An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

Developing and staffing the program 57IRRI’s main goal of increasing the yield of rice in the less developed countries.By 1966, De Datta took just pride in getting high yields on both experimentaland farmers' fields through the use of modem varieties and good management.When Moomaw left IRRI, De Datta was promoted from associate agronomistto agronomist. He has served as the head of the department since then. Hehas conducted a dynamic program in soil and water management and inchemical weed control. In 1979, while on study leave at the University ofCalifornia, Davis, he wrote a book entitled Principles and Practices of RiceProduction, which was published by John Wiley and Sons in 1981. The work isalready recognized as a major contribution to the rice science literature.The search for a soil microbiologist was more difficult, chiefly because therewere fewer people trained in that area than in soil fertility, for example. At thetime that IRRI was seeking candidates for the post, the customary activity forsoil microbiologists was to work on the degradation of residues of pesticidesand herbicides in soil. Although the Institute was interested in that subject, itwished to stress particularly the nitrogen transformations in flooded soils andthe amounts of nitrogen fixed by microorganisms.The first candidate interviewed for the post was M.I.H. Aleem, a Pakistanirecommended by Martin Alexander of Cornell University under whom Aleemhad worked for his doctorate. He came to IRRI for an interview in early August1962, made a favorable impression, and was offered the position of soilmicrobiologist. Later, he declined the offer for unspecified personal reasons.In October 1962, when I was visiting Cornell University, Alexander told methat he had a bright graduate student by the name of Ian C. MacRae who wouldbe a good candidate for IRRI’s post when he completed his Ph D degreerequirements in June 1963. I interviewed MacRae on that same visit and waswell impressed with his attitude and qualifications. When offered the postlater, he accepted it and reported for duty in July 1963.MacRae performed most creditably at IRRI. As an Australian, however, hewas attracted back to his own country when, in 1967, he was offered apermanent position on the teaching and research staff at the University ofBrisbane.In seeking a replacement for MacRae, IRRI once again turned to Alexanderat Cornell. He recommended Tomio Yoshida, a recent graduate student of his,who was then on a temporary postdoctoral appointment at Colorado StateUniversity. I interviewed Yoshida in Colorado in June 1967 and arranged forhim to join the staff in the Philippines in October of that year. Yoshida (with hisfamily) stayed at IRRI until 1974, when he returned to his native Japan. He wasreplaced in January 1975 by Iwao Watanabe, also Japanese, who still leadsIRRI’s soil microbiology program.In 1962-63, IRRI had two visiting scientists attached to the Department ofAgronomy and Soils. Ellis F. Wallihan, who was on sabbatical leave from theUniversity of California, Riverside, arrived 30 July 1962 and spent one yearhelping IRRI select and install laboratory apparatuses. In addition, he studiedthe nitrogen nutrition of the rice plant, attempting in particular to work out