Devgen and IRRI form a partnership for the development of drought-tolerant rice hybrids to the benefit of the Asian rice farmers

Ghent (Belgium), Los Baños (The Philippines), March 31, 2010

Devgen (Euronext Brussels; DEVG) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) today announced the establishment of a partnership for the development of hybrid rice varieties capable of withstanding drought more efficiently than the presently available varieties.

In recent years, rice crops in China, India, and other drought-affected countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa seriously suffered from drought stress resulting in reduced rice production. In rain fed areas, rice farmers are highly dependent on rainfall to grow their crops. In the absence of rain, "drought stress" can have a severe impact on yield.

"Lower yields mean farmers have less rice to feed their families and sell to their communities. Subsequently, rice prices may increase, causing devastating consequences for more than 60% of the world's poorest who live in Asia and rely on rice as their staple food," said Dr. Arvind Kumar, who is leading IRRI's drought-tolerant rice research under the new partnership.   

"Under climate change, droughts are predicted to become more frequent in these rain fed areas that are home to 45% of all rice production," he added. "If countries like India can protect rice production through drought-hardy crops, we will have come a long way in providing food security to the most vulnerable people in Asia."

IRRI has identified traits that enhance drought resistance in rice. Under the terms of the agreement, IRRI and Devgen will apply Devgen's innovative hybrid rice technology to breed some of these traits into breeding lines through marker-assisted breeding in order to develop drought-resistant rice hybrids. Following appropriate trials, Devgen will start to market its hybrids through its distribution channels, offering farmers in rain fed areas a practical solution to one of their most severe problems. The drought material used in this work, will remain widely available to other IRRI partners for rice improvement work.

"We are very excited about this agreement. Abiotic stress such as drought is a substantial yield- limiting factor for farmers who depend on rain to irrigate their land," said Dr. Thierry Bogaert, CEO of Devgen. "It is the aim of both IRRI and Devgen to offer solutions to farmers to increase their yields in the face of water scarcity."

The four-year Scientific Know-how Exchange Program (SKEP) also promotes capacity building and scientific interaction between IRRI and Devgen for drought phenotyping, molecular QTL-mapping, and marker-assisted breeding in hybrid rice.

The Devgen/IRRI agreement will also ensure that IRRI, a nonprofit organization, can continue to widely deliver its research, including the seed of new rice varieties, to its partners. This agreement does not provide for exclusive access to IRRI's research or research outcomes, while recognizing the Intellectual Property (IP) of both parties.

Director General of IRRI, Dr. Robert Zeigler added that "Our agreement with Devgen is another way that we can bring public and private-sector research together to attack the problem of low productivity in rain fed areas highly prone to drought. We are looking forward to working with Devgen on this project and seeing our results directly benefit farmers who have largely been marginalized from most agricultural innovations."

In 2010, IRRI celebrates its 50th anniversary. Since its establishment, IRRI has fostered many partnerships with the private sector and others that have increased IRRI's capacity to deliver on its mission to improve the welfare of rice farmers and consumers-particularly through higher rice yields. This agreement with Devgen is part of the latest generation of IRRI's collaborations with private-sector partners to increase the scope and impact of rice research.

About the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

IRRI is a nonprofit independent organization that, through rice research, aims to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure rice production is environmentally sustainable.

IRRI is a global leader in rice science. Since 1960, we have helped farmers boost their rice production through improved rice varieties and other technologies. Based in the Philippines, we also have offices in 14 other nations and are supported by our donors worldwide.

www.irri.org

Also see http://beta.irri.org/test/j15/index.php

About Devgen nv

Devgen's mission is to enable farmers to sustainably grow more food on less land, with less water, agrochemicals and labour.

Devgen uses advanced biotechnology and molecular breeding technology to make high yielding seeds and crop protection solutions with a superior environmental profile.

Devgen brings this technology to the market in the world's major food and feed crops through two complementary strategies:

-   Licensing Devgen technology for use in corn, cotton and soy and selected other crops in exchange for R&D funding, and milestone and royalty payments;

-   Producing and selling its premium hybrid seeds in major field crops such as rice, sunflower, sorghum, and pearl millet, in the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia.

In its Crop Protection unit, Devgen developed and has taken to market a novel nematicide, an agro-chemical product that protects crops from damage by parasitic nematodes.

Incorporated in 1997, Devgen has offices in Ghent (Belgium), Singapore, Hyderabad (India), General Santos (the Philippines) and Delaware (US) and employs more than 280 people. 

For more information please contact:

Or visit: www.devgen.com

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