Originally published on cgiar.org by:IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) on May 30, 2008

Los Baños, Philippines – The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has appointed a leading German soil scientist as head of its research programs for the next 5 years. Born in East Germany, Achim Dobermann takes over one of the world’s largest and most respected rice research programs at a crucial time for the crop that feeds almost half the world.

 

Rice production is under unprecedented pressure globally, causing rice prices to rise to historically high levels. Rice research will also be on the agenda of the United Nations High-Level Conference on World Food Security next week.

 

As IRRI’s new deputy director general for research, Dr. Dobermann is responsible for rice research programs, projects, and activities in almost every Asian nation as well as important new partnerships in Africa. He was recruited from his position as a full professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, one of the world’s leading agricultural research and extension institutions.  

 

“Dr. Dobermann brings to the position the energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to drive and direct the research that can reverse the decline in productivity gains that have resulted in the world consuming more rice than it produces—and the consequent price rises that can push poor rice consumers deeper into poverty,” said IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler.

 

“The appointment of Dr. Dobermann,” said Dr. Zeigler, “furthers IRRI’s mission to attract some of the best and brightest minds in the world to solve the biggest problems facing rice production in Asia and beyond.”

 

Comprehensive background information on the rice price crisis—and IRRIs response—is available at a special new Web site: http://solutions.irri.org.

 

Journalists who would like to know more about both the current crisis and rice research and production in general are invited to familiarize themselves with the below list of IRRI rice experts. First point of contact for journalists is IRRI’s new media officer and spokesperson, Adam Barclay, who also edits IRRI’s Rice Today magazine (www.irri.org/ricetoday). He replaces Duncan Macintosh, who has become IRRI’s development director. Adam can be contacted at

Email a.barclay@cgiar.org

Phone +63-2-580-5600, extension 2204

Mobile +63-917-544-0043

 

IRRI rice experts

·        Rice production trends, fertilizer trends, biofuel – Achim Dobermann
IRRI deputy director general for research

·        Economics, supply/demand – Sushil Pandey
Senior agricultural economist and leader of IRRI’s program on Rice policy support and impact assessment for rice research

 

·        Irrigation/water – Bas Bouman
Senior water scientist, head of IRRI’s Crop and Environmental Sciences Division, and (from 1 June 2008) leader of IRRI’s program on Sustaining productivity in intensive rice-based systems: rice and the environment

 

·        Rice and climate change – Reiner Wassmann
Senior climate scientist and coordinator of the Rice and Climate Change Consortium

 

·        Plant breeding – Dave Mackill
Senior plant breeder and leader of IRRI’s program on Raising productivity in rainfed environments: attacking the roots of poverty

 

·        Farmers’ production problems – David Johnson
Senior weed scientist

 

·        Insect pests – K.L. Heong
Insect ecologist, expert in integrated pest management and communication of science to rural farmers

 

·        Diseases – Serge Savary
Senior plant pathologist

 

·        Postharvest (drying, milling, and storage) – Martin Gummert
Agricultural engineer specializing in postharvest technologies

 

·        Drought – Arvind Kumar
Plant breeder specializing in breeding drought-tolerant rice varieties

 

·        Irrigated rice, rodents – Grant Singleton
Rodent expert and coordinator of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium

 

·        Biotechnology, nutrition – Gerard Barry
Coordinator of the Golden Rice Network, leader of IRRI’s program on Rice and human health: overcoming the consequences of poverty, and head of IRRI’s Intellectual Property Unit

 

·        Grain quality – Melissa Fitzgerald
Cereal chemist; head of IRRI’s Grain Quality, Nutrition, and Postharvest Center; and chair of the International Network for Quality Rice

·        Education, training, and extension – Noel Magor
Education and training, pro-poor rural development, and head of IRRI’s Training Center

 

·        Rice genetics – Hei Leung
Senior plant pathologist and leader of IRRI’s program on Rice genetic diversity and discovery: meeting the needs of future generations for rice genetic resources

 

·        Diversity of rice varieties – Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton
Evolutionary biologist and head of IRRI’s International Rice Genebank

 

·        Gender issues in rice – Thelma Paris
Senior gender and socioeconomics specialist, participatory approaches in research and extension

 

·        Hybrid rice – Fangming Xie
Senior hybrid rice breeder

 

·        Rice for the future – John Sheehy
Head of the IRRI-coordinated C₄ rice project, which aims to re-engineer the rice plant for more efficient photosynthesis and increased productivity

 

·        Salinity – R.K. Singh
Rice breeder for salt-affected areas

 

·        Flood-tolerant and salt-tolerant rice – Abdel Ismail
Senior plant physiologist

 

·        Nutrient management – Roland Buresh
Senior soil scientist and (from 1 June 2008) leader of IRRI’s project on Intensive Production Systems in Asia

 

·        Agronomy for rainfed rice: growing rice without irrigation in difficult environments – Stephan Haefele
Senior agronomist/soil scientist

 

·        The geography of rice – Robert Hijmans
Senior geographer, mapping expert

 

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The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world’s leading rice research and training center. Based in the Philippines, with offices in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes, while preserving natural resources. IRRI is one of 15 centers funded through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an association of public and private donor agencies (www.cgiar.org).

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For information, contact Adam Barclay, IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines; tel +63-2-580-5600; fax +63-2-580-5699; email a.barclay@cgiar.org.

Web sites:

IRRI Home www.irri.org

IRRI Library http://ricelib.irri.org

Rice Knowledge Bank www.knowledgebank.irri.org

Rice Today magazine www.irri.org/ricetoday