18th August, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.
com
News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

18
th
August, 2014

Latest News Headlines
North Korea to Grow Rice and Corn in Zimbabwe
Guyana, Panama Agree on Rice Deal
Rice-millers Issues Will be Considered
Thai military government approves first rice sale
since coup
Rice prices slightly reduce in Mekong Delta
Dominican Republic Rice Levels Following 2013
Pattern
Vietnam exporter seek contracts to sell rice to the
Philippines
Dawn of a new era in rice improvement
A 52-year history of sustainability
Flying heroes of Ecuadors rice fields
Seed Testing Regulations Intact in Arkansas
.S. Jasmine Billboards Go Up in Ghana
First export of Fukushima rice since nuclear crisis
started in 2011 reaches Singapore
Another rice variety ready for release
Panel to look into problems of rice millers
More than seeds
News Detail

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com

North Korea to Grow Rice and Corn in Zimbabwe
18 AUGUST 2014
Radio Free Asia quoted Telescope News to report that North Korea set
out to purchase a wide area of farming land in Zimbabwe to cultivate
cereals such as rice and corn in an effort to cope with its chronic food
shortage.According to the report, North Korea is planning to buy land
in Mashonaland Central Province and Mashonaland East Province,
both of which are granary zones located in the African country, from
the Mugabe government. In the past, Libya and China purchased land
in a similar way for wheat, rice and tobacco cultivation. Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of Africa thanks
to its warm climate and fertile land. However, President Robert Mugabes agricultural policy plans have failed
one after another, and now the country is selling its land to other countries.North Korea and Zimbabwe have
cooperated with each other in the field of agriculture. Pyongyang asked Zimbabwe for food aid three years ago,
and made two bronze statues for President Robert Mugabe to celebrate his 90th birthday.
Image: A corn field in Zimbabwe, taken by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Guyana, Panama Agree on Rice Deal
August 18, 2014 | 11:25 am |Print

Above: Panama President Juan Carlos Varela and Guyana Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Guyana will soon be supplying around 5,000 tonnes of rice
each month to Panama, following a newly-signed agreement
between the two countries in the Caribbean basin.The deal
was agreed upon during a meeting between Guyana President
Donald Ramotar and Panama President Juan Carlos Varela in
Colombia earlier this month.President Ramotar suggested
that Guyanas rice be exported in a meaningful way to
Panama, said Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy. I
need to say meaningful way because we have always sent
paddy and rice to Panama, but in small amounts because it


was difficult to get into that market.Ramsammy said that Panamas president was eager to reduce the high cost
of living in Panama.The deal covers the remainder of 2014, with further discussions for a contract renewal in
2015, according to a government statement.The rice will be purchased from local suppliers.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market- August 16
Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:10pm IST
Nagpur, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) firmed up again on increased buying support from local millers amid weak supply from
producing belts. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses, repeated enquiries from South-based millers and poor monsoon
in the regions which activated stockists also boosted prices, according to sources

* * * *

FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram super best bold and medium best recovered in open market on renewed demand from
local traders amid tight supply from producing regions.

TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka showed upward trend in open market on good festival season demand
from local traders amid weak overseas supply.

* Jowar varieties recovered strongly in open market on good buying support from local
traders and restricted arrival from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar - 4,800-5,000, Tuar dal - 6,400-6,800, Udid at 7,200-7,300,


Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,000-8,500, Moong - 7,000-7,400, Moong Mogar
(clean) 8,400-9,100, Gram - 2,500-2,600, Gram Super best bold - 3,700-3,900
for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading
activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 2,400-3,020 2,300-3,000
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,300-4,970 4,300-4,850
Moong Auction n.a. 5,300-5,500
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 4,000-4,200 3,900-4,200
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 3,600-3,750 3,500-3,700
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 3,450-3,550 3,450-3,550
Desi gram Raw 2,900-2,975 2,900-2,975
Gram Filter new 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600
Gram Kabuli 8,000-9,500 8,000-9,500


Gram Pink 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400
Tuar Fataka Best 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400
Tuar Fataka Medium 6,800-6,900 6,800-6,900
Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,900-6,200 5,900-6,200
Tuar Gavarani 5,150-5,250 5,150-5,250
Tuar Karnataka 5,250-5,350 5,200-5,300
Tuar Black 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500
Masoor dal best 6,500-6,600 6,500-6,600
Masoor dal medium 6,150-6,350 6,150-6,350
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,500-9,800 9,500-9,800
Moong Mogar Medium best 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800
Moong dal super best 7,600-7,800 7,600-7,800
Moong dal Chilka 7,500-7,700 7,500-7,700
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,100-9,200 8,100-9,200
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,400-7,800 7,400-7,800
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,600 5,600-6,600
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-5,000 4,000-5,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,850-3,000 2,800-2,950
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,500 3,250-3,500
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,600 3,500-3,600


Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,300 4,900-5,300
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,500 1,200-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,750 1,650-1,750
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,050 1,850-2,050
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,500 2,150-2,500
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,400 1,200-1,400
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,900 1,600-1,900
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,600 2,300-2,600
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 4,000-4,200
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,600 4,800-5,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,400-13,000 10,400-13,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,000
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,300-1,500
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,600-1,700

WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 33.8 degree Celsius (92.8 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.


23.1 degree Celsius (73.5 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a..
Rainfall : 0.2 mm
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and Minimum temperature
likely to be around 34 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
ATTN : Soyabean mandi, wholesale foodgrain market of Nagpur APMC and oil market in all over Vidarbha will be
closed on Monday, on the occasion of Pateti, Parsi New Year.
Rice-millers Issues Will be Considered
By Express News Service
Published: 18th August 2014 07:33 AM
Last Updated: 18th August 2014 07:33 AM
HYDERABAD: Telangana civil supplies minister Etela Rajender has appealed to rice-millers to work with farmers and
consumers.Speaking at an awareness programme conducted by the Telangana Rice Millers Association here on Sunday,
the minister said that he would examine the issues raised by the rice-millers and take a positive decision soon.He said that
farmer, rice miller, consumer and government were like four pillars and all should work in coordination with each other
and any imbalance would jeopardise the system.
He said that the farmer was the backbone of the community and under no circumstances should he get a price less than the
minimum support price (MSP) for his paddy.Rice- milling industry was also an instrument in ensuring this and their
participation in paddy purchases would be necessary to see that farmers get MSP, said.Civil supplies commissioner C
Parthasarathi lauded millers on paying the MSP to farmers who supplied substantial quantities of levy rice. He said that
the central government was insisting on payment to paddy farmers by cheque and the need to purchase paddy from the
farmers at not less than MSP.


