cattle and roof thatches for their homes, he added.

To the rescueBRRI dhan47 also made its mark inhelping the lives of Bangladeshi farmerswhen cyclone Aila decimated the rice

elds in the southern part of the countryin 2009. Aila brought with her sea water that encroached on ponds and rivers.Some elds remained ooded by seawater for some time, thus increasing thesalinity in the soil, Dr. Islam said.

The variety was then considered as asolution by the United Nations Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) to helpBangladeshi farmers recover from thedisaster. FAO, through the Department of

Agricultural Extension, distributed 62.5tons of BRRI dhan47 seed to 15,000 farmhouseholds affected by the cyclone.

Afterward, an FAO-commissionedstudy assessed the performance of BRRIdhan47 in the Aila-affected southernregion. 3 The results showed that BRRIdhan47 did perform well. Being able totolerate salinity up to 12 deci-Siemens

3 Islam SMF. 2010. Impact Assessment Report of TCP/BGD/3204(E): A Focus on Performance Assessment of BRRI dhan47 in the South. Dhaka. FAO. 42 p.

(Left to right ) Dr. MD. ra qu Is am, p a b d ; D . Md. Khai uBasha , di c s a ch; D . Md. Abdu Ma a , di c g a BrrI; a d D . G G g i , IrrI p a b d , discuss h ai s BrrI dha 47 a BrrI s a ch s a i i Gazipu Dis ic , Ba g ad sh.

SAlInIty-tolerAnt BrrI dha 47 is a dgi g p , has c fag av s,which hid i s g ai s m h bi ds, a d g, g s a ks ha ca b us d as

ha ch s a d d h ca . I ca i d 4.0 7.2 s p h c a .


25/41


per meter, the variety was able to givefarmers a good harvest that rangedfrom 4.0 to 7.2 tons per hectare, withan average of 5.5 tons. It is found to be

pro table, with an average net returnof 35,693 taka ($483) per hectare and amean bene t-cost ratio of 1.73. 4

Version 2.0Without a doubt, BRRI dhan47 hasmade a positive impression on farmers.But, BRRI dhan47 is not a perfectvariety, stated Dr. Gregorio. Just likean electronic gadget, it is just the rstmodel. The next variety will be even

better.Achieving a better

model, however, requiresknowledge of what farmerslike or how farmersde ne a better variety.This is why IRRI plant

breeders, along with their national partners, involvefarmers in a process called

participatory varietalselection (PVS).

Through PVS, plant breeders were able tolearn that, aside fromsalinity tolerance, farmersin Satkhira prefer thelong, slender type of ricegrains, while farmers in Sonagazi likeshort, bold ones. Farmers also favor thenonshattering type of variety becausethey carry newly harvested panicles fromtheir elds to be threshed at their homes.

Although farmers are satis ed withthe amount of rice that BRRI dhan47yields, it goes without saying that farmersdesire a better-yielding salinity-tolerantvariety in the future.

Good seedSaltol contributes about 45% of the

salinity tolerance in rice. But, even withthis quanti able success, Dr. Gregorio andhis team continue to roll up their sleevesin order to pinpoint the location of thegene on the chromosome. Their aim isto improve the performance of salinity-tolerant varieties and to minimize trial anderror in breeding. So, they have embarkedon ne-mapping and marker-assisted

backcrossing for the Saltol gene .

Using new sources of germplasmin mapping more quantitative traitloci (QTLs) for salinity tolerance, theydiscovered major QTLs on chromosomes1, 7, 8, and 10. And, they were able toidentify three putative candidate genes,SKC1, SalT, and pectinesterase .

We are presently working toward

identifying and combining more genesrelated to salinity for more stabletolerance, Dr. Gregorio said.

For Dr. Gregorio, developing thesevarieties for farmers is important.Everything starts with a good seed, hesaid. One may have good management

practices, but, if the seed is not tolerantof a stress like salinity, it will fail. Agood seed, however, even with fewer good management practices, can yieldsomething somehow.

Moreover, good seeds enablefarmers to be more con dent in investingin their cropsapplying some inputssuch as fertilizers.

A dynamic businessBRRI dhan47 has attracted more

players in the business of development.

Extension workers from the Departmentof Agricultural Extension in Bangladesh played an important role in creatingawareness about BRRI dhan47.

Nongovernment organizations were alsoinvolved in extension work and helped inthe distribution of seeds.

