The CGIAR Research Program on Rice (RICE) is a forward-looking, holistic, global partnership that focuses on the win-win proposition of the social, economic, and environmental sustainability aspects of rice.

RICE is a collaborative partnership that cuts across all components of the rice sector and aims to deliver impact for a sustainable future.

Local government officials from over 10 districts in Central Uganda warned scientists of biotech critics whose efforts they claimed were responsible for the impasse with the biotechnology bill. This was at the NARO technologies awareness workshop that was organized by the Uganda Biosciences Information Centre (UBIC) at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) and the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI) on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Experts from Kyoto University and partner institutions developed double mutant lines of rice to gather information on enhancing lignin deposition in grass species which are vital lignocellulose feedstocks. Their findings are reported in Plant Science. Enriching plant's lignin contributes to improved applications of lignocellulosic biomass into solid biofuels and valuable aromatic chemicals.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly. Since its start in China in December, the outbreak has spread to more than 100 countries, endangering the health and livelihoods of millions. To contain the pandemic, many cities and regions across the world have been shut down, putting a halt to day-to-day activities.

Lake Tana is the most important freshwater lake in Ethiopia, holding up to 50% of the country’s water and serving as the main source of the Blue Nile, which provides valuable ecosystem services. The lake was recognized by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a hotspot of biodiversity, an Important Bird Area and a site of global importance for agricultural genetic diversity.

Of the 12 interventions identified for agriculture by the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) in its September report, ‘Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience’, research and development has a role to play in nine interventions. That is just about the number of interventions involving policy and markets, and two more than those that require financial input.

The pioneering neuroscientist Bruce McEwen died on January 2, 2020 at the age of 81 following a brief illness. He was the Alfred E. Mirsky Professor and head of the Harold and Margaret Millikin Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University. Born in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bruce grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in an academic household; his father George was a Professor of English in the University of Michigan’s Engineering School

On behalf of the ICRISAT Governing Board, I am announcing a change in plans for the future Director General. I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes as incoming Director General for ICRISAT. She will be able to join us soon on 1 June 2020.

Peatlands cover only 3 percent of the world's surface yet contain as much carbon as all of its vegetation, dramatically underscoring their pivotal role in global climate regulation. Their degradation, by drainage or fire or other forces, triggers their conversion from slow carbon sinks into fast sources capable of releasing carbon stored over millennia in a few decades.

A team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine developed lettuce plants that could stimulate the growth of bone-building cells and promote bone regeneration by using an animal protein to synthesize an orally delivered shelf-stable medication grown in the lettuce. This can address the medication needs of bone-fracture and diabetic patients who can have the option of eating their medicine rather than use injectables.