He also made it clear to the millers that the custom-milled rice, which is still to be delivered, should be delivered before
September.The representatives of rice-millers assured the government of their full cooperation in purchasing paddy from
farmers and delivering levy as was being done now even in the ensuing Kharif marketing season.
Thai military government approves first rice sale since
coup
August 15, 2014, Friday/ 15:13:57/ REUTERS / BANGKOK

Thailand's military government approved the sale of 73,000 tons of rice from government stocks in its
first successful sale since the army seized power in May, less than the 167,000 tons it aimed to sell in a
tender last week.

The sale of rice, worth more than 737 million baht ($23.1 million), from state warehouses to rice exporters,
millers and domestic retailers follows a failure to shift any grain last week, in the military's first tender since it
took control.Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department at the Commerce
Ministry, which oversees rice stock sales, said 12 private companies were successful out of 36 bidders. The sale
was approved on Thursday, the commerce ministry said in a statement. It did not reveal the sale price and said
that doing so could affect the next rice stock auction. "The tender price this time was close to the market price,"
a government official at the commerce ministry said.

The price of common grade Thai 5-percent broken rice was steady at $440 per ton on Friday, slightly below the
same grade from Vietnam at $450-$455 a ton. In its first tender last week, offers were below the government's
expectations, and the sale was halted by the state, which did not disclose a minimum floor price.

Thailand is estimated to hold up to 18 million tons of rice in state stockpiles, almost twice what it used to export
each year. The Southeast Asian nation has mammoth stockpiles of rice after the previous government bought
rice from farmers at prices well above market levels for the staple grain. The army, which seized power in a
bloodless coup in May, made the repayment of farmers who were owed money under the controversial scheme
one of its priorities.It also halted rice sales while it inspected warehouses to check how much grain was being
held and in what conditions.

Duangporn said the next round of bidding would take place soon and that floor price assessments would be
amended in order to speed up sales. "We will amend the way we assess minimum floor prices to speed up the
decision-making process and will take into consideration the domestic and international rice trade situation,"
Duangporn said.Thai rice prices fell around 20 percent in the first half of the year to a low of $370 a ton as the


previous government was forced to offload some stocks to pay millions of farmers who had been owed money
for months under the scheme. Prices rebounded in June after the military government halted sales and called for
a nationwide stock inspection.

Rice prices slightly reduce in Mekong Delta
SaiGon GP English
After a high increase, rice prices have reduced by VND100-200 a kilogram over a week ago in the Mekong Delta.
Farmers sell their harvested rice to traders in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

After a high increase, rice prices have reduced by VND100-200 a
kilogram over a week ago in the Mekong Delta.IR 50404 variety now
fetches VND5,500 a kilogram for dry rice in An Giang, Vinh Long and
Dong Thap Provinces.The prices swing from VND5,700-6,000 a
kilogram of long grain rice and VND6,100-6,200 a kilogram of Jasmine
rice. Export rice is paid VND7,500-7,750 a kilogram.At present,
domestic rice supply is scarce and countries such as the Philippines,
Malaysia and Indonesia are in high demand of rice import.

Image: Farmers sell their harvested rice to traders in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)
Dominican Republic Rice Levels Following 2013 Pattern
18 August 2014
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Harvest of the 2014 main season rice crop, which accounts for 70 per cent of total
production, will be concluded by the end of August.Aggregate rice output is forecast at 830 000 tonnes (paddy), slightly
above the 2013 production and around the five-year average.This mainly reflects a projected increase in yields as area
planted is expected to remain relatively unchanged from 2013.Cereal imports in 2014/15 marketing year (July/June)
forecast at average levels Imports of cereals in the 2014/15 marketing year (July/June) are tentatively forecast at 1.6
million tonnes, close to the previous year's average level, mainly reflecting sustained maize imports in order to satisfy
strong demand for feed consumption.Imports of sorghum for feed, which have grown in the last three years since it is a
cheaper alternative to maize, are also expected to remain firm.


TheCropSite News Desk
Vietnam exporter seek contracts to sell rice to the Philippines

VietNamNet Bridge The rice price in the domestic market has been increasing sharply, which may lead to
losses for exporters if they bid for the contract to provide 500,000 tons of rice to the Philippines.

Rice exporters reportedly are making preparations to join the bid
to provide 500,000 tons of rice to the Filipino National Food
Authority (NFA), which is scheduled to make a decision for the
end of August or early September.However, the Northern Food
Corporation (Vinafood 1) and Southern Food Corporation
(Vinafood 2), the two enterprises most likely to join the bid, have
said they fear they would take loss even if they can sell at the
ceiling price, since rice has become more expensive in the
domestic market.International newswires reported NFA as saying
that six tenderers have confirmed their participation.

These include two Vietnamese food corporations, Vinafood 1 and VInafood 2. NFA has a budget of $235
million for the 500,000 tons of rice import deal. This means that NFA can pay up to $470 per ton to buy
rice.Vinafood 2s general director Huynh The Nang said even if his enterprise can sell at the ceiling price of
$470 per ton, it would still take a loss of $10 per ton due to the high price in the domestic market.Nang said the
domestic supply has a shortage, while rice exporters continue to collect rice in large quantities to fulfill
contracts.

It is estimated that Vietnamese exporters need to deliver 2 more millions tons of rice. Therefore, Nang believes
the market would still be hot in the time to come.However, Duong Van Men, a small merchant in Lap Vo
district of Dong Thap province, who specializes in collecting rice from farmers to sell to rice exporters, said that
exporters would still make big profits at current domestic prices.According to Men, white five percent broken
rice in Mekong River Delta is now selling at VND9.2-9.3 million per ton, or $438-443 per ton (US$1 =
VND21,000).

This means that Vietnamese rice exporters would be able to make a profit of $27-32 per ton, if they can sell
rice to the Philippines at the ceiling price level of $470.In fact, the price would be lower than $438-443 per ton,
because the Philippines is buying 25 percent broken rice, which means that rice exporters can mix 20 percent
broken rice with the 5 percent broken rice they buy from farmers. Meanwhile, a kilogram of 20 percent broken
rice is now traded at VND5,000.In the domestic market, the rice price has increased again after one week of
decline. IR 50404 rice in Mekong River Delta, which was traded at VND7,500 per kilo one week ago, now can


be sold for VND7,600 per kilo.However, the current price level is just VND100 per kilo lower than the highest
level set a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile, fresh IR 50404 rice in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces have regained the VND5,200 per kilo
level after dropping to VND4,800 per kilo last week.

