External review mission report : rice research and training project, phase II 1981-85

Special evaluation covers the period 1981-11/82 and is based on site visits and interviews with Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and BRRI personnel. BRRI"s staff development is progressing well. Since 1981, using funding from a variety of donors, 16 BRRI scientists have begun M.S. programs, 2 have begun Ph.D."s, and 34 have completed or are receiving short-term training, all at IRRI or the University of the Philippines at Los Banos. BRRI staff are generally young, competent, and dedicated; return of the 43 BRRI scientists currently studying in the Philippines should alleviate BRRI"s staffing constraints. Development of BRRI"s national research station at Joydebpur is largely complete, with laboratories and experimental areas fully utilized and land development complete, although staff housing remains a problem. While the regional substation at Comilla has produced a high grade of research and effective linkages with extension agents, other substations are in the early stage of development and troubled, due to their remoteness, by staff recruitment and transport problems. Two planned substations have not been begun because of a ban on government acquisition of farmers" land and a temporary hiring freeze. Good progress is being made in research. Two new rice varieties, BR10 and BR11, have produced high yields and are occupying more acreage each year. New deepwater varieties are also being developed, but with no major breakthroughs on the horizon yet. More than 750 soil tests have been conducted on farmers" fields, confirming that 72% of fields are sulfur-deficient and more than half zinc-deficient. Significant findings have also been made regarding cropping patterns, planting practices, tillage, weed control, and fertilizer use. Work is also underway in such areas as agricultural economics, machinery design, pest management, and statistical sampling for yield estimation. BRRI provides two 4-month rice production courses annually for extensionists and its publication program has produced a wide range of materials in English and Bengali; printing facilities are being improved. In contrast, the library has been unable to collect all the technical materials it needs. Recommendations are made.