www.irri.

org/irrc/

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2 Volume 5, Number 1 January-April 2010

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Irrigated Rice Research Consortium

Good agricultural practices now available to rice farmers

Rice Research for Intensified Production and Prosperity in Lowland Ecosystems

ice farmers and extension agents now have a new resource online that they can easily tap into for information on good agricultural practices (GAP) for irrigated rice. The GAP Web site (www.knowledgebank.irri. org/rice), developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) through the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC), aims to provide valuable information to rice farmers to help increase rice yield, alleviate poverty, and create a healthy rice-growing ecosystem. Around 75% of rice worldwide is produced on 75 million hectares of intensive irrigated rice fields, says Dr. Bas Bouman of IRRI, who led the development of the GAP Web site. We need an additional 810 million tons of rice every year for the next 20 years to meet global demand and keep rice affordable for poor rice consumers, he says. Part of the solution to this global food security problem is to produce more rice from existing irrigated areas in an environment-friendly way.

With the new GAP Web site, farmers can now tap into good agricultural practices for irrigated rice.

By providing information on integrated and conservation agriculture, and ecology-based pest, nutrient, and water management, the GAP Web site will also enhance the ecosystem services and resilience of rice environments, says Dr. Bouman. The GAP Web site synthesizes decades of collaborative research and development from IRRI and its many partners on best management practices for irrigated rice and will continue to incorporate new knowledge in the future.

Trina Leah Mendoza

IN THIS ISSUE...
NEWS IRRC Steering Committee Meeting............2 Raising rice productivity in Sulawesi ..........3 IRRC nominated for 2009 CGIAR Outstanding Communications Award....3 Postharvest learning alliances.......................4 Assessing rice health in the Philippines......5 Water-saving technologies for adoption....5 IRRC joins IRRI postharvest course...........6 Boosting Laos rice yields..............................7 Impacts of rodent outbreaks........................8 IRRC, Thai partners look to the future....9 Celebrating rice as one in Vietnam...........10 Ricehoppers blog now online.....................11 Learning outside the classroom.................12 Cross-country learning on rice health.....13 IRRC shines in 2009.....................................16 PROFILES Flowing with passion....................................14 Saying less, doing more................................15 PUBLICATIONS & EVENTS.......6

The Web site will provide extension agents and agricultural development workers practical solutions to help irrigated rice farmers boost yields and improve grain quality and production efficiency. It was launched on 13 October 2009 during the Steering Committee Meeting of the IRRC in Yangon, Myanmar. (Read full story on page 2.) Adopting the efficient and effective farming practices promoted on the GAP Web site will go a long way to help take farmers and their communities out of poverty and hardship, and ensure they have enough rice to eat, says Dr. Grant Singleton, IRRC coordinator. Women in particular will benefit from laborsaving technologies, such as improved direct seeding, that reduce the drudgery in tasks such as transplanting. The GAP Web site also aims to help farmers reduce pesticide, fertilizer, and water use.

IRRC Phase 4 Steering Committee meeting in Myanmar

Trina Leah Mendoza

Trina Mendoza

he Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) held its first Phase IV (2009-12) Steering Committee meeting on 12-15 October 2009 in Yangon, Myanmar. The high-profile meeting was attended by more than 70 participants from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Myanma Agriculture Service (MAS), IRRC Steering Committee (SC) members, donor representatives, staff of the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), Yezin Agriculture University (YAU), the Agricultural Mechanization Department, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and the private sector. On 12 October, IRRC work group leaders and Burmese collaborators discussed the progress of the IRRC country outreach program in Myanmar and explored future linkages with DAR, YAU, and the private sector. His Excellency U Ohn Myint, deputy minister, Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, gave the opening remarks on 13 October. He was followed by remarks from Carmen Thoennissen (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and Achim Dobermann (IRRI deputy director general for research). U Maung Maung Yi, IRRC SC member, presented an overview of Myanmar IRRC activities, and IRRC coordinator Grant Singleton spoke of the aims of the

SC meeting participants conduct a field visit to Kyaiklat Township, Ayeyarwaddy.

IRRC in Phase IV, emerging opportunities for the IRRC, and the objectives of the meeting. The deputy minister, along with Noel Magor (head, IRRI Training Center) and Carmen Thoennissen, officially launched the Web site, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Irrigated Rice, developed by IRRI through the IRRC. IRRC work group leaders Ruben Lampayan (Water-Saving), David Johnson (Labor Productivity and Community Ecology), Roland Buresh (Productivity and Sustainability), and Serge Savary (Crop Health) and their collaborators presented their achievements and plans. Postproduction WG activities were presented by Grant Singleton on behalf of Martin Gummert. IRRC sociocultural anthropologist Flor Palis presented an overview of IRRCs social science studies and
Grant Singleton

SDC East Asia Division Head Pradeep Itty (left) and IRRC work group leader David Johnson join the field visit in Kyaiklat.

communication specialist Trina Mendoza discussed communication developments. TC head Noel Magor gave an introduction about the GAP Web site. Project scientist Donna Casimero and Grant Singleton showcased the latest progress and activities of the project on improving rice productivity in South and Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. (See related story on next page.) IRRI plant breeder Parminder Virk presented their work in South Asia (Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia project) and identified the needs of Myanmar rice production with the local scientists and discussed possible research linkage between the CSISA project and the IRRC. Exchange of rice varieties with MAS will be explored in the near future. IRRI plant physiologist Abdelbagi Ismail presented opportunities for improving productivity in flood-prone areas of Myanmar. CURE coordinator David Johnson provided an overview of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments and highlighted current and likely future linkages between the IRRC and CURE. Participants visited IRRC field trials in Kyaiklat, Ayeyarwaddy, during the second day. New SC chairperson Pham Van Du delivered the closing remarks.

