Awards
IRRI scientist team members awarded for work with IPM Innovation Lab
The Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab, a global group led by Virginia Tech and composed of scientists from the U.S. and organizations across Asia and Africa, including IRRI, won the Integrated Pest Management Team Award for Excellence at the 10th International IPM Symposium in Denver, Colorado, on 28 February.
One of the Lab’s programs is IRRI’s project, Development of Ecologically-based Participatory IPM Package for Rice in Cambodia (EPIC). IRRI scientists Virender Kumar and Rica Joy Flor were recognized as part of the IPM Innovation Lab Team tied to their work with EPIC.
IRRI visiting scholar wins 1st place at the 2022 Penn State Biology Student Research Showcase
Christian F. Cantos, a plant biology Ph.D. student at Pennsylvania State University, won first place for his poster presentation, Natural variant of rice G proteins subunit, RGA1, shows high performance under drought stress. The study aimed to utilize the natural variation of rice G-protein (Gα) subunits across the rice 3K panel and determine its field performance under drought stress.
“Rice research has been the cornerstone of my career,” Mr. Cantos said. “I believe this work will have a great application for crop improvement and rice breeding with favorable traits, which can potentially help contribute to food security worldwide.”
IRRI wins Global Food Systems Challenge for arsenic-safe rice project
IRRI was awarded the Global Food Systems Challenge Grand Prize for its arsenic-safe rice project. Groundwater levels of the carcinogen arsenic in many rice-growing areas in South and Southeast Asia are up to 100 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit. Although arsenic contamination in rice has been documented for the past 2 decades, farmers in arsenic-affected areas have had no access to acceptable arsenic-safe rice germplasm.
Through this project, IRRI is testing, validating, and distributing rice varieties that (1) demonstrate reduced arsenic uptake from the soil and water, (2) keep arsenic content in grain and straw within safe limits for human and livestock health, and (3) meet the market requirements especially for grain and eating quality. These rice varieties will be made available and accessible to all stakeholders, particularly smallholder farming families and women.
The Global Food Systems Challenge aims to inspire and support innovative, diverse, and multidisciplinary teams to create game-changing innovations that will help transform food systems.
IRRI 2021 annual report included in the 2022 Hallbars Best of World Sustainability Reports Award
The Hallbars Sustainability Research Institute has included IRRI's 2021 Annual Report in its 2022 Best in the World list under the category of agricultural research institutions.
The Hallbars Awards review thousands of corporate sustainability reports, integrated annual reports, institution reports, and documents from over 100 countries and ranks them based on top quality and effective research. It showcases efforts worldwide for sustainability in both private corporations and public institutions.