by Dr. Proloy Deb and Dr. Swatantra Dubey The Central Plain region of Uttar Pradesh is widely known for its fertile soil and is now at the forefront of a pressing environmental concern: rapid groundwater depletion. Approximately 46 billion cubic meters (BCM) of groundwater resources were withdrawn alone in 2023, attributed to agricultural practices (Singh, 2025). This volume is
Quelimane, Mozambique (11 June 2025) — Mozambique is taking steps toward a more market-responsive approach to rice breeding, focusing on varieties that meet the needs of farmers, consumers, and the wider rice value chain. At a recent national workshop, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in partnership with the Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM), convened the Mozambique Rice
LOS BAÑOS, Philippines (26 June 2026) — KOICA, UPLB, and IRRI came together to showcase how global partnerships and emerging omics technologies are transforming agri-food systems across Asia and beyond at the 4th KOICA-UPLB-IRRI International Conference. The event convened scientists, scholars, and development partners to explore how genomics and bioinformatics address pressing challenges in food security, environmental sustainability, and
Los Banos, Laguna (25 June 2025) – International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Davao Unmanned Aerial Solutions (DUAS) strengthened their longstanding partnership by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at IRRI Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. This agreement aims to expand the strategic use of drone technology in institutional security, operational preparedness, and capacity building. The partnership also opened
LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA (June 18, 2025) — Dr. Pallavi Singh, Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, UK, and her team have developed a successful method for grafting rice—marking a breakthrough for monocot plants, which have long been considered impossible to graft. Their findings show that grafting in rice is possible by joining the young
by Sharif Ahmed, Manik Debnath, and Humnath Bhandari Coastal Bangladesh, which accounts for nearly one-third of the country’s agricultural land, faces significant challenges that limit its cropping intensity. Soil and water salinity, waterlogging, erratic rainfall, and prolonged cultivation of long-duration aman rice leave 30-50% of farmland fallow during the dry season. This underutilization represents a missed opportunity to enhance
By Pramod Gorakhanath Kabade, Uma Maheshwar Singh, Pallavi Sinha, Vikas Kumar Singh, et al. Building on the success of pioneering protocols such as SpeedFlower, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently introduced Speed Breeding 3.0, a more comprehensive, inclusive, and adaptable framework designed for all crops, regardless of their growth cycle. This advanced strategy represents a critical initiative in
Bold investments, strategic partnerships, and scalable solutions were at the forefront of the discussions at the “Future of Global Food Systems Forum,” co-hosted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to accelerate global food systems transformation, particularly for rice. While rice feeds over four billion people and supports 150 million smallholder farmers globally, its