We were going over some old editorials of Rice Today and we came upon one that was written 3 years ago (see A Time of Revolution, page 4 of Rice Today Vol. 5, No. 1). It stated that rice production in Asia faced challenges not seen since the population explosion in the 1950s and that the region was staring at the prospect of massive land and water shortages as increasing urbanization and industry competed for dwindling resources. To top that, it warned us of the impending effects of climate change on rice production that threatened the ever-growing world population's food supply. This piece struck us as we realized that no longer are we staring at the face of...
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The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Asia’s largest and oldest international agricultural research institute, will mark its 50th anniversary in 2010. In 50 years, IRRI’s highyielding rice varieties have helped significantly increase world rice production, especially in Asia, saving millions from famine while protecting the environment and training thousands of researchers. “We look forward to celebrating this achievement and many others with all our partners,” said IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler. “We also want to thank our host nation, the Philippines, and recognize the hard work and commitment of the thousands of scientists and collaborators who have worked with IRRI,” he added. IRRI’s Golden Jubilee comes as Asian...
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Savitri Mohapatra

It takes, on average, 2,500 liters of water (by rainfall or irrigation) to produce just 1 kilogram of rice using traditional cultivation methods. Considering the effects of climate change, can farmers continue to grow rice if the water supply becomes increasingly scarce? Drought is particularly devastating to Africa’s rice production since almost 80% of the region’s rice area is rainfed. Many Africans still remember the terrible droughts of 1972-74 and 1981-84, which ravaged the Sahel and the Horn of Africa and caused immense suffering and severely affected farming — the principal source of livelihood for millions of poor people. Over the last four decades, Africa has suffered from seven...
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Adam Barclay

For 15 years, the Rice-Wheat Consortium of the Indo-Gangetic Plains has been working to help South Asian farmers reduce their costs, increase their productivity, and help the environment.  In the early 1990s, the northwestern Indian state of Haryana—one of the country’s most agriculturally productive—faced a crisis. A weed, Philaris minor, had evolved resistance to all commonly available herbicides. This was particularly alarming because Philaris was causing havoc across the rice-wheat belt, responsible for the vast majority of the state’s wheat production and employment. In the 1993-94 season, wheat yields crashed. The only solution seemed to be newer but more expensive herbicides....
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