LAGUNA, Philippines, 29 November 2024 ~ The Rice Breeding Innovations (RBI) Seed Health and Logistics Unit of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with partner National Plant Protection Organization (NPPOs), held the 2024 Seed Health Workshop at IRRI Headquarters in the Philippines.
The event aimed to strengthen the network of seed health services among NPPOs and laboratories in South Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly in the exchange of practices in seed health testing, which includes validation of testing protocols, capacity development, and awareness of quarantine and regulatory requirements.
Held from 21 to 25 October 2024, the workshop was organized in a hybrid format with face-to-face and online participants. Participants from the different national plant protection organizations offices include representatives from the Manila and Los Baños offices of the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and representatives government partners from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. Their participation highlighted government agencies' critical role in spearheading seed health advancements.
During his opening speech, interim RBI director Dr. Sankalp Bhosale pointed out that germplasm health units are the heartbeat of agricultural organizations, as the quality of the seeds determines the success of germplasm development and exchange. He also revealed that IRRI’s germplasm exchange activities had significantly grown since the pandemic slowdown four years ago, as now 16 breeding pipelines are sending out around 500 to 1,000 germplasm each to countries worldwide. “I would encourage this community of practice to develop a well-coordinated system to inspire collaboration, learn from best practices, solve issues, and expedite innovation,” he remarked.
Senior Manager of the Seed Health and Logistics Unit Dr. Martina Castellon gave workshop participants an overview of the IRRI unit, particularly the strict roles and responsibilities of its three sub-units -Phytosanitary Actions Performance and Crop Health, Logistics and Compliance, and Quality Assurance- for the delivery of high standard services. She also highlighted the unit’s drive for continuous improvement, and process updating based on managed risks and customer focus, to take advantage of new opportunities and expand capacities.
IRRI partners also shared presentations of plant quarantine and phytosanitary systems and processes from their respective agencies. These included Ms. Gladys Cunanan, Ms. Ferlavee Apacionado, and Dr. Darwin Landicho of BPI, Dr. Rakesh Singh of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Dr. Monir Hosen of the Bangladesh Department of Agricultural Extension, and Mr. Salik Ram Poudel of the Nepal Plant Quarantine Office.
Across the four-day workshop, participants were given a tour of the IRRI campus and various laboratories, including Seed Health and Logistics, Plant Pathology and Host Plant Resistance, Consumer Drive Grain Quality and Nutrition, and the Central Post-Entry Quarantine Station of BPI. There was also a roundtable discussion on challenges in seed health testing and treatments, quality management system best practices, and community of practice. The workshop concluded with a summary of learnings and discussions on how to move forward, process improvements as well as opportunities for building capacity and harmonization.