Daily Archives: April 15, 2011

Japan – Japan bans planting rice in radioactive soil

Source: Yahoo News09/04/2011 – Fears of radiation spread to rice as the planting season began in Japan, prompting the government to ban its cultivation in contaminated soil as fallout leaking from a tsunami-damaged nuclear plant dealt another blow to the national diet.

India – IRRI to set up molecular centre for rice

Source: The Hindu09/04/2011 – The Director General of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Robert S. Zeigler has said that the institute was discussing with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) the possibility of developing an India specific programme of molecular genetic and breeding for rice.

USA – Seeing rice with X-rays may improve crop yields

Source: EurekAlert06/04/2011 – Most people experience X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanners when they are evaluated for a suspected tumor or blood clot. But in the lab of Dr. Quin Liu, PhD., in Wuhan China, rice plants were the patients in a novel use of CT scanners as part of an agriculture study to increase rice yield.

Kenya – Kenya may double rice output with introduction of new variety

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek06/04/2011 – Kenya, a net rice importer, may double production of the grain over the next seven years after introducing a drought-resistant seed variety that thrives in drier environments, the Agriculture Ministry said.