TBKTSG
Tags:Philippines,rice export,export contracts, rice production, mekong delta,rice basket,
Dawn of a new era in rice improvement
Compiled by Gene Hettel from GigaScience articles and additional interviews

Traditional rice varieties encompass a huge range of
potentially valuable genes. These can be used to develop
superior varieties for farmers to take part in the uphill
battle of feeding an ever-increasing world population
(estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050). The genes
linked to valuable traits can help breeders create new
rice varieties that have improved yield potential, higher
nutritional quality, better ability to grow in problem
soils, and improved tolerance of pests, diseases, and the
stresses, such as flood and drought, that will be inevitable with future climate change.
Much of this diversity is conserved within the International Rice Genebank Collection (IRGC) at the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). According to Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, head of IRRIs T.T.
Chang Genetic Resources Center (TTC GRC), the IRGC now holds a global collection of more than 121,000
types or accessions of rice. Yet, breeders have harnessed only less than 5% of the germplasm collection there in
active breeding efforts. But all that is changing with a very exciting development to make the IRGC useful
beyond our wildest dreams, he exclaims.
The 3,000 Rice Genomes Project
A single genome cannot reveal the large stockpile of genetic diversity in rice and hence many potentially
important genes are not present in the handful of lines that have been sequenced over the last decade. So, to
drastically change this dynamic, IRRIin collaboration with BGI in Shenzhen, China, and the Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)has completed the sequencing of 3,000 rice genomes of varieties
and lines representing 89 countries (see figure) now housed in the IRGC (82%) and CAASs genebank (18%).


This is an unparalleled development in plant science for a major food crop, says Ken McNally, senior
scientist in the TTC GRC and a project team member.

On top of that, the
open-access, open-
data
journal GigaScienc
e (produced by BGI
and BioMed
Central) published,
on World Hunger
Day 2014 (28
May), a data
note andcommentar
y on the 3,000 Rice
Genomes Project
(3K RGP). Most
significantly,
released at the same
time was the
projects entire
13.4-terabyte
dataset in a citable format in the journals affiliated open-access database, GigaDB (see box), which instantly
quadrupled the previous amount of publicly available rice sequence data. The 3K RGP is funded by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.
Publication in GigaScience includes storage of relevant associated data in the journals affiliated
database, GigaDB, where every dataset is provided with a digital object identifier (DOI), making it possible to
cite, find, and track data in standard scientific literature, which serves as a strong incentive for researchers to
more rapidly release expensive and work-intensive datasets for community use.

On top of hosting this wealth of supporting data in GigaDB to provide the most extensive availability to the
community, the sequence reads for this project have also been submitted to the repository of the European
Nucleotide Archive.

Enquires can be directed to the following members of the 3K RGP consortium:


Gengyun Zhang, BGI, Shenzhen, China
Zhikang Li, CAAS, Beijing, China
Tian-Qing Zheng, CAAS, Beijing, China
Kenneth L. McNally, IRRI, Los Baos, Philippines
According to Zhikang Li, project director at CAAS, the 3K RGP is part of an ongoing effort to provide
resources specifically for povertystricken farmers in Asia and Africa. We are aiming to reach at least 20
million rice farmers in 16 target countries (eight on each continent), he says. With decreasing water and land
resources, food security is and will bethe most challenging issue in these countries. Echoing Dr. Sackville
Hamilton, Dr. Li says, As a scientist in rice genetics, breeding, and genomics, it is a dream come true for me to
help solve this problem.
The population boom and the worsening climate crisis have presented big challenges on global food shortage
and safety, adds Jun Wang, BGI director. BGI is dedicated to applying genomics technologies to make a fast,
controllable, and highly efficient molecular breeding model possible. The 3K RGP opens a new way to carry
out agricultural breeding. Joining forces with CAAS, IRRI, and BMGF, we have made a step forward in big-
data-based crop research and digitalized breeding. We believe this will get us closer to the ultimate goal of
improving the well-being of the human race.
According to Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general, access to the sequence data of these 3,000 rice genomes
will tremendously accelerate the progress of breeding programs. The collaborative 3K RGP, he says, will
add an immense amount of knowledge to rice genetics and enable detailed analysis by the global research
community to ultimately benefit the poorest farmers who grow rice under the most difficult conditions.
To reach their goals, the three institutes have not only released the large volume of data, they are also making
available through the IRGC seeds for each rice accession that has been sequenced. Having available banked
seeds is essential to make full use of this germplasm and the data about it, says Dr. Sackville Hamilton.
Speeding the breeding
A major part of the project is to directly link the genetic information (genotype) to the physical traits
(phenotype) of these different accessions. This will require careful assessment and curation of each accession
for the agriculturally important traits mentioned earlier, which breeders can then link to genetic markers in the
now available genome sequences.
Current breeding practices, which have essentially remained the same since the development of agriculture,
typically employ the observation of apparent physical traits to guide parent selection for making crosses with
the hope that the offspring will show a new combination and an improvement of the desired traits. However, the


