Friday, December 2, 2016

50 Years of IR8: A tribute to the 'Miracle Rice' that helped India fight a famine

The Better India

In 1967, when a 29-year-old Nekkanti Subba Rao sowed a semidwarf variety of rice in over 2,000 hectares in Atchanta, West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, he had no idea that the grain he was sowing would start the first Green Revolution. The grain was IR8, a rice variety that could produce as much as seven tonnes of rice per hectare, while the traditional seeds could produce only two tonnes per hectare. Read more

Rice sufficiency aim is on target

Tempo

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manny Piñol reveals they are now focusing on four fundamental aspects to achieve rice sufficiency in the next few years. Read more

Agriculture Secretary cites keys to rice self-sufficiency goal

Pinoy Edmonton News

LOS BANOS, Laguna (Philippines News Agency) — Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is optimistic that the country will achieve its rice self-sufficiency goal in two to three years. Read more

Los Baños-based Irri marks 50th anniversary of rice variety’s release

Business Mirror

The International Rice Research Institute (Irri) said it recently hosted a “Partners’ and Farmers’ Day” to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the rice variety IR8. Read more

PH-developed IR8, world’s first high-yielding rice, turns 50

Manila Bulletin

November 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of IR8; the world’s first high-yielding rice variety and the first rice variety released by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Read more

IR8: The miracle rice which saved millions of lives

BBC

Last week I received a very unusual invitation indeed. It was to a 50th birthday party in a swanky Delhi hotel, but the party was for a plant: a strain of rice known only by its initials, IR8. Read more

Thursday, November 24, 2016

IR8, world’s first high-yielding rice, turns 50

SeedQuest

November 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of IR8; the world’s first high-yielding rice variety and the first rice variety released by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Read more