RIPPLE

Raising rice productivity in Sulawesi

Trina Leah Mendoza
Farmers concerns are being addressed in 2010 through adaptive research based on their farms needs.

ike many countries in Asia, Indonesia faces the daunting challenge of securing enough rice for its growing population. Now with 234 million people consuming 142 kilograms of rice each year, the rice supply is at one of its lowest levels in 30 years. The Indonesian government is now focused on increasing yield in areas with high potential, such as South and Southeast Sulawesi. The annual meeting of the ACIARfunded project Improving Rice Productivity in South and Southeast Sulawesi was held at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, on 3-4 November 2009. The project is a collaborative effort among the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), IRRI, the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR), and the Assessment Institutes of Agricultural Technology of South and Southeast Sulawesi in Indonesia. The project aims to increase productivity of rice farmers at the study sites in these provinces by 10% by 2010, in line with Indonesias national program of increasing rice production by 5% per year in 2009 and 2010. The project focuses on helping farmers through adoption and use of new and emerging natural resource management technologies. Welcome remarks were given by Dr. Bas Bouman, head of IRRIs Crop and Environmental Sciences Division. Dr. Grant Singleton, Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) coordinator,

gave an overview of the project and discussed the work plan and objectives of the meeting. Activities from 2008-09 were reported by Dr. Djafar Baco and Mr. Nasruddin Razak (South Sulawesi) and Dr. Taufiq Ratule and Mr. Zainal Abidin (Southeast Sulawesi). Dr. Sudarmaji, head of Research Program and Evaluation at ICRR, also attended the meeting. The main problems identified in South Sulawesi were water availability and access, land preparation and fertilizer cost, and pests. In Southeast Sulawesi, farmers were most concerned about rats, insect pests, weeds, and nutrient management associated with water problems.

Project scientist Donna Casimero, who is based in Makassar, Indonesia, explained how their model of adaptive research was developed. Dr. Singleton gave an overview of activities in building the capacity of farmers, while IRRC anthropologist Rica Flor presented initial findings from their needs assessment and household surveys. IRRC communication specialist Trina Mendoza discussed past communication activities and plans for 2010. The group planned a series of activities for 2010. They identified main research and capacity-building activities, sociology studies, and communication plans. The main research activity in 2010 will be adaptive research in the fields of farmers to test a combination of at least two new IRRC technologies, based on the needs of farmers in the respective provinces. In South Sulawesi, the main technologies to be implemented are water and weed management in combination with direct seeding. In Southeast Sulawesi, the main technologies are weed, nutrient, and rodent management. One of the plans is to continue to strengthen linkages with nongovernment organizations, universities, and other government agencies.

IRRC nominated for the 2009 CGIAR Outstanding Communications Award

research presence and performance in this domain. Each year, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) recognizes the achievements in science of CGIAR centers such as IRRI and other partner groups or organizations. An international panel of respected media practitioners will evaluate all nominations for the Communications Award. Winners of all awards will be announced at the Science Awards Ceremony in conjunction with the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) to be held in Montpellier, France, in late March 2010.

he International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has nominated the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) for the CGIAR Award for Outstanding Communications for 2009. The IRRC is a shining example in the CGIAR system of a multicountry, trans-disciplinary project that has been quite effective in communicating its science, highquality outputs, and impacts to its diverse set of clients, says Dr. Robert S. Zeigler, IRRIs director general. Given the importance of the lowland irrigated cropping system to food security and environmentally sustainable production, it is a delight for me to know that IRRI has such a highly effective platform for communicating our

Grant Singleton

January-April 2010

Postharvest learning alliances take flight in 2009

Trina Mendoza

Rona Nia Mae Rojas Trina Leah Mendoza

Tom de Bruin of GrainPro, Inc. talks about hermetic storage systems with participants of the learning alliance in Bohol, Philippines.

ostharvest learning alliance (LA) meetings were held in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia as an offshoot to the series of participatory impact pathway analysis (PIPA) workshops held in Vietnam and the Philippines in early 2009. The LAs in each country were facilitated by the Asian Development Bank- and IRRI-funded project Bringing about a Sustainable Agronomic Revolution in Asia by Reducing Preventable Pre- and Postharvest Losses. These LAs will eventually be led by suitable stakeholder groups. The LA concept for postharvest was established in April 2009 as a flexible multistakeholder platform composed of representatives of government agencies, research institutions, nongovernment organizations, farmers organizations, and seed growers who share an interest in postharvest.

terioration of paddy, and reduced pest infestation without pesticide. A learning alliance is a a platform for disseminating postharvest technologies to farmers, says Martin Gummert, Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) Postproduction Work Group leader. Tom de Bruin talked about GrainPro, Inc., the Philippines-based manufacturer of hermetic storage systems such as commercial cocoons with 5- to several hundred ton-capacity and the 50-kilogram IRRI Super bag. He explained how he had started hermetic storage research in the Philippines in collaboration with the National Agency for Post Harvest Institute for Research and Extension (NAPHIRE) almost 20 years ago, established the import of the cocoons, and, finally, initiated local production of the systems in Subic, Philippines. Building on business models The LA meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in September was the first phase for its stakeholders. The participants determined that the entry points for their alliance will be toward creating market business models and communication strategies. To achieve sound business models, a thorough analysis of existing market conditions will be done. After a communications audit, effective communication strategies will be formed.

Business model specialist Alfred Schmidley and IRRC anthropologist Rica Flor facilitated the workshop, with the communications audit conducted by IRRC communication specialist Trina Mendoza. In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the stakeholders held their LA meeting in November. As in Cambodia, the participants also identified priority technologies and were also keen on creating a roadmap toward sound business models. They will have to review existing versions to establish more effective models for priority technologies. Martin Gummert and Rica Flor facilitated the workshop sessions. Participants identified the outcome pathways and strategies to close the gaps that prevent further or faster adoption. Outputs from Cambodia and Vietnam will be converted into a solid business plan to secure funding for their respective project proposals. In all the meetings, they identified the roles of key stakeholders in the dissemination of a priority technology and ways to move forward. The support of the LA has provided capacity building among its partners by developing human resources, organizations (outside and within), and an institutional and legal framework. Action plans for 2010 were drafted.
Trina Mendoza

Starting with hermetic storage The first postharvest LA meeting in the Philippines was held in November in Bohol, in conjunction with the 6th National Grains and Postproduction Conference. Hermetic or airtight storage systems, a mature postharvest technology, emerged as the initial topic for this meeting. It attracted a lot of attention because of its remarkable advantageshigh germination of seeds even after a year of storage, high head rice recovery in milled rice, control of de4

Postproduction Work Group leader Martin Gummert emphasizes the importance of learning alliances to disseminate postharvest technologies that help prevent losses.