underlying genetic makeup of the offspring can often confound breeders expectations. So, they often have to
resort to time-consuming trial and error involving multiple successive generations.
The 3K RGP data will provide a major step forward by helping breeders to take advantage of the natural trait
variation that is found across the selected genebank accessions in the project. Knowing fully the genetic makeup
of a particular rice accession will allow researchers to identify genetic markers related to specific traits, and
better understand how different genetic interactions affect plant phenotypes. With this information, breeders
will be able to make more intelligent choices in accession selection for making crosses, resulting in more rapid
development of rice varieties for deploying in poor and environmentally stressed locations around the world.
According to Hei Leung, IRRI principal scientist and team member, the
IRRI 3K RGP team is committed to moving quickly to take the
sequence data and make detailed analyses. Through the Global Rice
Science Partnership (GRiSP), IRRI is leading the development of an
informal global effortthe International Rice Phenotyping Network
to systematically evaluate the 3K RGP sequenced lines and to connect
plant performance to specific genes, he says. By closely integrating
these resources into breeding programs based on modern molecular
breeding and selection strategies, varietal development in hundreds of
rice breeding programs will be accelerated over the next five years,
delivering improved varieties to farmers and consumers at a faster pace
than before.
AXA-endowed scientist to join the team
In addition to working closely with GRiSP, BGI, and CAAS, Dr. Leung adds, we have a head start with the
timely arrival of Dr. Rod Wing, who was recently appointed to IRRI as an AXA-endowed scientist for genome
biology and evolutionary genomics. The AXA Research Fund, which encourages scientific research that would
contribute to understanding and preventing environmental, life, and socioeconomic risks, currently supports
more than 400 research projects like the 3K RGP in 30 countries.Dr. Wing, an internationally recognized
leader in the fields of plant genomics, bioinformatics, and evolutionary biology and particularly interested in
genome data, is now part of the IRRI team and he will greatly enhance our capability to analyze the 3K RGP
sequence data for gene and trait discovery, says Dr. Leung.
During a seminar that concluded an exploratory visit to IRRI in April- May 2014, Dr. Wing said, Enormous
challenges exist in bridging the gap from the discovery of genotypic and functional diversity to the release of
superior varieties to farmers. So, it is a privilege to be at IRRI over the next five years because I want to help
translate the rice genome biology of the 3K RGP into practical solutions for rice farmers. This will involve


developing high-quality reference genomes for the five distinct varietal groups of rice, namely, tropical
japonicas, indicas, aus/boro, basmati/ sadri, and intermediates.
Beyond the 3K RGP, Dr. Wing is also interested in working with IRRI scientists to tap into the potential gold
mine of wild rice diversity by analyzing genome sequence data of some of the more than 6,000 unexploited
accessions of these species in the IRGC. More genomes can be sequenced if necessary After reviewing the
results coming out of the 3,000 genomes currently sequenced, we will determine whether we can identify a
significant number of critical genes for use in rice improvement, concludes Dr. Leung. At that point, we will
decide how many more of the remaining nearly 180,000 accessions in the IRGC and CAAS genebank we may
need to sequence and analyze.
A never-ending season
Written by Alaric Francis Santiaguel.

You wouldn't know it by simply looking at it, but a one-hectare rice field at the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines has been in perpetual motion since 1962.
The Long-Term Continuous Cropping Experiment
(LTCCE) recently marked its 150th rice cropping
season, making it one of the longest running
agricultural experiments in the world, and the most
exciting. The LTCCE, however, wasnt conceived to
make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. It
measures trends in yield and soil properties over its
lifetime as indicators of the sustainability of
continuous rice cropping on flooded soil. The data
being collected from the LTCCE might An
experiment that has been going on for more than half
a century could hold a solution to a nagging concern
of feeding an ever-increasing population with shrinking resources not directly resonate with the public, but this
experiment could actually answer perhaps the most important question of our time: how shall we produce
enough rice for a growing population in a sustainable way?
The ghost of Malthus
In An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798), Thomas Malthus predicted that an outbreak of famine and
diseases was inevitable and it was only a matter of time. About 150 years later, the world found itself teetering


dangerously on the brink of a global famine as food production lagged behind population growth. But, a timely
intervention between the 1940s and the late 1960s, known as the Green Revolution, increased agricultural
production worldwide and is credited with saving more than a billion people from starvation.
But the Green Revolution did not permanently lay to rest the specter of a Malthusian catastrophe. Norman
Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, had no illusions that it was anything other than a means to buy the
world time, according to Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general.
The world doesnt have much time when it comes to food production. More than 7 billion people are now living
on a planet with finite resources. Arable land covers only 3% of the worlds surface and this is continually being
converted into urban area. One hectare of productive land is estimated to be lost every 7.67 seconds. With
current global trends in diets and population, 60% more food will be needed in 2050. One way to meet this
demand is by putting food production on overdrive through intensive agriculture.
Squeezing rice from land
Intensive agriculture is an approach designed to obtain the most yield by using techniques such as planting more
or different crops on a unit of land and increasing the frequency of cropping per year. Experts say intensive
farming is not new. It has been practiced for thousands of years in Egypt, South Asia, Europe, and North and
South America. In many Asian countries, intensive rice farming was practiced by carving terraces on hilly and
mountainous areas to make them suitable for growing a crop.
Today, intensive agriculture is often equated with modern commercial agriculturemechanized farming, large-
scale plantations, and raising livestock in confined spaces that started after the end of World War II. Prior to
that, agricultural systems relied mostly on growing traditional varieties, organic matter, biological control of
pests and diseases (through crop diversification and rotation), and natural rainfall patterns. These types of
farming systems were closely linked with the natural systems and caused little environmental degradation.
Although food production this way made outputs stable, the quantity was modest.
On the other hand, modern commercial agriculture used modern varieties, inorganic fertilizer, pesticides, and
irrigation, which allowed many developing countries to achieve dramatic increases in farm production. But,
these practices came under heavy fire for being unsustainable and environmentally destructive. Criticisms
included a reduction in soil fertility because of the heavy use of inorganic fertilizers, narrowing of genetic
diversity as more farmers shifted to modern highyielding crop varieties, more frequent outbreaks of pests and
diseases, and increased soil erosion. Just how far can we push this without causing system failure?
A brave new farm


In 1962, the LTCCE (then called the Maximum Yield Experiment) was
created with James Moomaw as its first head scientist (see box). It aimed
to sustain high annual rice yield from a unit area of land using an
optimum mix of rice varieties and cultural practices. (Watch video: IRRI
Pioneer Interview: Reflections of a rice widow.)
IRRI scientists already had foresight of envisioning continuous rice
cropping with as many as three crops of rice per year, said Roland
Buresh, IRRI soil scientist and current lead researcher for the LTCCE.
They were seeing already at that time that the key ingredients would
entail varieties, irrigation water, proper timing and use of fertilizer, and
the use of good agricultural management practices.
In March of 1966, IR8, developed by IRRI, was included in the
experiment. IR8, also known as miracle rice, could yield up to 8.7 tons
per hectare in high-yielding seasons. Succeeding IRRI varieties were used
later. The IRRI varieties were not only heavy grain producers. They also
matured earlier and could be harvested in about 115 days. This enabled
Dr. Moomaw to pioneer three cropping seasons in a year, a feat not
possible with longer-duration traditional varieties.
The introduction of IR8 was really a game changer in intensive rice
production, said Dr. Buresh. The key varieties for attaining high yield
are usually the recently introduced varieties that are early-maturing and
resistant to pests and diseases.
A 52-year history of sustainability
What we have here are records through time and the opportunities to really see how to sustain this system in
the changing climate, said Dr. Buresh at the ceremonial harvesting of the LTCCEs 150th crop in April 2014.
We have before us not only the 52 years of history of sustainability but a benchmark on sustainability into the
future.


