Proceedings of the Seventh Asian Regional Maize Workshop

Abstract

The regional maize workshop is an important scientific event that brings together maize researchers regionwide to interact, exchange ideas, share knowledge, and review progress of important research activities. This was the seventh maize workshop organized jointly by PCARRD, UPLB, DA-BAR. and CIMMYT. I was impressed with the program and would very much like to thank the organizing committee for choosing Los Banos, Philippines, as the venue for the workshop and to PCARRD IRRI for providing effective logistical support. I would also like to recognize other national institutions and seed industry groups, who kindly and successfully assisted in various deliberations. I would also like to comment on attendance, which in my opinion was excellent. The 200 or so researchers participating in this workshop represent diverse areas and disciplines and included seed industry representatives from several countries. Scientists were invited from each country to make this workshop truly interdisciplinary, and many participants hailed from outside Asia, coming from countries such as Mexico. Guatemala, Colombia, the U.S.A., and Canada. CIMMYT participants and presenters included the Director General, Prof. Timothy Reeves, and practically all program directors, as well as maize program staff scientists. A plenary lecture by Prof. Reeves was attended by dignitaries such as Dr. William Dar, Executive Director, PCARRD; Bob Havener, Interim Director General, IRRI; Dr. R.S. Paroda, Director General, ICAR. The contents and technical agenda of the workshop covered a wide spectrum of topics and reflected the concerted effort of many dedicated researchers from different disciplines; all deserve our appreciation for their contributions. Topics addressed by inaugural papers included the Asian economic crisis and its implications for the maize sector, the role of biotechnology for maize improvement. intellectual property rights. networking, advances in com borer rPM research, expanding possibilities for research in hybrid maize technology in the next century, and productivity and sustainability issues. Technical sessions covered public-private research collaboration, new hybrid-oriented and bioscience technologies, stress tolerance, agronomy research, speciality com types, and maize seed industry reports. The country reports have improved, and can still be made even better. Participation was enthusiastic, and the general impression was that even more time was needed for in-depth discussion on each project, particularly for drought, waterlogging, downy mildew, borers, banded leaf and sheath blight, and quality protein maize. Presenters in the future should make sure to leave time for ample discussion. Finally, participants should be allowed more time to look at demonstration plots, to observe materials from different national programs. In the end, I commend the participants for the diversity of papers and themes, and am confident that readers of these proceedings will find the information and ideas herein useful in guiding future research efforts.