Even the private sector has playeda critical role in the wider and moresustainable adoption of this technology.

How? When private companies produceand sell salinity-tolerant seeds, theyhelp ensure that seeds that get to thefarmers are pure and certi ed and of high quality. Otherwise, if low-qualityseeds reach farmers, the credibility of thetechnology will naturally suffer.

Too much is at stake when it comes

to the delivery of a technology thatcombats climate-related problems suchas salinity. Once salinity reaches the soiland water in farmers rice elds, it canliterally obliterate rice production in justa few days.

Because salinity is a real threat tofarmers food security,IRRI, through its projects,such as the Consortiumfor Unfavorable RiceEnvironments (CURE),now funded by theInternational Fund for Agricultural Development,and Stress-Tolerant Ricefor Poor Farmers in Africaand South Asia (STRASA),which is funded by theBill & Melinda GatesFoundation, facilitates andcoordinates the efforts of these different stakeholdersin order to distribute seedsof stress-tolerant rice

varieties, including BRRI dhan47, to morefarmers the quickest way possible.

As of now, more than 500 tonsof BRRI dhan47 seeds have been

produced and distributed throughSTRASA partners in south and southwestBangladesh over the last 2 years, saidDr. Umesh Singh, senior scientist andSTRASA regional coordinator for SouthAsia. Approximately 450 tons of seedhave been produced during the 2010-11

boro season, which will be available tofarmers in the next crop season.

The outlook for the future through thelens of climate change seems bleak, andmaybe even scary for rice production incoastal areas. More areas may be affected

by salinity. But, with climate-change-ready rice varieties such as BRRI dhan47,the future is brighter. As the rst modelthat can combat salinity, BRRI dhan47 isa good start in securing this staple food insaline-prone areas of Bangladesh.

4 Comparison of the present value of an investment decision or project with its initial cost. A ratio of greater than 1 indicates that the project is a viable one.

A ArMer sig s up h pa icipava i a s c i ac ivi i Pi jpu Dis ic , Ba g ad sh.


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Governments, individuals, and organizations, including IRRI, come together to secure the worlds food in a frozen cellar located just over a thousand kilometers away from the North Pole


Mankind takes a giant leapagainby Ma. Lizbeth J. Baroa

The rst was a footprint on the Moon.

The second one is a freezer.This freezer, however, is one dugdeep inside a frozen mountain about1,130 kilometers from the North Pole,in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway.Tucked away in this giant refrigeratedvault is the foundation of humansfoodseeds.

Neatly packed and frozen towithstand hundreds of years of storage and just about any conceivabledestructive force known to humans areduplicates of seeds of different cropsfrom all over the world, includingmore than a hundred thousand seeds of different rice types.

The International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI) sent its nal batch of rice seeds to the Svalbard Global SeedVault, dubbed the Doomsday Vault,in November 2010. IRRI depositedthe largest shipment of 70,180 for theinauguration of the Vault in February2008. Following its last shipment, IRRInow has the largest number of accessions,amounting to 112,807, for any single crop

and its wild relatives kept in the Vault.

These are duplicates of the rice diversityconserved in IRRIs International RiceGenebank (IRRI-IRG).

Dr. Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton,evolutionary biologist and IRRIs T.T.Chang Genetic Resources Center head,assures that IRRI takes every reasonablemeasure to make the collection in theIRRI-IRG safe.

The IRRI-IRG is earthquake-proof,typhoon-proof, and ood-proof, Dr.Sackville Hamilton explains. We alsohave an independent backup power supplyto protect against power cuts, and wekeep a supply of spares in stock to dealrapidly with equipment failure. We alsohave a backup collection to the primarycollection kept at IRRI that is untouched,

but provides immediate backup.Dr. Sackville Hamilton said that,

since 1980, IRRI has also been keepinganother backup of the IRRI-IRGcollection at Fort Collins, Colorado, inthe United States. The United Statesenvironmental and political risks aredifferent from those in the Philippines,

he further explains. This backup

collection in Fort Collins adds to thesafety measures being taken at IRRI.The collection kept in Svalbard is

our ultimate backup. We cannot conceiveof any other measure we could take tomake it safer. We cannot think of a moresecure system to safeguard this vitalresource.

