A sunburned grain Stamps of approval Pockets of gold in ... - adron.sr

contentsEDITORIAL ................................................................ 450 years and beyondHIDDEN TREASURE .................................................. 5NEWS ......................................................................... 6PEOPLE ...................................................................... 8A SUNBURNED GRAIN ........................................... 12Water-intensive rice farming is a contentious issue ina bone-dry country. But despite battling negativepublic opinion and an 8-year drought—which isnot over yet—Australian rice growers are optimisticabout the future.MADE FOR THE TROPICS ....................................... 34Traditionally grown in cooler regions, japonicavarieties, which are developed by IRRI, can nowbe cultivated under the warmer climate of thePhilippinesPIONEER INTERVIEWS ........................................... 37A juggling act: Gender barriers and molecular mapsIRRI50 ................................................................... 40IRRI welcomes its alumni to a homecoming partySTAMPS OF APPROVAL ......................................... 41COUNTRY HIGHLIGHT: IRRI IN THAILAND .......... 42RICE FACTS .............................................................. 44The global rice crisis hurts South Asia’s poorGRAIN OF TRUTH ................................................... 46Learning lessons from the Hybrid Rice DevelopmentConsortiumTHE TROUBLE WITH RAIN ..................................... 18Australia’s “rice family” works together to keep theindustry from drying up and succumbing todroughtMAYON REVISITED: COURAGE UNDER FIRE........ 26ON THE FRONT LINES ............................................ 27A Filipino farmer contends with climate and looks toscienceMAPS ....................................................................... 30Mapping genebank collectionsPOCKETS OF GOLD ................................................ 32Scientists find a treasure trove of information inAfrica’s indigenous rice that could help breed bettervarieties for tomorrow’s generationOn the cover:On the cover: In the early days, before IRRI’s power tillerswere designed and built, the Institute’s experimentalfields were prepared with carabao (water buffalo) power.In this photo, locally hired rice farmers and their animalstill the plots for research to be conducted during the 1963growing season. See pages 40-41 for the latest on IRRI’s50th anniversary activities.Rice Today is published by The Rice Trader Inc. (TRT) in association with theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI).TRT, for 20 years, has brought subscribers crucial, up-to-the-minute informationon rice trade through its weekly publication, The Rice Trader. Acknowledged asthe only source of confidential information about the rice market, this weeklysummary of market data analysis has helped both the leading commercial ricecompanies and regional government officials make informed decisions, which arecritical in today’s market.IRRI is the world’s leading international rice research and training center. Basedin the Philippines and with offices in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous,nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being of present and futuregenerations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes,while preserving natural resources. It is one of the 15 nonprofit internationalresearch centers supported, in part, by members of the Consultative Group onInternational Agricultural Research (CGIAR – www.cgiar.org) and a range of otherfunding agencies.Responsibility for this publication rests with TRT and IRRI. Designations usedin this publication should not be construed as expressing TRT or IRRI policy oropinion on the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or its authorities,or the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.Rice Today welcomes comments and suggestions from readers. Rice Todayassumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to unsolicited submissions, whichshould be accompanied by sufficient return postage.The opinions expressed by columnists in Rice Today do not necessarily reflectthe views of TRT or IRRI.The Rice Trader Inc.2707 Notre Dame Blvd., Chico, CA 95928Web: www.thericetrader.comInternational 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; fax: (+63-2) 580-5699or (+63-2) 845-0606; email: mia.aureus@thericetrader.com, l.reyes@cgiar.orgpublisher Jeremy Zwingerassociate publisher Duncan Macintoshmanaging editor V. Subramanianeditor Mia Aureusassociate editor Lanie Reyescontributing writers Gene Hettel, Sophie Clayton, Sam Mohanty,Leah Baroña-Cruz, Trina Leah MendozaAfrica editor Savitri Mohapatra (AfricaRice)copy editor Bill Hardyart director Juan Lazaro IVdesigner and production supervisor Grant Lecetaphoto editors Chris Quintana, Isagani Serranoadvertising manager Logan Wilsoncirculation Lourdes ColumbresWeb masters Forrest Orndorff, Darell Sisonprinter DHL Global Mail (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Copyright International Rice Research Institute 2010This magazine is copyrighted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License(Unported). Unless otherwise noted, users are free to copy, duplicate, or reproduce, and distribute, display, or transmit any of the articles or portions of the articles, and to make translations,adaptations, or other derivative works under the following conditions. 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