In fact, the soil organic matter content in the field did not decrease from 1983 to 2009 even though most
remaining crop residues after each harvest were removed and not incorporated back into the soil. The continual
balanced application of manufactured fertilizer did not adversely affect soil health.

Living proof
From the point of view of soil scientists, sustainability is the ability of the soil to maintain its organic matter
content and fertility over time.The LTTCE is a research environment for us to look at traditional rice
production, in which rice is cultivated under flooded conditions, said Dr. Buresh. This creates a very
favorable environment for rice crops to be grown. It helps control weeds, increases the availability of nutrients,
and creates a soft layer for easy transplanting of rice. These have contributed in part to the sustainability of this
system.The sustainability of rice cultivation in the LTCCE can be assessed by comparing actual yields with the
maximum potential yield of a variety. Scientists estimate this potential yield with a crop simulation model and
weather data for each season. And, yield in the LTCCE since 1992 has remained near 80% of potential yield,
which represents a target for achieving the highest profit with good crop and fertilizer management.
An imperfect perfect system
Although the LTCCE may have found the secret to maintaining soil fertility even under constant cropping, it
has also revealed the chinks in the system.


Despite the steady soil fertility and good agricultural management, the LTCCE team observed that yields
declined in the 1970s and 1980s. The culprit was inefficient application of nitrogen fertilizer. From 1992
onward, however, yields increased when nitrogen fertilizer application was improved and efficiently distributed
at critical crop growth stages of the plant.
This system requires a great deal of water and energy, Dr. Buresh said. It takes a lot of labor and mechanical
equipment.But these agricultural inputs are expensive for smallholder farmers. They usually have no choice
but to borrow money at very high interest rates, leaving them heavily in debt. The labor shortage as a result of
migration from rural to urban areas is also becoming a major problem.Dr. Buresh and his team are therefore
exploring other cultural management practices that more closely reflect real-world conditions. These conditions
are being redefined by climate change and decreasing resources, among other factors that could undermine rice
production and pose sharp risks to food security in coming decades.
A thirst for growth
Water is critical
to future growth
but the planets
fresh water can
sustain only so
much growth. In
2014, an
unusually early
dry seasonand
the diversion of
water to the
Three Gorges
Damcaused
Chinas Poyang
Lake to dry up,
threatening a
million people living in surrounding areas with water shortages. The costs of lost livelihood and ecological
damage are staggering. What makes this truly alarming is that Lake Poyang is Chinas largest freshwater lake
twice the size of London! If the water sources that feed major rice production sites in Asia were to run dry, the
impact would be catastrophic.
Intensive rice cropping is possible only because we have sufficient water for irrigation, said Teodoro Correa
Jr., who manages the daily operations in the LTCCE. We cannot do this in the event of severe water scarcity in
the future.In 2012, the LTCCE adopted alternate wet and dry (AWD) irrigation. This is a water management


system in which rice fields are not kept continuously submerged. Instead, it allows fields to go without
irrigation from 1 to up to more than 10 days (as long as water levels do not drop below 2 cm) before flooding
the fields again. This reduces water use without significantly affecting rice yield and has been successfully used
in Bangladesh and Indonesia.We know that continuous flooding preserves the organic matter content of the
soil even with intensive cropping, said Mr. Correa. How will AWD affect soil fertility? That remains to be
seen.Adjusting the flooding patterns with one or more dry periods could maintain the overall organic matter of
the soil at a fairly stable level. But it will take at least 5 years for the LTCCE to collect the necessary data to
verify this.
Too hot for comfort
The LTCCE has also shown that yields since 1992 have varied from year to year. And, insect pests and diseases
have not affected rice yields because the varieties grown in the LTCCE are regularly replaced with new high-
yielding ones that are pest- and disease-resistant. Rice yields are higher in years and seasons with abundant
sunlight, yet yields have dipped during the dry season (from January to April) when rice is supposed to produce
more grains. Both Dr. Buresh and Mr. Correa are looking skyward for possible explanations.
Rice is sensitive to sunlight, said Mr. Correa. Rice plants yield lower during the wet season because of
overcast skies. But we have noted having more cloudy days during the dry season. Climate experts believe that
the increasing global temperatures will cause greater evaporation of water, mainly from oceans, into the
atmosphere and this is likely to cause more clouds to form. Increased cloudiness is not a bad thing because it
reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the planet, thus helping it cool down. But, for rice
production, this means signs of gloomy days ahead.Dr. Buresh added that haze in the atmosphere caused by
increasing air pollution may have something to do with this as well.How can rice farms of the near future cope
with the new normal? Forthcoming research in the LTCCE could provide remedial measures.
The never-ending search for answers
In 2011, IRRI began research on ecological
intensification (EI) to develop new rice
production systems that can sustain high yields
with more efficient use of resources such as
water, labor, energy, and fertilizer. The EI
project is looking at futuristic rice production
models with high and stable yields, highly
efficient use of resources, cropping rotations,
less use of pesticides, improved or maintained
soil quality, and greater adaptation to climatic fluctuations.The LTCCE now provides a benchmark for
sustainable rice production against which the productivity, sustainability, and profitability of rice production