Lifes frozen cellarThe frozen mountains, the isolation, andthe polar bears that provide extra layersof security are just some of the reasonswhy the worlds agricultural heritagefound itself a fortress in Svalbard,

Norway.According to the Global Crop

Diversity Trust, The technicalconditions of the site are virtually

perfect. The location inside the mountainincreases security and unparalleledinsulation properties. The area isgeologically stable, humidity levels arelow, and it has no measurable radiationinside the mountain. The Vault is placedwell above sea level (130 meters), far

The VaulT mid t t v tn of t co d, icy rro nding .


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1 www.croptrust.org

2 IRRI. 1998. Biodiversity: Maintaining the Balance (1997-1998). Manila (Philippines): IRRI. 60 p.

above the point of any projected sea-levelrise.

1

The Trust is a public-private partnership that raises funds fromindividual, corporate, and government

donors to establish an endowment thatwill provide complete and continuousfunding for key crop collections.

The Trust explains that, even if thesupply of electricity gets cut off, thefrozen mountain and its thick rocks willkeep the seeds frozen for a long time.

The Vault, constructed by the Norwegian government as a serviceto the world, is managed under terms

between the Global Crop Diversity Trust,the Norwegian government, and the

Nordic Genetic Resource Center.

The International Treaty onPlant Genetic Resources for Foodand Agriculture in 2004 provided the

platform through which an internationallegal framework for conserving andaccessing crop diversity, as well as

building the Vault, became a reality.

Taming the wildAlthough thousands of rice species existaround the world, only a few of theseare being cultivated. These cultivatedrice varieties are naturally diverse. Thisdiversity, however, is not enough to build

better varieties. It is, in this case, morethan in any other, that the extraordinarydiversity in rice and its wild relatives

becomes crucial.For decades, scientists have been

scouring the unbeaten path of the vastwild rice gene pool to look for genes thatallow them to develop rice that provides

more yield and is tolerant of stressessuch as drought, heat, ooding, andsaline soil.

Among the major setbacks to food production today is the increasing scarcity

of resources. Hence, we look more closelyat rice, and at every other crop species, tond ways to unlock the many secrets of its

gene pool and help it adapt, survive, andthrive despite the many challenges.

Such is the story of scuba rice the IRRI-bred variety that can withstand

being submerged under water for 2weeks (see Scuba ric e on pages 26-31 of

Rice Today Vol. 8, No. 2). Many yearsago, an Indian low-yielding rice varietycalled FR13A caught the imagination of scientists due to one remarkable trait:

ood tolerance.For years, scientists looked for the genes that gave FR13A its ood-resistant characteristic. And, when theyfound it, they named the gene SUB1.Today, high-yielding varieties that had

been given the ood-resistance gene arehelping rice farmers cope with frequently

ooded rice elds.The wonderful story of the

previously unremarkable FR13Ahighlights why the world should beworried about vanishing plant speciesand rice varieties.

Treasure on loanA nuclear holocaust need not happen tospell doomsday for food sources. Everyday, a crop species is lost to typhoons,

oods, war, and, sometimes, to simplethings like mismanagement or lack of asustained power supply.

It is hard for some people toappreciate the importance of conservation.But, thinking of crop conservation as away of keeping a good credit record mayhelp, because biodiversity, the worlds

most valuable resource, is on loan to us from our children. 2 Diversity is the insurance for food

security. Every time a species is lost, thatdiversity narrows, which means that thenumber of options shrinks as well. Thereis something in these vanishing varietiesthat is priceless: genes. These genes holdthe many answers to questions on basicsurvival and sustaining life on the planet.

Scientists said that warmer temperature causes lower yield for rice.They may not be able to do something

about the heat that gets trapped in theatmosphere, but they can do somethingabout the food. They can breed varietiesthat can stand up to climate change.

Food for the next generationBacking up and protecting the worldsdiverse agricultural heritage are givingthis generation, and the next, optionsto get around natures roadblocks asthe human population grows, while theresources that are needed to meet thecorresponding demand for nourishment

become scarce.These options are kept frozen,

ready to be retrieved when events of thefuture require it. It is a way of ensuringthat food keeps coming even well after this generation has passed on.

See related video at http://snipurl.com/ svalbard_shipment.

The VaulT's i min t d roof g in t t c nic rro nding (left photo ). IRRI Dir ctor G n r Rob rt Z ig r ( second from left ) wit GCDT ex c tiv Dir ctor CFow r ( second from right ) d ring t in g r tion of t V t in F br ry 2008.

