International Rice Research Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an autonomous, non-profit, agricultural research and training organization with offices in more than ten nations. The Institute’s main goal is to find sustainable ways to improve the well being of present and future generations of poor rice farmers and consumers while at the same time protecting the natural environment. Most of IRRI’s research is done in cooperation with the national agricultural research and development institutions, farming communities, and other organizations of the world’s rice producing nations.

IRRI was established in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. Its research activities began in 1962 and are now estimated to have touched the lives of almost half the world’s population.

Aerial view of the IRRI research facilities in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

The Institute’s research headquarters includes laboratories and training facilities on a 252-hectare experimental farm on the lower campus of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna, about 60 kilometers south of the Philippine capital, Manila. In addition to rice research, IRRI is also very active in local communities providing educational scholarships; organizing income-generating training activities and arranging other community projects that will help improve living conditions in the poor communities that neighbor the Institute.

IRRI was established to help poor rice farmers in developing countries grow more rice on less land using less water, less labor, and fewer chemical inputs. By helping to greatly boost production and ease the use of farm chemicals during its first 40 years, IRRI clearly showed the importance of rice and agricultural research in helping poor nations develop. The Institute’s importance has been further reinforced by the private sector’s traditional lack of interest in rice research.

The Institute has received many prizes and awards, including the UNESCO Science Prize.

[edit] Examples of IRRI Research

IRRI scientists conduct research at the molecular, organismal, field, farm, and landscape levels to improve the rice plant or the way it is grown. Some examples of IRRI research include:

• Sequencing the rice genome McNally,KL, R. Bruskiewich, D. Mackill, C. R. Buell, J. E. Leach, and H. Leung (2006). Sequencing Multiple and Diverse Rice Varieties. Connecting Whole-Genome Variation with Phenotypes. Plant Physiology 141: 26-31.
• Improving the yield potential of rice Peng S, Cassman KG, Virmani SS, Sheehy J and Khush GS (1999). Yield potential trends of tropical rice since the release of IR8 and the challenge of increasing rice yield potential. Crop Science 39, 1552-1559.
• Studying the effects of fertilizer applications on rice pest outbreaks Jahn, GC, LP Almazan, and J Pacia. 2005. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on the intrinsic rate of increase of the rusty plum aphid, Hysteroneura setariae (Thomas) (Homoptera: Aphididae) on rice (Oryza sativa L.). Environmental Entomology 34 (4): 938-943.
• Documenting the effects of pests on grain quality. Jahn, GC, I. Domingo, L. P. Almazan and J. Pacia. 2004. Effect of rice bugs (Alydidae: Leptocorisa oratorius (Fabricius)) on rice yield, grain quality, and seed viability. Journal of Economic Entomology 97(6): 1923-1927.
• Reducing pesticide use on rice. in Vietnam, in Bangladesh, view video about pesticide reduction project in Real Player, view video at Youtube,view video in Windows Media Player.
• Increasing productivity of rice-wheat cropping systems. Alam, M. M., Ladha, J. K., Foyjunnessa, Rahman, Z., Khan, S. R., Harun-ur-Rashid, Khan, A. H., and Buresh, R. J. 2006. Nutrient management for increased productivity of rice-wheat cropping system in Bangladesh. Field Crops Research 96(2/3): 374-386.
• Breeding for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in rice. Ali, A.J., Xu, J.L., Ismail, A.M., Fu, B.Y., Vijaykumar, C., Gao, Y.M., Domingo, J., Maghirang, R., Yu, S.B., Gregorio, G., Yanaghihara, S., Cohen, M., Carmen, B., Mackill, D., and Li, Z.K. 2006. Hidden diversity for abiotic and biotic stress tolerances in the primary gene pool of rice revealed by a large backcross breeding program. Field Crops Research 97(1): 66-76.

[edit] External links

• Home page
• The Burning of the Rice The story of how IRRI helped Cambodia improve rice production. [1]
• Fredenburg, P. and B. Hill. 2006. Sharing Rice for Peace and Prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Sid Harta Publishers, Victoria. ISBN 1-921206-08-X. pp271. Stories of the impact of IRRI's research in the Greater Mekong Subregion. [2]
• Intensify to diversify. Smarter rice growing gives Cambodian farmers an opportunity to try new crops and gain more income. Rice Today, April 2005. [3]
• "Collaborating farmers tell their story" Upland farmers in Laos work with IRRI to replace slash-and-burn practices with sustainable agriculture. [4]
• Sowing Seeds in Lab and Field. The economic impact of IRRI's rice research in Lao PDR [5].
• Watch a streaming video about the Lao-IRRI Project (Windows Media Player) [6]; (Real Time Player) [7].