systems emerging from EI research can be assessed. The best ones could be the next set of gold standards for
growing rice in a world that has become quite different from just a few decades ago.
For this reason, the LTCCE is far from being irrelevant or outdated. The LTCCE has become even more
important as ground zero for sustainable rice cropping management necessary to feed several billion people in
the future.I find this experiment to be one of the most exciting places in the Institute, said Dr. Zeigler. No
other research organization can address these kinds of questions. This is something that is incredibly
important.
Flying heroes of Ecuadors rice fields
Written by Imelda Felix, Finbarr Horgan, and Alex Stuart.
Apple snails (Pomacea spp.) have been a
problem for Asian rice farmers for decades.
First introduced in the late 1980s to Taiwan and
the Philippines, these snails have now spread to
most countries in Southeast Asia, as well as
East Asia, such as Japan and Korea, where they
are among the most damaging pests of rice and
other aquatic crops. Recently, established
populations of apple snails were found close to
major rice-growing regions in Pakistan. India,
and Bangladesh. While a few other Asian
countries are still free of apple snails, what can
these countries expect should the snails
someday arrive?
Events in Ecuador might give some clues. In 2005, rice damaged by apple snails was first noticed in Ecuador. Since then,
and particularly after severe flooding in 2008, the snail has spread to most of Ecuadors major rice-growing regions.
Losses to the rice sector from apple snails in 2013 alone were estimated at over US$56 million. However, Ecuadorean rice
farmers have one big advantage in dealing with apple snails over their Asian counterpartsthe snail kite (Rostrhamus
sociabilis), a predatory bird that specializes in eating snails.
Flying pest control
The snail kites natural range extends from Florida in the United States to subtropical region in Argentina, a region that is
also the native habitat of several apple snail species, including the most invasive species: the golden apple snail. West of


the Andes, snail kites are largely restricted to mangrove swamps and river estuaries in southern Ecuador, where they
likely feed on less invasive snails such as the spike-topped snail.
Prior to the recent apple snail invasion of Ecuador, snail kites were a threatened species. Their population had declined
dramatically because of habitat loss and the overuse of agrochemicals. Moreover, farmers often hunted and killed the
birds, believing that they damaged livestock. In recent years, as the apple snails have continued to spread, snail kites have
become a common feature of the Ecuadorean rice landscape and a welcome sight for farmers. Groups of these birds can
be regularly seen perched over rice fi elds watching for snails, communicating with one another through haunting, rolling
caws, or swooping down to catch the snails before gracefully flying off with their prey.
But are snail kites enough to control the snails? We found out that the
snail kites first respond to high snail densities by building up their own
populations. This means that the snail kites require ample food and
suitable habitat for hunting and nesting. Thus, for some time, as the
apple snails spread, they escaped the predatory snail kites.During this
time, snail densities peaked, and had terrible eff ects. A visit to any
newly snail-invaded region is a lesson in an ecosystem out of balance:
hundreds of bright pink egg masses, containing millions of eggs, can
be seen on wooden posts or the trunks of trees near infested ponds and
paddy fi elds. Large patches of rice fields, where the water is deepest,
become denuded of rice and other aquatic weeds. Snails, the size of small apples, chew through any remaining green
vegetation and decomposing matter at the waters edges.
Desperate chemical measures
Agrocalidad, Ecuadors agricultural extension service, has been working with farmers to control snail damage to rice.
Experience in Asia had shown that delayed transplanting of rice plants, careful control of water depth, and other cultural
control methods could help reduce snail damage. Agrocalidad has shared these methods with tens of thousands of farmers
through workshops, talks, theater, videos, posters, and handbooks. However, although Agrocalidad discourages the use of
highly toxic insecticides, farmers overwhelmingly used these chemicals, particularly endosulfan, to kill the snails. This
reduced snail densities but at high environmental and health costs. Worst of all, farmers noted that the chemicals were also
killing their greatest alliesthe predatory snail kites. In 2011, the government of Ecuador banned the use of endosulfan,
and promoted the use of a more selective molluscicide, methaldehydefor which the effects on snail kites are still
unknown.


Overall, 2013 seems to have seen a decline in snail numbers in
some affected areas, particularly in fields at higher elevations.
However, a large part of Ecuadors rice is produced during the dry
summer months (June-December) in vegas. Vegas are natural
wetlands that are completely flooded for 6 months of the year. In
June-July, the water recedes, and farmers track the water levels and
plant their rice in a sequential manner in areas of shallow water.
This results in an attractive rice landscape with rice of different
stages in natural patterns (a system called arroz escalonado or
stepped rice). Apple snails in vega systems have remained at very
high densities and continue to damage rice significantly.
Furthermore, these habitats are highly vulnerable to agrochemicals because they are the natural habitat for a diversity of
amphibians, fish, birds, and other fauna and flora.
For scientists, the events in Ecuador are an opportunity to better understand how snails invade rice and how predators and
prey interact with each other. Continued monitoring of the situation will highly benefit both scientists and farmers, and
could help predict future effects and help design management options as apple snails continue to invade new areas.
Above all, the tremendous negative impact of the invasive apple snail on the Ecuadorean rice sector, despite the presence
of a key predator, should encourage snail-free rice-producing countries to be vigilant against possible infestation by
tightening quarantine regulations and banning the trade and import of exotic snails. The best way by far to avoid apple
snail damage is to ensure that these voracious snails are not introduced to any new regions, where, without natural
predators such as snail kites, losses to the rice sector could be even more severe than those experienced in Ecuador.

Seed Testing Regulations Intact in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- At their meeting last Friday, the Arkansas Plant Board's
(ASPB) Seed Committee considered a request to scale back testing of rice for
certain transgenic varieties. The request was made by the Arkansas Seed Growers'
Association and the Arkansas Seed Dealers Association. Danny Kennedy, president
and CEO of Riceland Foods, and Arkansas Rice Executive Director Ben Noble
testified in support of the current testing regime.

The USA Rice Federation, USA Rice Merchants' Association, and the Arkansas
Rice Federation all weighed in to support continued testing. The committee voted to
maintain current regulations and continue testing at current levels. "The U.S. Department of Agriculture has
stated 'There are no transgenic rice varieties for sale or in commercial production in the United States at this
time,'" said Kennedy. "This statement presents a clear marketplace advantage. We value testing as it ensures


broad market access for U.S. rice. We should support monitoring of U.S.-grown rice wherever
possible. Continued testing gives us credibility." Regulated seed testing in Arkansas and several other rice
states began in 2007 in response to the rice industry's "Seed Plan," (formally known as the U.S. Rice Industry
Recommendations to Reestablish Supply and Marketability of U.S. Rice).

Contact: Steve Hensley (703) 236-1445

.S. Jasmine Billboards Go Up in Ghana
ACCRA, GHANA -- The USA Rice Federation has added large billboards to
the on-going U.S. jasmine campaign in this capital city and in Ghana's second
largest city, Kumasi.U.S. jasmine rice is popular here, but facing stiff
competition because of lower priced alternatives. The current consumer
campaign includes supermarket promotions with demonstrations that
capitalize on findings of last year's usage and attitude survey conducted by USA Rice.

