The International Hybrid Rice Symposium (IHRS), spearheaded by IRRI’s Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC), is conducted every 4 years in different countries and coordinated with the host government’s rice research institution. Previous editions of IHRS were held in Changsha, China (1986 and 2008), Manila, Philippines (1994), Hyderabad, India (1996 and 2012), Hanoi, Vietnam (2003), and Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2018).
The event, one of the highlights of the International Rice Congress 2023, is the global center of hybrid rice science that features the latest knowledge and developments in this dynamic field which is crucial to global food security. It also serves as a platform where consortium members and fellow researchers specializing in and studying hybrid rice and related concepts can discuss research challenges and adoption. IHRS will be the best opportunity to directly hear and interact with the rice experts who will be able to relate to challenges of food security and climate change.
This year’s IHRS theme, Heralding an era of low carbon footprint hybrids, focuses on the effect of rice production on climate change. It aims to attract and draw the attention of rice research community, academe, policymakers, climate experts, and other stakeholders to the advantages of rice hybrids in combating the food security and climate change challenges.
The coming decades will be sort of a battle to produce more with less resources and making it economically attractive for the farmers and rice value stakeholders in a sustainable way. Accelerating food systems transformation is essential to ensure the global food and nutritional security especially under climate change conditions. In this pursuit, the planet's health has to be kept safe and even improved for future generations. Growth in rice production has to be achieved vertically as there is limited scope for expansion of cropping areas.
HRDC, which engages both private and public institutions, promotes climate-resilient hybrid rice that can withstand the effect of climate change. Rice production is affected by and contributes to climate change. The inputs and management practices applied contribute to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions across the globe. However, rice being a staple diet for more half of human population, remains the key to ensure food is fully secured, available and accessible to all at all times.
Hybrid technology provides more than 25% increased grain yields compared to the best performing inbred checks. In this context, hybrid rice technology offers a viable option by bringing out low-carbon footprint rice hybrids with adequate nutrition (the essential micronutrients iron and zinc) and low in heavy metals like arsenic in rice grains. Based on their increased grain yields in early duration maturities (less than 110 days) these low-carbon footprint rice hybrids could significantly reduce methane emissions in comparison to conventional inbreds.
Identifying the right improved germplasm and microbiome with proper agronomic management could potentially help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). Nutrient-use efficiency traits inbuilt in hybrids and the manner in which it is cultivated could significantly reduce GHGE. The newly developed improved direct-seeded rice (DSR) hybrids could be the game changer products that significantly reduce GHGE under both dry and wet conditions. Hybrid rice technology has to prevail in order to solve the shortcomings much expected in the rice production in the coming decades.
All these research findings and aspects of new technologies, genetics, and breeding, crop management, seed production, socio-economic and national policies and extension strategies will be deliberated pertaining to the theme and relevant areas.
There will be 6 world-renowned experts as keynote speakers who will set the tone for an inspiring, forward-looking conference that will provide us with innovative ideas for this important research area. IHRS will also feature 24 invited speakers and 8 flash talks by young researchers who will add both variety and excitement to the event.
Annual workshops for HRDC and Two-Line Study Group members will be held on 20 and 21 October, respectively. The workshops will go in deep details to cover relevant topics or specific issues.
Membership invitations to HRDC and Two-Line Study Group will be offered at IHRS and a visit to IRRI headquarters to see promising hybrids.
IHRS provides educational and networking opportunities that are unmatched anywhere else. Even the short group meetings, especially during Tea and Lunch breaks, during the 4-day symposium are an important sideline event where many interesting conversations among conference delegates take place and add more value to the experience.
