Lao PDR - the "crown jewel" in rice biodiversity project

Box 4. Impact of the Rice Biodiversity Project in national programs

Here are selected comments on impact from officials of some countries that participated in the IRRI/SDC Biodiversity Project.

Bangladesh: "The project helped us collect rice germplasm of both cultivated and wild rices located in less explored and inaccessible areas. Our genebank personnel received much needed training, which has helped them to more smoothly run the BRRI conservation program."--M.A. Islam, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

Bhutan: "Our trained staff will now initiate collection and conservation activities in other crops."--M. Ghimiray, Ministry of Agriculture.

Cambodia: "Most of the existing rice germplasm in the accessible areas has been collected, characterized, and stored. Our next step will be to do this for other crops."--Men Sarom, Cambodia-IRRI-Australia Project.

China: "Global rice genetic resources are a treasure of humanity. Six young staff members from CNRRI attending on-the-job at IRRI were able to expand their knowledge about characterization of wild and cultivated rices, genebank management and conservation, data management, documentation, and seed health."--C.S. Ying, Chinese National Rice Research Institute.

India: "Training activities helped us understand rice landrace diversity in the tribal areas. We also gained insights on in-situ on-farm conservation and its linkage with ex-situ conservation efforts."--P.L. Gautam, Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

Indonesia: "Our genebank was improved by adding the proper equipment for maintaining our accessions in short-, medium-, and long-term situations. In addition to cultivated and wild rices, we began collecting other food crops such as maize, sorghum, legumes, and tubers. We plan to establish a National Center for Food Crops Research"--T. S. Silitonga, Ministry of Agriculture.

Malaysia: "The project has given a tremendous boost to securing rice genetic resources from the remote areas especially in Sarawak and Sabah. Our genebank was able to obtain some essential items including two deep freezers for long-term storage. The effort has added fresh momentum to our rice conservation program. It was an excellent way of fostering an international ‘get together’ in biodiversity conservation activities."--Abdullah Md. Zain, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.

Nepal: "Rice germplasm from key districts has been collected and conserved with duplicates sent to the International Rice Genebank at IRRI."--M.P. Upadhyay, National Agricultural Research Institute.

Philippines: "We are confident that we were able to conserve most of the diversity of Philippine rices. We were also able to improve the management protocol of our genebank facilities including the handling of breeder’s seeds. The rice conservation program has gained recognition as an important effort."--T.H. Borromeo, University of the Philippines Los Baños. 

Thailand: "SDC funds partly assisted us in our rice collection and training activities and our in-situ conservation of wild rices."--S. Chitrakon, Pathum Thani Rice Research Center.

Vietnam: "The project supported our national crop genebank’s efforts to collect germplasm in key areas where rice landraces have been under the most serious threat of genetic erosion. We have received valuable training support and equipment. The project was highly beneficial in making us more aware of agrobiodiversity’s importance as well as in helping us formulate a national strategy on agrobiodiversity conservation."--L.N. Trinh, Plant Genetic Resources Center.

Kenya: "We were able to collect more diversity existing in our wild species. Our staff received training on conservation and management of wild species and data management and documentation."--E.N. Seme, National Genebank.

Madagascar: "The project has helped support the national program in its rice collection and documentation activities. It has provided an important boost to safeguarding our rice biodiversity."--S. Ravaonoro, Germplasm Laboratory, FOFIFA.

Namibia: "The project showed us a larger distribution than we expected based on available records prior to germplasm collection. Now we have at least some accessions of wild rice relatives at our disposal."--H. Kolberg, National Plant Genetic Resources Center.

Swaziland: "This was our first rice collection mission, mostly for wild species. In fact, we were not even aware that we had rice wild relatives in the country. We were even able to collect other wild crop relatives that we came across during the mission."--T. Lupapa, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Uganda: "The collection of wild rice germplasm was a true "eye opener" to the great wealth of genetic resources in our country. Now we have some concrete data to refer to as we prepare our national biodiversity strategy and action plan."--J.M. Wasswa, Entebbe Botanic Gardens.

Tanzania: "The project enabled us to place rice and its wild relatives in our genebank." M.J. Nkya, National Plant Genetic Resources Center.
 

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