"Ghanaians have a very strong sense of
family, and we've found U.S. jasmine's
unique aroma when cooking triggers very
positive emotions about the family bond,"
explained Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice's
marketing program director in the
region. "In our outreach we position U.S.
jasmine as healthy, nutritious, and delicious,
and let the unique aroma speak for
itself."Somogyi said the new billboards have
been positioned close to major open air
markets and retail malls and that billboards in general remain a very effective and popular means of advertising
in Ghana.Ghana has been a strong market for U.S. rice in the past, but so far this marketing year there have
been no U.S. rice sales here, largely because of price disparity with rice from India, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

Advertising in a big way


First export of Fukushima rice since nuclear crisis started in 2011
reaches Singapore
KYODO
AUG 19, 2014

Exporting of rice grown in Fukushima Prefecture has resumed after it was halted when the nuclear crisis started
in 2011 and concerns soared about radiation contamination, a national agricultural cooperative said
Monday.Three hundred kilograms of the Koshihikari brand of rice produced in the city of Sukagawa,
Fukushima Prefecture, has arrived in Singapore, and will be sold at a supermarket from Friday after clearing
customs, according to the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations. Fukushima Prefecture,
a major producer of rice, had exported some 100 tons of rice in the year to March 2011 to such regions as Hong
Kong, before the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered the nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power
Co.s Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant.
Rice produced in Fukushima had never been exported after the 2011 disaster, according to the
cooperative.Japans exports of agricultural and marine products were valued at 284 billion in the January to
June period this year, up 10.3 percent from a year earlier, buoyed by growing popularity of Japanese cuisine
overseas.But exports of products produced in Fukushima have remained sluggish amid persistent concern about
contamination by radioactive materials released by the meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 complex.A number
of countries and regions still impose restrictions on farm products from the prefecture.Singapore had imposed a
ban on imports of some foods from Fukushima but announced a lifting of the ban in May.
Another rice variety ready for release
Reaz Ahmad
A year after releasing the world's first zinc-enriched rice variety, Bangladeshi breeders have come up with
another rice variety with higher zinc content and greater yield potentials.High-zinc rice -- Brri dhan-62 --
released late last year contains around 19 to 20 parts per million (ppm) zinc against 14 to 16 ppm in other high-
yielding rice varieties. However, the ready-for-release rice breed contains zinc as high as 25 ppm.Zinc, iron and
vitamin-A are the three most vital micronutrients, deficiency of which hampers children's natural growth and
decrease their disease prevention capacity.


In Bangladesh, over 40 percent children under five
are stunted while an estimated 44 percent children
of the same age group are at risk of zinc
deficiency.Scientists involved in the breeding
process confirmed that the latest rice variety is
more productive than the high-zinc rice already
released. Average yield of Brri dhan-62, meant for
rain-fed Aman season, is 4.2 metric tons (MT) per
hectare while the proposed hi-zinc line -- Brri
dhan-64 -- has yield potentials of over 6 MT per
hectare.
The National Seed Board (NSB) is scheduled to consider the release of Brri dhan-64 at its next meeting later
this week, sources at the Ministry of Agriculture told The Daily Star.Both Brri dhan-62 and Brri dhan-64, which
are capable of fighting diarrhoea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting, have been developed
by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) breeders through application of biological fortification
(biofortification).Biofortification is a process, in which plant breeders search for seeds having high nutritional
value among existing varieties of crops.
They then crossbreed the high-nutrient varieties with high-yielding varieties to provide seeds with high yield
and increased nutritional value. The BRRI breeders developed the high-zinc rice varieties with support from
HarvestPlus, a global biofortification mission launched back in 2004 under the Washington-based global agro-
science coordinating body Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research. India lags behind as
Bangladeshi breeders have already succeeded in developing two hi-zinc rice varieties -- one (Brri dhan-62) for
Aman season and the other (Brri dhan-64) for Boro season.HarvestPlus Director Howarth E Bouis told The
Daily Star that in two years India was expected to come up with some high-zinc rice varieties.As per the
mandate of the international collaboration, the zinc-enriched rice varieties developed in Bangladesh are now
expected to reach Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Some 27 countries including Bangladesh have so far released different biofortified crops and more are going to
join the bandwagon. Some of the other biofortified crops released in other countries include iron-enriched beans
and pear millets, zinc-rich wheat and vitamin-A-enriched cassava, maize and sweet potato. HarvestPlus is
spending $10 million for zinc-rice programme between 2013 and 2018, according to Bangladesh Country
Manager Md Khairul Bashar. "We're planning to reach out to half a million households by 2016 with


commercialised zinc-rice seeds. The long-term objective is to develop sustainable markets for zinc-enriched
seeds and grain, reaching a market share of over three percent of rice by 2018," Bashar said.
Alamgir Hossain, the main BRRI breeder behind the zinc-enriched rice varieties, said that after NSB released
the first high-zinc rice last year, the government, NGOs and private seed associations all together supplied over
10,000 farmers with seeds and informed them of the technologies to be used in cultivating crops during the
current Aman season.To assess rice and total dietary zinc intakes in the country, the International Centre for
Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh and the University of California, Davis, are collaborating on
nutritional research of zinc-enriched rice in Bangladesh.
Published: 12:00 am Monday, August 18, 2014
Last modified: 10:30 pm Monday, August 18, 2014
TAGS: zinc-enriched rice Brri dhan-62 disease prevention capacity

Panel to look into problems of rice millers
Etala Rajender

The Government of Telangana has decided to set up a committee to look into the
problems of rice millers in the State to help them grow as an industry.The
assurance was given by Minister for Finance and Civil Supplies Etela Rajender at
an orientation meeting for the rice millers held here on Sunday, in which
representatives of about 600 rice mills from across Telangana participated. The
Minister asked them to ensure support price to paddy farmers in the wake of the
Centres decision to reduce the levy from the existing 75 per cent to 25 per cent.
He informed the millers about the Centres insistence on payment of paddy price to farmers through cheques
and reminded them about delivering the custom milled rice to the government before September 30 without fail.
Stating that farmers should not get lesser than support price to paddy under any circumstances, he noted that
rice milling industry is an instrument in ensuring it.President of Telangana State Rice Millers Association G.
Nagendra said they had placed 14 demands before the government, including payment of transport charges for
the custom milled rice and levy rice, VAT reduction on sale of preferred varieties of rice from 5 p.c. to 1 p.c.,
removal of 1 p.c., VAT on rice husk and deduction of VAT at source by FCI and Civil Supplies Corporation for
remittance to the Commercial Taxes Department.