RIPPLE

Assessing rice health in the Philippines

Nancy Castilla Serge Savary

Nancy Castilla

he Crop Health Work Group (CHWG), the IRRCs newest work group, conducted its second workshop titled Assessment of Rice Health for Better Management of Rice Pests. The workshop was organized with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and was held at its central station in Muoz, Nueva Ecija, on 4-7 August 2009. In attendance were 30 participants from PhilRice, provincial agriculturists and municipal agriculturists from different parts of the Philippines, and staff from IRRI. The workshop is part of the capacity-building activities proposed during a series of meetings with representatives of the Department of Agriculture and PhilRice. It is envisioned to complement the implementation of the Rice Self-Sufficiency Plan of the Philippines, which aims to attain rice selfsufficiency in the country by 2013, improve rice productivity, and increase the income of rice farmers. One of the components of the Plan is the characterization of rice production environments, production situations, and crop health. The partners shared their knowledge and experiences on the assessment of rice health problems and enhanced their capacity to share and implement the rice health survey portfolio in farmers fields in the Philippines. They discussed implementation and collaboration mechanisms for the diagnosis and assessment of crop health-related yield-reducing factors at different sites in the country. An overview of the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of collected data was also provided for them during the workshop. At the end, the participants designed a sampling strategy to optimize resources and maximize the representativeness of the data collected in the Philippines, and prepared a work plan on survey implementation from 2009 to 2011.

Participants visit farmers fields to diagnose, collect, and record data on the number of insect pests found, and the amount of injuries caused by diseases and insect pests.

n 11 November 2009, Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap signed Administrative Order No. 25, titled Guidelines for the adoption of water-saving technologies (WST) in irrigated rice production systems in the Philippines. AO 25 mandates the application of water-saving technologies, particularly alternate wetting and drying (AWD), in irrigated rice systems throughout the country. This is a result of 8 years of collaborative research and extension in chosen irrigated systems in Central Luzon, Philippines, by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and DAs attached agencies: Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM). (See related story in RIPPLE Vol. 4, No. 3.)

Water-saving technologies for adoption in the Philippines

Practicing AWD could mean a 1530% drop in water use since rice fields are flooded to a lesser extent, allowed to dry to a predetermined level, then subsequently reflooded. This cycle is repeated throughout the season as long as the soil remains flooded the whole time during the plants flowering period. Dr. Ruben Lampayan, leader of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium WaterSaving Work Group and one of the top proponents of AWD, said that the institutionalization of AWD takes them closer to its full implementation in the Philippines. The AO is effective 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of nationwide circulation. The Technical Working Group, headed by Engr. Evangeline Sibayan of PhilRice, is currently working on having it published as soon as possible. (Learn more about Engr. Sibayan on page 15.)
Rona Nia Mae Rojas

January-April 2010

5
Trina Mendoza

IRRC joins IRRI postharvest training course

Rona Nia Mae Rojas

IRRI Training Center

artners from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines participated in a training course on Rice Postproduction on 19-30 October 2009. It was jointly conducted by the Postharvest Unit of IRRIs Grain Quality, Nutrition, and Postharvest Center (GQNPC) and the Training Center at IRRI headquarters, Philippines. The action-oriented training course was attended by 24 participants from research institutions, extension systems, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector. All participants are partners of IRRIs current projectsrice postharvest management funded by the Asian Development Bank, the IRRC by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural ResearchSupport for Market-Driven Adaptive Research (ACIAR-SMAR) by ACIAR. IRRC Postproduction Work Group (PPWG) leader Martin Gummert gave an introduction to postharvest and facilitated the work plan activity on the first day. PPWG engineer Carlito Balingbing discussed the Physical Quality Laborato-

IRRC partners tried their hands at threshing during IRRIs postharvest training course. ry and the IRRI Grain Quality Kit. IRRC sociocultural anthropologists Dr. Flor Palis and Rica Flor gave a presentation on needs assessments and impact monitoring. Toward the end of the course, Dr. David Johnson, coordinator for the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) and leader of the IRRC Labor Productivity and Community Ecology Work Group, and IRRC coordinator Dr. Grant Singleton both talked about how IRRI works with its partner organizations. Improving rice postharvest technologies is necessary to reduce losses, maintain quality, and increase farmers income in Southeast Asia. The 2-week course included lectures on various topics, hands-on practices in all aspects of rice postharvest, and a field visit to the Philippine Rice Research Institute. Aside from learning the various methodologies and tools used in postharvest management, the participants also engaged in project and business planning.

Lampayan RM, Bouman BAM, de Dios JL, Espiritu AJ, Soriano JB, Lactaoen AT, Faronilo JE, Thant KM. 2010. Yield of aerobic rice in rainfed lowlands Conference Proceedings of the Philippines as affected by nitrogen manBorlagdan PC, Elauria JC, Elepao AR, de Padua agement and row spacing. Field Crops Res. (in DB, Dizon EI. 2009. Study on the cause of posthar- press). vest rice grain yellowing. Proceedings of the Rice Conference and Exhibition, 15-17 July 2009, Events Coordination Unit Bangkok, Thailand. Visit to 5 Reductions and 1 Must Do project in An Giang, Vietnam; meet with two MS students International Journals Chauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2009. Influence of till- with research in An Giang, Ben Corrigan and Lauage systems on weed seedling emergence pat- ren Pincus (February) tern in rainfed rice. Soil & Tillage Res. 106:15-21. One-day workshop on IRRC communication priorities for 2010 and how to assess the effectiveChauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2009. Ludwigia hys- ness of different communication pathways (IRRI sopifolia emergence and growth as affected by staff only) (March) light, burial depth and water management. Crop Water-Saving Work Group Prot. 28:887-890. Participate in the CIAT-IRRI-Africa Rice Meeting in and field visits Douangboupha B, Brown PR, Khamphoukeo K, CIAT, Colombia,(24 Jan-3 Feb) in Rio Grande Do Sul State, Brazil Aplin KP, Singleton GR. 2009. Population dynamics of rodent pest species in upland farming Aerobic Rice Workshop, Puerto Princesa, Palawan systems of Lao PDR. Kasetsart J. Nat. Sci. 43:125- (23-25 Feb) 131.

