The Philippine Rice Research (PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have continued building a strong partnership to overcome the challenges in rice breeding, as discussed in the seminar “Breeding End to End: Integrating Genotype Data and Phenotype Data into a Unified Product Development Strategy” at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station, February 20.
Dr. Joshua N. Cobb, lead of IRRI’s project on rice breeding for favorable environments, was the resource person.
“As breeders and researchers, you have to ask yourselves where you want to go in terms of genetic gain, how fast you want to get there, and then strategize. With proper strategy, healthy collaboration, integration, and utilization of new technologies, we can overcome the challenges besetting our field of specialization,” Cobb emphasized during the seminar.
Moreover, during the seminar, the IRRI expert also highlighted the changes that took place in the landscape of rice breeding over the decades and the challenges and impacts that call for a more efficient breeding strategy and genetic resources management.
The seminar was followed by a forum in the afternoon. Dr. Norvie L. Manigbas, PhilRice’s Chief Science Research Specialist and Scientist I said the forum ironed things out regarding the current and continuing projects of PhilRice and IRRI and introduced updates on IRRI’s organizational setup and platforms.
New generation of plant breeders, student-researchers, and visitors from Bangladesh, Columbia, and Africa attended the seminar. Highlights during the said seminar include: