3 November:1995, Super Typhoon
Rosing inflicts considerable damage to infrastructure at IRRI headquarters.
5 November:
1985, With encouragement from IRRI, the
Philippines legally founds the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice); 2004, During the
Word Rice Research Conference (WRRC) in Japan, IRRI launches its Environmental Agenda to renew focus on the development of sustainable strategies to feed half of the world’s population that depends on rice. About 1,200 participants from 42 countries attend the WRRC,
the culminating event of the International
Year of Rice 2004; 2007, DG Robert Zeigler
discusses IRRI's research agenda with H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
(at left in photo) during the opening ceremonies for
BioAsia 2007 in Bangkok.
7
November:2007, Dr. Roland Buresh is awarded
the 2007 International Soil Science Award by the Soil Society of America (SSSA)
for his leadership in formulating and disseminating practices of site-specific nutrient
management (SSNM) through partnerships with national research and
extension organizations and the private sector in Bangladesh, China, India,
Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
10 November:1987, President Corazon C, Aquino presents the Golden Heart Presidential Award to M.S. Swaminathan, IRRI director general; 2002, during its 20th anniversary celebration in Manila, the Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI) presents IRRI with an award for working jointly in the formidable task of enabling disadvantaged farmers to become responsible and productive members of society, aided in part through salt-tolerant and tungro-resistant rice lines.
11 November:2003,
IRRI's online publications archive is launched containing rice research topics found in more than 480 historical scientific books (approximately 90,000 pages via 4,350 searchable pdf files) published by IRRI and/or collaborators since 1960.
These files were transferred to Google
Book Search in 2008.
15 November:1991, M.S. Swaminathan
(photo), former IRRI director general, is awarded the 1991 Honda Prize
in Tokyo; 2001, Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong visits IRRI.
16 November: 1996, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori visits IRRI; 2006,
Rice production in Southeast Asia, arguably the region’s most important
industry, receives a major boost with the endorsement of three new strategies
by the agricultural ministers of the ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). Implemented and coordinated by IRRI, the new measures are
aimed at three
major challenges facing rice production in ASEAN; 2009,
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand officially
opens the 6th
International Rice Genetics Symposium at the Manila Hotel. The 3-day
conference is being attended by 777 scientists, researchers, exhibitors, and
members of the media is the largest gathering of scientists ever hosted by
IRRI in the Philippines.
17 November:2000, to
mark the 40 years of strong partnership between the Institute and
Thailand, the IRRI Liaison
Office in Bangkok sponsors and kicks off 2 days of events in the country; 2009,
IRRI embarks on its 50th anniversary celebrations to acknowledge how rice
science has helped address food security, and to emphasize the ongoing need
for rice science to tackle the challenges of poverty and climate change. Her
Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand formally launches
IRRI's 50th anniversary at IRRI’s headquarters in the Philippines, which
will include 12 months of special activities to draw the world’s attention
to rice—the crop that feeds half the world—and opportunities to achieve
global food security.
18 November: 2004, in celebration of the International Year of Rice 2004,
Host Country Day held at IRRI attracts approximately 125 officials from various branches of the Philippine Government.
20 November:2009,The 3rd Foundation Day
Lecture of the KIIT School of Rural Management, a constituent of
KIIT University, is delivered by IRRI DG Robert Zeigler; Around 370 out of
the 777 participants in the 6th Rice Genetics Symposium held in
Manila come to IRRI for a tour of the research complex and experimental
plots.
22 November:2002, J.K. Ladha, soil nutritionist, is named a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and Sant Virmani, plant breeder, receives International Service in Crop Science Award from the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA).
23 November:1962, Princess (later Queen) Beatrix of Netherlands visits IRRI; 2003, David J. Mackill, head of the Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biochemistry Division, is selected as a fellow of the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA); 2004,
1) Shaobing Peng, senior crop physiologist, is named a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). 2) Director General Ron Cantrell announces the establishment of the IRRI Environmental Council (IEC), with the mandate of providing a mechanism to ensure the long-term implementation, continued development, and evolution as well as success of the
IRRI Environmental Agenda (IEA).
24 November:2004, J.K. Ladha, soil nutritionist, is selected as a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA);
2008, IRRI is featured on NBC Nightly News (see
NBC video below).
25 November:2009,
In the face of
unrelenting pressure on Asian rice production, IRRI launches a US$300
million fund-raising campaign during a special
program held in Singapore to support rice research to help find
sustainable solutions. Via a special video prepared ahead of time for
the event (see below),
Jeff Raikes, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gives a
message of support for the campaign.
The IRRI Fund and its Web site are unveiled.
29
November:1966, IRRI officially announces the name of its
first rice variety, IR8(photo).
“IR8 was to tropical rices what the Model T Ford
was to automobiles…a rugged variety that could go almost anywhere,”
as was stated in the 1980 IRRI publication, Beyond IR8/IRRI’s Second Decade.
To view an article that recounts the interesting breeding history of IR8, click here.
7
November: 
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