PUBLICATIONS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Field visit and irrigation systems managers discussions in South and Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia (27 Feb-6 Mar) Field visit and initial planning meeting for the ACIAR-funded project Developing Improved Farming and Marketing Systems in Rainfed Regions of Southern Lao PDR (8-19 Mar) Postproduction Work Group Hands-on training on hermetic storage for farmer seed producers and farmers in the Philippines (February-March) Value chain studies and business model development for the Mekong Delta, Vietnam (February) Business model development workshop in Cambodia (March) Labor Productivity & Community Ecology Work Group Meeting on Research into Use project Poverty alleviation through rice innovation systems in Lucknow, India, with three NGOs [NEFORD, RKM, and Pradan] and two Indian universities [NDUAT and GBPUAT] and University of Liverpool (March)

RIPPLE

Boosting Laos rice yields

he need to increase rice production and reduce poverty in some areas of Lao PDR is crucial. Laos economy depends on agriculture. On the outskirts of the main towns, income-earning activities are few and about 20% of the adults rely on off-farm employment opportunities. Rice forms two-thirds by value of the crop sector and provides 70% of the calorie intake of the people. If good agricultural practices are followed, yields of 5 tons per hectare are achievable in lowland paddies. However, yields are typically around 3 to 3.5 tons per hectare. To address the poverty of Laos, the IRRC aims to train provincial and district technical staff and key farmer leaders on a range of good agricultural practices to increase rice productivity and reduce market risks. To jumpstart the IRRC technology dissemination and adaptation process in Laos, water scientist Ruben Lampayan, engineer Carlito Balingbing, and extension specialist Joel
Joel Janiya

Joel Janiya
Joel Janiya

(Above) Carlito Balingbing (extreme left) explains the importance of postharvest management to the training participants. (Below) Joel Janiya (second from right) describes the characteristics of good-quality seeds.
Carlito Balingbing

Dr. Ruben Lampayan demonstrates how to install a water monitoring tube in a rice field in Lao PDR.

Janiya of the Water-Saving, Postproduction, and Labor Productivity and Community Ecology Work Groups of the IRRC, respectively, conducted a training entitled Efficient rice production in Lao PDR on 9-10 November 2009 in Thulakom District, Vientiane Province, and on 12-13 November 2009 in Champhone District, Savannakhet Province. The training introduced the IRRC technologies to 45 trainees to help them improve crop production practices and increase yield. Participants included 18 technical staff and 27

farmers from Vientiane and Savannakhet. Topics covered in the training were ensuring good-quality seeds and seedling nursery management, direct seeding as an option for labor-scarce situations, nutrient management for rainfed lowland rice in Laos, water-saving technologies, ecologically based weed management, postharvest management, and integrating rice farmers into the market/ value chain.

January-April 2010

Impacts of rodent outbreaks on Asias food security

Grant Singleton Rona Nia Mae Rojas

cientists have finally found the first documented scientific evidence that directly links bamboo masting to massive rodent outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia, particularly in upland agroecosystems such as Mizoram (India), Chin State (Myanmar), and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh. At an international conference held 26-28 October 2009 at IRRI, IRRC coordinator and rodent expert Dr. Grant Singleton, together with Dr. Steve Belmain and Dr. Peter Brown, presented a summary of the impacts of rodent outbreaks on food security in Asia. Dr. Belmain is a rodent ecology and management expert from the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom, and Dr. Brown is a natural resource management ecologist from CSIRO, Australia. The summary was based on presentations at the conference attended by 30 scientists drawn from eight countries. Masting, the flowering and seeding of bamboo over a large geographic region, occurs once every 4850 years. The seeds that drop to the ground during a masting event could reach as much as 3080 tons per hectare and serve as high-quality food that enables rats to breed for longer than usual. After consuming the bamboo seeds, the rats move out into agricultural fields to search for more food. This phenomenon started in Mizoram, India, in 2004, and has since been reported in Bangladesh and in Myanmar. What an outbreak wreaks Learning from a severe famine caused by a rodent outbreak that happened 50 years ago in the Mizo Hills, the Mizoram government was better prepared this time and implemented a multimillion-dollar 5-year program, the Bamboo Flowering and Famine Combat Scheme (BAFFACOS). Although the masting event is now over in India, neighboring countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar are still suffering from the continued ef-

fects of bamboo masting. Cases of food insecurity have been documented in the CHT of Bangladesh and in the western states of Chin and Rakhine in Myanmar. The extended nature of the masting over 5 years, with areas blinking in and out (bamboo flowering occurs in only one particular area in a year), has surprised scientists. Lao PDR is also experiencing rodent outbreaks and food security issues caused by bamboo masting events. However, these masting events are not linked to the phenomena noted in the west. The species of bamboo are different and they have a different frequency of flowering. The World Food Program (WFP) received reports and requests for assistance in late 2008 and in 2009 from more than 500 villages with 250,000 people possibly affected. The WFP conducted an emergency food security assessment in 2009 and reported that the

Some farmers lose 100% of their crops, bringing about food insecurity and severe hunger to families. Aggravating the situation are rodents invading peoples houses, chewing on personal possessions, and, even worse, biting people as they sleep. Managing outbreaks Upland farmers trying to manage the alarming increase in rodent populations are stumped by the lack of sufficient knowledge on the ecological factors that influence the growth of rodent populations. Although some bits of information have been pieced together, particularly on basic ecology and rodent population responses, there is a need for more research. Farmers and experts face limited management options. The relationship between rice cropping systems and the time of bamboo
Trina Mendoza

