IRRI Pioneer Potpourri: Gurdev Khush on selecting IR36
Channel: International Rice Research Institute
Date: 20/09/2010

Colleagues sometimes see things differently:  

Gurdev Khush, IRRI rice breeder and principal scientist, 1967-2001, stated: I have a very high regard for Kwanchai Gomez as a statistician and a scientist ( http://www.irri.org/publications/today/Gomez.asp ), but frankly there is absolutely no use of that design in selecting IR36 ( http://www.irri.org/about/images/IR36.pdf ). I knew what plant type I was looking for. I knew the height. I knew the plant architecture and growth duration. 

So, it was just my visual observation, the keen eye for what I was looking for. The statistical design of Kwanchai played absolutely no part in the development of IR36. 

Note: In a follow-up later that was not a part of Dr. Khush's pioneer interview, he added: Dr. Coffman's statement [Prior to 1971, the IRRI breeding program did not replicate its yield trials] is absolutely incorrect. I can show the yield trial books with proper cover so indicated and the replicated yield data in the books much before Ronnie joined IRRI.