Further, they sought exemption of boiled rice industry from the pollution control law, increase of power
consumption limit from 100 HP to 150 HP, exemption of 1 p.c. market cess on sale of rice within the State and
sale of levy-free rice without any permits. The Minister assured that the problems would be examined and
decisions would be taken positively, wherever feasible.Commissioner of Civil Supplies C. Parthasarathi
mentioned that permits were issued simultaneously on delivery of levy in the past and millers had arranged sale
of superfine varieties of rice at Rs.30 per kg in Rythu Bazaars and other designated centres.
More than seeds
Written by Lanie C. Reyes.

Sri Premananda Swain, a farmer from Arapada Village,
Balipatna Block, Khurda District in Odisha, did not mind that it
had rained for a short while earlier that day. Long ago, rain
bothered him a lot. He knew that if rain continued to pour a
little harder and for a longer time, it meant disaster. Floods
could bring all his efforts to nothing when his rice crop was
under water. The village has around 40 households and most of
them, like Mr. Swain's, have small and marginal farmers who
depend mainly on farming rice as their main crop. But, flooding
is so common in his village because it is located near the river
Dhanua.
In India, about 5.36 million hectares are flood-prone. In South Asia, it is about 12 million hectares. In fact,
almost half of South Asia is rainfed and is prone to climate change-related problems such as flooding, salinity,
and drought.
Fragile lands
Rainfed, Sudhanshu Singh, scientist at the international Rice Research Institute (IRRI), stressed the word. The
gloom in his voice became obvious as he recited a litany of words usually associated with rainfed.Low and
fragile productivity; marginal and small landholdings; poor farmers; little use of inputs; more dependence on
traditional varieties; less availability of quality inputs, including seed; a poor extension network; and slow
adoption and diffusion of new technologies, he said.These are the reasons why most of these areas were left
uncultivated and unproductive. But Dr. Singh believes that well-planned actions and increased efforts are
crucial in overcoming the constraints in these environments.


Climate-smart rice varieties developed at IRRI and multiplied and distributed under theStress-Tolerant Rice for
Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project, are already creating a major impact and have improved the lives of
10 million farmers in South Asia and Africa.
Room for growth
The usual yield of climate-smart rice such as Swarna-Sub1, a flood-tolerant variety, is generally around 5 tons
per hectare according to Dr. Singh.This is already a one-half ton to one-ton yield advantage over traditional
varieties under normal conditions, meaning no flood, he said. But improved crop management practices can
add as much as half a ton to one ton of yield.Thus, in 2011, Dr. Singh started a project, funded by the
European Commission (EC) through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that focuses
on promoting appropriate management technologies to complement climate-smart rice varieties.
These technologies will further improve the productivity of flood-prone and salt-affected rainfed lowland areas
in South Asia, make rice production stable, and increase the income of resource-poor farmers, he said.
Changing a village
With this goal in mind, Dr. Singhs team from IRRI and partners
from Association for Indias Development, headed by Dr. J. K. Roy,
nodal scientist of the project, visited Arapada Village during the
kharif (wet) season of 2012 to introduce improved nursery
management practices for Swarna-Sub1.Although the farmers use
nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in seed beds, they also had a few
misconceptions about fertilizing. They didnt use potassium because
they believed that potash can make the roots of the seedlings grow
so much that it would be difficult for contracted laborers to uproot
them during transplanting. The farmers were afraid that this would
increase the labor cost.
The demonstration plots showing the proper use of fertilizer, however, convinced the farmers to adopt the
program and start applying fertilizer at the recommended rate of 45- 45-45 kg NPK per hectare in their
seedbeds.That year, their yield increased. The farmers who adopted the nursery management had an average
yield of 5.6 tons per hectare. Mr. Swain himself, harvested 7.5 tons per hectare.
In his local Odiya language, Mr. Swain raved about the importance of having healthy seedlings. He testified
how changing his crop management style a little bit had given him more yield from his Swarna-Sub1.Seven
and a half tons, he said happily. I was able to harvest 7.5 tons per hectare from my Swarna-Sub1.Learning
about better seedbed management and proper use of NPK dosage has helped me grow healthy and robust


seedlings, said Mr. Swain as he explained why he harvested a bumper crop that year. My crop grew properly;
the grains were heavy.Speaking for his fellow farmers in the community, he said that, they would continue to
grow Swarna-Sub1 and would continue to practice what theyve learned from the project team on how to raise
healthy seedlings of flood-tolerant varieties.
Partnerships that work
This is just one of the interventions among many, said Corinta Guerta, the director for external relations at
IRRI. The plan is to develop suitable crop management options for climate-smart rice and exploit their
maximum potential under stress conditions. And, we are doing it with the farmers at the center of the seed
production and delivery system.We are able to accomplish these because of IRRIs strong relationship with
donors such as the EC through IFAD that started in 1978, she added. It is a relationship that has a common
denominator of helping Asias poorest farmers.
As we worked with the farmers through this project, we came to understand more what their needs are in
stress-prone environments and the technologies that were developed are tailor-made for their specific needs,
said Dr. Singh.Through this project alone, a total of 14.6 tons of seeds of climate-smart rice varieties were
distributed directly to 3,340 farmers, said Dr. Singh. But, it did not end there. The beauty of the project is that
it is more than just giving seeds to farmersincluded with the seed mini-kits are illustrated brochures to
introduce technologies on how to cultivate climate-smart rice.
And, under the IRRI-led Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), several farmer training activities were
organized through collaborations with projects such as STRASA, ECIFAD, IRRI, and Indias National Food
Security Mission (IRRI-NFSM), among others, in which many senior technical experts from national
agricultural research and extension systems (NARES), NGOs, and IRRI delivered lectures on various
management aspects of climate-smart rice.More importantly, the knowledge gained from this project is also
shared with other project teams with similar goals of helping the smallholder farmers in rainfed South Asia,
Dr. Singh said. As a result, our NARES partners and local communities have more access to relevant
information and suitable technologies.
_________________________________________
Ms. Reyes is the managing editor of Rice Today.
Advertising SPECS & RATES
Contact: Advertising Department
Mujahid Ali
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2874

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