Rodent ecology and management expert Steve Belmain and PhD student Nyo Me Htwe guide the participants in examining rodents caught in the traps.

affected farmers lost more than 50% of their expected harvest due to rodent outbreaks. Aside from the flowering of bamboos, other causes of rodent outbreaks are floods and intermittent rains, which lead to asynchronous and aseasonal planting. An extension of the availability of high-quality food leads to a lengthened breeding season for rats. An outbreak of rats causes far more damage than just eating stored rice; they destroy nearly all field cropsrice, maize, and other important cash crops.

seed production makes it nearly impossible to get the crops harvested before being destroyed by rats. However, knowing the time of bamboo seed fall and the geographical extent is useful in predicting the periods in which rodent populations may erupt. The synchrony of flowering and seed fall, 1 year in some cases and 23 years in others, offers a means to better plan and prepare.
> continued on page 9

RIPPLE

Impacts of rodent outbreaks...

continued from page 8
Trina Mendoza

In the lowlands, scientists have more certainty (compared with the bamboo masting outbreaks in the uplands) in determining interventions. Lowland irrigated rice farmers have implemented an ecologically based rodent management scheme. The sustainability of the management scheme heavily depends on the communitys ability to mobilize action on a regular basis. Further information on the conference A brief communiqu on the conference is available at www.irri.org/ i r rc/rodent s/news/ Rodent%20outbreaks%20general%20summary.pdf.

IRRI will also publish a book titled Rodent outbreaks: ecology and impacts. The book will have three sections: rodent outbreaks and bamboo flowering; rodent impacts on lowland intensive rice systems in Southeast and South Asia (includes postharvest impacts); and rodent outbreaks in other regions: a search for generalities. The book will be published in late 2010.

Rodent exper ts Grant Singleton, Sudarmaji, and Peter Brown set up a rodent trap strategically between a village and rice field.

IRRC, Thai partners look to the future

David Johnson Rona Nia Mae Rojas

proposal has been made for the Thai Rice Department and the IRRC to develop an innovation platform to strengthen and complement the existing extension and technology transfer system for the development of rice production. This proposal was developed by Kukiat Soitong of the Thai Rice Department and proposed during a work plan meeting on 28 October 2009 at the Pathum Thani Rice Research Center, Thailand. Participants included scientists and officials from the Thai Rice Department and other research and development institutions in Thailand. Scientists discussed opportunities for collaborative activities on current issues affecting rice production in Thailand and elsewhere in the region. An output of the meeting was that topics for rice projects in Thailand were identified and outline plans and concept notes were developed. A major component of the proposed Thai-IRRC activity is to develop networks and encourage the involvement of key actors, including policy advisors, agricultural practitioners, farmer groups, and teaching institutions, in addressing rice production issues. The work plan will aim to establish a rice production ex-

tension and technology transfer system in Thailand to provide better access to information and technology for stakeholders, especially rice farmers. IRRC technologies most needed by Thai farmers in the irrigated lowlands will be identified and tested under farmer conditions using adaptive research. The collaboration between the IRRC and the Thai Rice Department is expected to strengthen research-extension linkages and improve the capacity of research and extension staff. David Johnson, coordinator for the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) and leader of the IRRC Labor Productivity and Community Ecology Work Group, represented the IRRC during the meeting. A major chal-

lenge for rice researchers is to improve the flow of information to and from the farm, says Dr. Johnson. It is hoped that through the development of this innovation platform we not only can make a greater contribution in Thailand but also derive lessons that can be applied elsewhere. The summary of collaborative topics proposed at the meeting was attached to the executive summary of the work plan that was signed by IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler and Thai Rice Department Director General Prasert Gosalvitra during the Philippine visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on 17 November 2009.

MEETING OF THE MINDS. IRRI scientists Achim Dobermann, K.L. Heong, David Johnson, and Jojo Lapitan discuss future plans with Thai collaborators.

January-April 2010

Celebrating rice as one in Vietnam

Rona Nia Mae Rojas Trina Leah Mendoza

Grant Singleton

Launch of One Must Do, Five Reductions at An Giang Peoples Committee Office.

RRI, through the IRRC, continues to work with the An Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in Vietnam on the 2010 launch of its newest campaign, Mot Phai, Nam Giam, or One Must Do, Five Reductions. The latest program builds on the Three Reductions, Three Gains national policy that encourages farmers to reduce seed rate, fertilizer use, and pesticide use. It adds recommendations related to reducing postharvest losses and water use, and the timely use of fertilizers. The one must do is to use certified seeds. IRRC coordinator Grant Singleton traveled to Vietnam on 23-29 November 2009 to participate in the review of activities and results from the summer-autumn 2009, and the planning and launching of the winter-spring 2010 cropping season for the One Must Do, Five Reductions program. With him were David Johnson, coordinator for the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) and leader of the IRRC Labor Productivity and Community Ecology Work Group; Nguyen Huu Huan, deputy director general of the Plant Protection Department; and Gretchen Carrigan, IRRI intern from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. The summer-autumn 2009 cropping season was the first rollout of Mot Phai, Nam Giam in the 11 districts of An Giang. Demonstration fields of 1 hectare each were set up in each district. Some 335 farmers were trained on the technologies prior to the cropping season and then

they applied some or all of the technologies and practices over a combined area of 609 hectares. Results were documented in seven of the districts. Four districts reported increases in yield of 0.2 to 0.4 ton per hectare from a mean of 5.3 tons per hectare. In general, the farmers profit when applying One Must Do, Five Reductions increased by 3,740,000 dong/hectare (US$208). There was little reduction in water usage because the summer-autumn crop is grown during the wet season. The 2010 campaign had a well-publicized launch in An Giang Province, with a strong media presence and information materials handed out on One Must Do, Five Reductions. An Giang is the national model at the provincial level for the program implementation. After a formal ceremony to kick off the launch, there was a motorcade carrying banners around the city of Long XuyGrant Singleton