M a r i T e f r e / G l o b a l C r o p D i v e r s i T y T r u s T ( 2 )

i r r i


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Biryani is a rice-based meal madewith spices, rice (usually basmati),and meat, sh, eggs, or vegetables.The name is derived from the

Persian word bery , which means fried or roasted.

The dish originated from Iran (Persia)and was brought to the Indian subcontinent

by Iranian travelers and merchants. Biryaniis popular not only in South Asia but alsoin Arabia and within various South Asiancommunities in Western countries. It has manylocal variants.

The recipe presented here by Sam Mohanty,head of the Social Sciences Division at theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI), isa somewhat simpli ed Indian version of what he

says can be a very complex confection.Dr. Mohanty, who joined IRRI in 2008, is awidely published and award-winning economistwith a knack for cooking for his family when heis not searching for the direction of the globalrice market (see Rice Facts on pages 44-45).

S a m ' S

Chicken Biryani

Wh ts cooking?

Watch Dr. Mohanty demonstrate how to prepare this dish in a 12:26 video on YouTube at http://snipurl.com/sams_chicken_biryani.

Ingredients 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved 6 eggs, boiled and peeled 34 large onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon ginger paste 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon salt (according to taste) 23 medium tomatoes, chopped 23 green chilies (according to taste) 2 tablespoons plain yogurt 1520 fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 3 pounds skinless chicken pieces (thigh and leg) 8 pods green cardamom 10 pods black cardamom 56 bay leaves 8 whole cloves 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick 1 pound basmati rice 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions1. Clean and wash the chicken. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, salt,

turmeric, and chili powder for 2 hours.

2. In a pot, add vegetable oil and fry the onions until they are sgolden. Add garlic and ginger paste and the whole spices. Fry acontinuously stir for 5 minutes. Add green chilies and tomatoesfry for another 5 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat, stirrinoccasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be

necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dand starts to stick to the pot.

3. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the marinated chickpieces and potatoes and stir well to coat them with the spicemixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken istenderapproximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should be only alittle very thick gravy left when the chicken is nished cooking.necessary, cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the amouof gravy.

4. Wash rice well and soak it for 30 minutes.5. Put plenty of water in another pot, add salt, and boil the water

Once the water starts to boil, drain the soaked rice and put it iboiling water. Boil it again at a high temperature for 57 minute

6. Par cook the rice (meaning 3/4 cooked, while the rest will jucooked later). Do not boil the rice too much.

7. Put cilantro leaves on top of the cooked chicken, stir them in,add mint on top. Drain and add the par-cooked rice on top ofmixture.

8. Cover the pot tightly, turn heat to very low, and steam for 20minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while cooking.

9. Spoon the biryani onto a serving dish and garnish with halvedboiled eggs.

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Different people can look atthe same grain of rice and seedifferent things. Rice, to farmers,represents food security and their

childrens future. Economists see a formof currency, while governments viewit as a means to achieve sociopoliticalstability. For scientists, rice is a key to

ending global hunger.But rice can also be a muse. The

humble grain has inspired artists toconceive exhilarating bursts of creativeexpressions captured on canvass, intapestries, on lm, in poetry and song,and in many other forms of art.

A grain of soulMost people see rice as somethingyou eat, but there is more to rice, saidKwanchai Gomez, executive director of The Asia Rice Foundation (ARF)and former scientist at the InternationalRice Research Institute (IRRI). Theressomething inside it thats not physical.Rice has a soul.

Not surprisingly, the soul of ricehas been immortalized in so manyways because rice is part and parcel of many Asian cultures. In Asia, cultureis rice-based, Dr. Gomez explained.Many things such as festivals and ritualsoriginated from rice because most of theAsians before were farmers. Agriculturewas our bread and butter and a large

proportion of the people deal with ricefarming. Rice is in the culture itself.

The connection between riceand the arts is the af rmation of theessentiality of rice to Filipino life, and

1 Zafaralla PB, editor. 2004. Rice in the Seven Arts. Ma nila: Asia Rice Foundation. 113 p.2 Allison J. 2009. Amorsol o and the A meric an Expe rienc e . In: Amorsolo-Lazo S et al. Maestr o Fernan do C. Amo rsolo: Recolle ctions of the Amo rsolo Famil y. Quezon City

(Philippines): Fernando C. Amorsolo Ar t Foundation. p 123-147. Text reprinted with permission.

to most, if not all, Asians, CorazonAlvina, former director of the NationalMuseum of the Philippines, wrote in Ricein the Seven Arts, 1 a collection of essays

published by ARF in celebration of the2004 International Year of Rice.

