IRRI Pioneer Interviews--Don't prune INGER: E.A. Siddiq
Channel: International Rice Research Institute
Date: 17/03/2015

The legendary Ebrahimali Abubacker Siddiq, 78, began his long and enduring rice research career in 1968 as a cytogeneticist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI; http://www.iari.res.in)) in New Delhi, including 7 years there as a senior scientist.

In 1983-86, he was as a breeder in Egypt for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://irri.org). Returning to IARI, he was appointed professor of genetics (1986-87). 

In late 1987, he became project director at the Directorate of Rice Research (1987-94). He assumed the position of deputy director general (crop science) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1994-97). During a time of transition for IRRI, he served as a member of the Institute’s Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2005. 

This clip features a segment from his IRRI Pioneer Interview in which he argued that INGER should not be cut from IRRI's budget.

"To save money, there was a discussion [during the early 2000s] whether or not we should continue with the International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER; http://inger.irri.org). 

I told my fellow board members very emphatically that it is only through INGER that IRRI has true visibility in the rice world—because it connects with almost all the rice-growing countries through the exchange of germplasm, and particularly resulting in products that many countries can develop into varieties for release in their own different ecologies. 

I said, “No, don’t prune INGER because what you are spending is not that much in the scheme of things and it should continue if you want to have visibility for IRRI. Luckily, I and other INGER proponents won out and INGER thrives today."