en (capital of An Giang), which toured three other districts over the next 2 days. DARD also set up billboards and posters on One Must Do, Five Reductions in public areas all around An Giang, while thousands of brochures and booklets were made available. The plan for the first crop in 2010 is to train a further 330 farmers and extend the program to cover 1,500 hectares. Mr. Huynh The Nang, vice chairman of An Giang Peoples Committee, addressed the meeting of 125 farmer representatives, government officials, and researchers. He expressed the strong support of the Peoples Committee to the program and confirmed their co-investment in the activities planned for 2010. Dr. Singleton and Ms. Carrigan visited farmer groups in four districts (Thoai Son, Tri Ton, Chau Thanh, and Chau Phu) that applied the new program in the previous cropping season. The farmers reported higher profits through savings in inputs, though yield increases were marginal but positive. The farmers were very positive about the program and indicated that they would continue to apply the new technology in the next winter-spring 2010 cropping season. As IRRIs representative, Dr. Singleton also attended the Mekong Rice Festival in the town of Vi Thanh in Hau Giang Province.

One of the 20 billboards of Mot Phai, Nam Giam set up around An Giang Province.

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Ricehoppers blog now online

n avenue for knowledge sharing on issues and sustainable ways to manage rice planthopper problems is now available online. Its called Ricehoppers (http://ricehoppers. net), a blog of the Rice Planthopper Project, where researchers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders can access the latest news, publications, and other information on rice planthoppers. The Rice Planthopper Project was established in 2008 by the Asian Development Bank and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as a response to the rice crisis. Led by Dr. K.L. Heong, IRRI entomologist, the Projects goal is to reduce crop vulnerability to preharvest losses due to planthopper outbreaks. Several Asian countries suffered heavy losses between 2004 and 2009 due to rice planthopper outbreaks and the virus diseases the insects carry. The Project aims to develop durably resistant varieties and new field resistance evaluation methods and strategies for the management of virus diseases carried

Trina Leah Mendoza

The blog was set up to facilitate communication among Rice Planthopper Project participants. by planthoppers. Ecological engineer- munication strategies, and initiate policy ing will be used to develop biodiversity- dialogues to upscale practices. In addibased pest control and key indicators of tion, it aims to enhance the capacities of this ecosystem service will be identified. national systems in research, communiThe Project seeks to understand farmers cations, and extension. decision-making process, develop comDuring the Mekong Rice Festival, IRRI had two posters on display for the high-profile event attended by the prime minister of Vietnam. The rice festival in Hau Giang Province was intended to raise the profile of the province and also that of rice. Hau Giang, one of the poorest provinces in the Mekong Region, produces 1 million tons of rice per year. Dr. Singleton said that Hau Giang Province may be targeted for IRRC technologies in 2011 and beyond as it would be included in a new large World Bank agricultural project in the Mekong Delta. Dr. Pham Van Du, deputy director general of the Department of Crop Production in southern Vietnam, sees the World Bank project as a way to further disseminate the application of One Must Do, Five Reductions. IRRI also received a formal invitation from the director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hau Giang, Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, for future collaboration on good agricultural practices for rice production.

Launch of One Must Do...

continued from page 10

Launch of 2010 season for Mot Phai, Nam Giam at An Giang Peoples Committee Office building (L-R: Gretchen Carrigan, Ben Corrigan, Mr. An (Sub-PPD), Dr. David Johnson, Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan, Mr. Pha, Dr. Grant Singleton).

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Learning outside the classroom

he IRRC thrives on partnerships. In fact, one of the main reasons for its success in reaching endusers such as farmers is because of the strong partnership established in different countries. This not only includes ties with government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector; universities and colleges are also being tapped. And, students have become valuable allies in capturing the impact of the IRRCs natural resource management technologies among farmer communities. The IRRCs work in An Giang, Vietnam, caught the attention of two MS students, Ben Corrigan and Lauren Pincus. Ben is a 30-year-old British national from the island of Jersey, off the coast of Normandy, France. He is studying management of agroecological knowledge and social change at the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands. Prior to coming to Vietnam, Ben had carried out research and worked with farmers in Brazil, the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. Twenty-eight-year-old Lauren is an MS student at the University of California (UC)-Davis, USA, studying international agricultural development and a second degree in horticulture and agronomy. Lauren is a graduate-student researcher in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program of UC Davis.

Trina Leah Mendoza

Ben Corrigan helps a female laborer retransplant rice in An Giang, Vietnam.

West meets east Both Ben and Lauren are interested in discovering why and how farmers adopt technologies in An Giang. My thesis looks specifically at human (i.e., farmer-to-farmer, farmer-extensionist, and scientist-extensionist relationships) and material interactions (i.e., application of knowledge-intensive tools, concepts, scientific, and indigenous viewpoints) taking place at the research-extension interface of the One Must Do, Five Reductions program, says Ben. The program, a joint effort between the International Rice Research Institute through the IRRC and the Vietnamese government, aims to reduce agricultural inputs and boost yields for smallholder farmers in the Mekong Delta. He aims to find out whether the One Must Do, Five Reductions program is an effective means of technology development, adoption, and diffusion; how it is
Trina Mendoza

rolled out in different districts; and how its benefits are shared among resourcepoor stakeholders. I seek to explore and answer the question of what makes technology workinformation we sorely lackif we are to face up to food security and economic development challenges, he explains. Ben has been assigned to the provincial Plant Protection Department (PPD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in An Giang Province since November 2009 and will be staying there until the end of March 2010. Meanwhile, Lauren seeks to understand the factors that affect farmers adoption and continued use of integrated weed management techniques in An Giang. During her visit in August 2009, she conducted group discussions and interviews with 46 farmers from Thoai Son and Chau Thanh districts. Farmers shared their weed, water, and fertilizer practices and discussed the sources of agricultural information available to them. She also interviewed staff from government departments engaged in farmer extension: PPD, National Agricultural Extension Center, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. For her to understand more completely the institutions communicating with farmers, Lauren also interviewed staff
> continued on page 13

Lauren Pincus (extreme right) conducts a focus group discussion among farmers in An Giang, Vietnam.