Rice on canvassInitiated by Dr. Gomez, Rice in the Seven

Arts features the role of the golden grainin Philippine traditional dances, music,theater, motion pictures, architecture,literature, and the visual arts.

In the eld of visual arts, paintingsin particular, rice was the subject of someof the Philippines iconic artists, amongthem, Carlos Botong Francisco ( Angelus) ,Fabian de la Rosa ( Planting Rice ) ,Cesar Legaspi (Gleaners ) , Jose Blanco ( Lucban ) , and Anita Magsaysay-Ho ( Inthe Rice Field ), to name a few.

But, Fernando Amorsolo was perhaps the most famous Filipino painter who used rice as a subject in his art.Although his artistic talent virtuallyknew no bounds, he is celebrated for hisvibrant depiction of the ideal beauty of the Philippine rice landscape and theromanticized life of Filipino farmers and

peasants.He was born in 1892 in prewar

Manila, which, even then, was keenon shedding all traces of its agrarian

past. His family, however, moved toCamarines Norte in southern Luzonsoon after. Growing up in a rusticenvironment, the rice-driven rhythmof rural life made an indelible mark onthe young Amorsolo, according to his

daughter, SylviaAmorsolo-Lazo.

He wantedto portray what hesaw every day the simple life of Filipinos and their

daily chores, saidMrs. Amorsolo-Lazo, herself anartist. His paintingsalso depicted howthe cultivationof rice acted asa cohesive force

that bound families and communitiestogether, she added. In Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers, you could see thefamilies, relatives, and farm laborersworking together, their lives closelyentwined. It is there in the rice eldswhere they eat their lunch and supper.

Rice elds were not close to

homes, Jane Allinson2

remarked in Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo. Theharvesters worked from early morninguntil dusk. They did not have timeto return home for meals; they either

brought food or food was brought tothem.

Rice through the maestros eyesIt was in 1922 when Mr. Amorsolofocused his creative depiction of rural lifeas colorful and effortless. His peasantswelcomed the grueling labor involvedin every stage of producing rice, fromtransplanting the seedlings to harvestingthe grains, and winnowing the chaff,with gentle smiles on their faces.

Idealized agricultural Philippinescenes are the heart of Amorsolos work,said Ms. Allinson. There is no hintof the extremely arduous work and theuncomfortable task of constantly bendingto plant seedlings in a ooded eld that

provides unstable footing.The works of Mr. Amorsolo

are an iconographic representation of the countryside, Mr. Patrick Flores,

professor of Philippine art history, notedin Rice and the Seven Arts . This ideal isa political construction of a Philippinesinsulated from the material constitutionof war, imperialism, urbanization, andindustrialization.

His art showed how he wantedlife to be and not how it really was,said Romeo Romi MananQuil,an accomplished Filipino artist.It is idealism on canvas, more of

interpretations than representations. Of course, every artist sees and interpretslife in his own way.

Blood, sweat, and beautyArtists do see the world in more waysthan one. Through their works, theyallow us to use our eyes not just as an

k o r k o n m a g a z i n e

Kwanchai Gomez, x ut d r t r f T a R F u d t , b r f d f r b t t b d d t p r t.


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organ of sight but as a sense of insight.Many farmers have been conditioned toregard themselves as tillers of the earthand lowly workers. But perhaps, likeBelle, the lead character in the movieThe beauty and the beast , Mr. Amorsolowas looking past the profuse sweat andthe tired muscles to reveal the inner

beauty of the hardened life most peopledo not see. Through his eyes, he could

nd every reason to feel proud and joyful because they produce the grains thatmake it possible for towns and cities to

exist in the rst place.This is hot, dry, and uncomfortablework, said British artist John Dyer. Butin the midst of the back-breaking labor that supports only a meager standard of living, his paintings captured what artdirector Sue Hill aptly described as thesheer human thrill of being alive. It isa tough harvest but one that is worthcelebrating, Mr. Dyer said. (See Rice islife on page 37.)

The Rice-cenTRic f , d p t d t p t g b F p rt tR c. m Qu , t b ut fu , mr. m Qu .oft t , t r f trugg t p .

r o m i C

. m a n a n Q u i l

mRs. sylvia a r -l , d ug t r f t r f t r d d p t ru td d b rk futur p t

t d t r t r g t

F e r n a n d o

rice today vol. 10, no. 3

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