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Cross-country learning on rice health

Nancy Castilla Serge Savary

he Crop Health Work Group (CHWG) started 2010 with a workshop, Prioritization for Rice Health Problems and Management, on 6-8 January in Hanoi, Vietnam. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam. About 25 participants composed of plant pathologists, entomologists, and crop protection specialists from the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam attended. The outcomes from earlier workshops organized by CHWG in Thailand in June 2009 and the Philippines in August 2009 were reviewed. Data collected from farmers fields in Vietnams Mekong Delta and Red River Delta, Thailand, and the Philippines were synthesized and assembled. Methods to analyze these data were introduced. The participants reviewed the

Workshop participants in Hanoi, Vietnam, work together for plant protection.

importance of and priorities for plant protection in the different sites where CHWG operates. They also explored ways to disseminate rice crop health science, knowledge, and management options. The workshop consisted of several sessions, including an overview of plant protection problems at different sites, principles for plant protection

in rice, and results from surveys and characterization at selected sites. Participants also discussed the importance of diseases and insect pests and their management, prioritization for plant protection, new options for plant protection in rice, and perspectives and next steps.

Learning outside...

pany), An Giang University, the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, and two agrochemical shopkeepers. She learned that communication befrom the An Giang Television Station, the An Giang Plant Protection Joint tween government agencies and farmers Stock Company (a major pesticide com- was strong in both directions. Farmers have a very strong extension system supplying them with a variety of formats, including those preferred by farmers television programs and direct contact with knowledgeable technical staff, says Lauren. The farmers involved in the group discussions, she also learned, successfully practiced integrated weed management, despite the introduction of herbicides and the switch to direct seeding, which has been shown to increase weed competition and the use of herbicides. Despite major changes in the technologies available to them, farmers have sucBen and Lauren yearn to find out the cessfully graduated to a balanced control whys and hows of technology adoption system that uses a series of measures to with farmers. The extension cafe is a prevent the spread of weeds, says Lauvenue where farmers and extensionists can interact and have access to informa- ren. Why has this system evolved the way it has and what is extensions role in tion materials regarding technologies.
continued from page 12
Grant Singleton

facilitating the adoption of this system? Lauren hopes to answer her questions in her next trip to Vietnam from January to March this year. Looking ahead Through interviews, informal conversations, and observations, Lauren and Ben hope to unearth factors that influence farmers to adopt certain technologies. My goal is to be able to use my knowledge in horticulture and agronomy to provide agricultural expertise for international development projects, says Lauren. Ben shares the same sentiments. I am eager to help develop new frames of inquiry and methodology for the IRRC in evaluating project success and continually building on what they do bestreaching those farmers in resource-poor environments and extricating them from their deeply entrenched poverty. (Watch out for stories about IRRCs students on rodent management in the next issue of RIPPLE.)

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PROFILE

Flowing with passion

In Brief
Trina Leah Mendoza

s a child, Evangeline Sibayan had always dreamed of becoming a nurse in a big hospital outside the Philippines. But like some childhood dreams that fade and change, Vangie studied agricultural engineering, which led her to a completely different direction. And her choice has made a difference for many Filipino farmers. Engr. Sibayan heads the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). One of her major roles at PhilRice is as project leader in the development of water-use-efficient technologies. In the Philippines, as in many other Asian countries, water for irrigating rice fields has become scarce and precious. Access to water has even become a source of conflict among farmers in some areas in the Philippines. I believe in the principle that all farmers, regardless of their farms area and their location, have an equal right to access irrigation water provided by the government, says Engr. Sibayan. Thankfully, theyve developed a water-saving technology called alternate wetting and drying (AWD) that has reduced tension among farmers. AWD allows farmers to harvest the same amount using 1530% less water. Her 20-year collaboration with IRRI and the Philippines National Ir-

rigation Administration has led to the successful promotion and adoption of AWD in pump systems, particularly in the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (UPRIIS), the countrys largest irrigation system. In 2007, they established demonstration farms at the upstream of an

scientific research, and administrative skills, she brings in more Philippine partners to work together to disseminate the technology. Growing up in a farming family herself, the former college teacher finds fulfillment and joy in working in the field because she enjoys the farm

Trina Mendoza

Engineer Vangie Sibayan with Water-Saving Work Group leader Ruben Lampayan discusses the adoption of water-saving technologies in Central Luzon, Philippines.

irrigation canal to show farmers that they can still obtain higher yields even with less water. Starting with the smallest cluster of water users at about 3050 hectares, adoption is now at the system level with a service area of 130,000 hectares. Soon, AWD will be implemented nationwide through an administrative policy (See related story on page 5.). Engr. Sibayan is the chair of the technical working group that formulated the guidelines for the administrative order on the adoption of water-saving technologies on irrigated farms in the Philippines. Vangies passion and determination to help farmers in the Philippines cope with water scarcity problems is unmatched, describes Dr. Ruben Lampayan, the IRRCs Water-Saving Work Group (WSWG) leader. Engr. Sibayan is a dedicated member of the work group since 2005. She always puts 200% effort in doing her job. I credit Vangie for the tremendous success of our AWD outscaling efforts in the Philippines. With her strong social,

and empathizes with the problems and situations farmers face. I am always challenged with the thought that whatever good results I get from research should reach the farmer beneficiaries, especially when I am very confident that it will benefit the majority and will improve their lives, she says. On the rare occasion when shes not in the field or the office, this mother of four retreats to a quiet place where she can read and listen to soft music. She treats herself to a health spa to relax and lessen the tension from work. For Engr. Sibayan, the ultimate measure of ones achievements is the improvement of the lot of her clients, the rice farmers. Her aim is to help farmers improve their lives through research, ensuring that water is used properly and efficiently. Rice farming is a noble job; that should not discourage farmers children from continuing to engage in rice farming, she says.

Trina Mendoza

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PROFILE

Saying less, doing more

vision he is in now. He rose from the ranks to his present position as general manager, supervising overall planning and management of foreign and national projects and programs. When the IRRC first introduced natural resource management technologies in 2005, U Maung Maung Yi was still involved in projects with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. From July 2000 to January 2001, he was assistant project manager for support for agriculture and natural resource management in northern Rakhine State. He was again
Trina Mendoza

Trina Leah Mendoza

n 2005, the IRRC held its first Steering Committee (SC) meeting for Phase 3 in Yangon, Myanmar. Many developments have happened since then: trials and adoption of technologies such as sitespecific nutrient management, water-saving, weed management, postharvest, and crop establishment. Four years later, the IRRC went back to Yangon for its first SC meeting for Phase 4, and the enthusiasm expressed by national partners has not waned but has even escalated. Among these eager partners is U Maung Maung Yi, a new member of the

Though a man of few words, U Maung Maung Yi holds the attention and respect of his colleagues and staff.

SC and general manager of the Project Planning, Management, and Evaluation Division of the Myanma Agriculture Service (MAS) in Yangon. He describes himself as a newcomer to the IRRC, having only started his involvement during the 2009 dry season with postharvest and water-saving activities in Pyay and Kyaiklat townships. Although he is an agriculture graduate from the Institute of Agriculture in Mandalay, Myanmar, U Maung Maung Yi has always been involved in planning and management. He started with MAS in 1981 as deputy supervisor in the same di-

recruited as project liaison officer for the implementation of two FAO projects from March 2004 to September 2006. Right now, though, he is excited with his new role as part of the IRRC SC and how he can help ease Myanmars agricultural problems. How can we move with Phase 4 and have a clear vision? he asked. He explains that his country has a big potential to increase rice yields, but their major constraint is they cannot produce enough good-quality seeds. Seed farms cannot produce enough, so farmers have to keep their own seeds. They also lack suitable varieties for areas that are floodprone, saline-prone, dry, and hilly. He recalls that after Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in May 2008, they had no emergency plan for seeds: When the tidal waters came in, we had to look for saline-tolerant varieties from coastal areas because we had no available varieties at the time. U Maung Maung Yi also feels the need to strengthen extension of technologies to farmers: We have the technologies, but we need to bring them faster to the farmers. This hard-working man usually spends his day in meetings with different organizations, conferring with the minister of agriculture, and visiting far-flung project sites. He continues to work even on weekends, claiming he doesnt even have time for a haircut. He stays in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Myanmar, which is a 9-hour drive north of the former capital Yangon, where he lives with his wife. Their daughter is following the footsteps of her father, working also as a manager for a bank in Singapore. Despite the heavy workload and tiring hours, U Maung Maung Yi is enjoying his work: I am always thinking of how I can help. He says he plans to retire in 2011, but, from the look of things, it seems retirement will have to take a back seat for now.

Trina Mendoza

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IRRC shines in 2009

009 was a great year for the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC). Work groups and national partners have put in their best efforts to achieve their goals. Staff from the IRRC Coordination Unit (CU) worked hard to assist work groups in delivering outputs. And, the IRRCs star shone brighter with these individual achievements: IRRC coordinator Grant Singleton visited Namibia, Africa, in November 2009 as an external advisor for the ECORAT project that focuses on the development of ecologically based rodent management for the Southern African Development Community. The 3-year project has increased knowledge about rodent ecology, rodent taxonomy, and rodent-human interactions. This knowledge has led to improved management of rodent pests, particularly for the people living in and around rural communities. The project has made strong progress toward achieving its objective of reducing the high level of rural poverty in three southern African countries (Namibia, Tanzania, and Swaziland) through raising poor farmers incomes by increasing crop yields, reducing storage losses, and preventing the transmission of diseases to people and livestock caused by rodent pests. The project is now in its preparation stage. For more details about the project, visit www.nri.org/projects/ecorat/.

PhD student Nyo Me Htwe was named Best Speaker during the course on Leadership for Asian Women in Agricultural Research, Development, and Extension, conducted on 1-11 December 2009 at the International Rice Research Institute. Her presentation was titled How to empower myself and my institute. The course aimed to enhance the leadership skills of the participants as well as their competencies in using gender analysis in research, technology development, and extension. Participants were from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
IRRI Training Center

Volume 5, Number 1 January-April 2010 This newsletter is produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The IRRC promotes international links among scientists, managers, communicators, and farmers in lowland irrigated rice environments. Materials in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official views of IRRI, SDC, or collaborating institutions of the IRRC. EdITORIAL ANd PROdUCTION TEAm IRRC: Trina Leah Mendoza, Grant Singleton, Rona Nia Mae Rojas, Jennifer Hernandez CPS: Tess Rola, Bill Hardy CONTRIBUTINg AUTHORS: Nancy Castilla, Joel Janiya, David Johnson, Serge Savary Please direct further correspondence, comments, and contributions to Trina Leah Mendoza Senior Communication Specialist International Rice Research Institute DAPO Box 7777 Metro Manila, Philippines Email: t.mendoza@cgiar.org Web: www.irri.org/irrc

Nyo Me Htwe (left) receives her plaque for Best Speaker during the Leadership for Asian Women in Agricultural Research, Development, and Extension from Dr. Thelma Paris (middle) and Johnny Goloyugo of IRRI (right).

IRRC CU secretary Jennifer Hernandez wowed the crowd with her performance during the IRRI Fiesta, a day-long affair celebrating IRRIs 50th anniversary on 13 December 2009. She sang two upbeat songs during the con IRRC anthropologist Flor Palis won cert, which featured homegrown tathe Best Poster Award during the Inter- lents and local celebrities. national Meeting on Health and Environment: Challenges for the Future held at the National Institute of Health in Rome, Italy, on 9-11 December 2009. Her poster showcased her research on the effects of pesticide exposure on the health of Filipino farmers in collaboration with Dr. Satish Kedia, a medical anthropologist from the University of Memphis, USA. Dr. Palis also received an award as 2009 Distinguished Alumna in Extension at the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the Philippines Los Baos in October 2009.
Jenny Hernandez of the IRRC performs for IRRIs 50th anniversary.

IRRI CPS

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