Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center celebrates 25 years
Aug. 4, 2023
By the U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Key leaders from Division of Agriculture, other institutions attended
- Center’s USDA researchers key to global rice supply
(389 words)
(Newsrooms: Download photos from the event)
STUTTGART, Ark. — Administrators with the University of Arkansas System of Agriculture and other institutions gathered in Stuttgart earlier this week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture facility, located next to the Division of Agriculture’s Rice Research and Extension Center, was founded in 1998 and named after the former Arkansas governor and U.S. Senator. The Division of Agriculture’s own Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences is also named after him.
The open house event included tours of the building’s research laboratories and greenhouses, as well as remarks from about a dozen key figures in attendance, including Deacue Fields III, vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, and Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Sanah Baig, USDA deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics, said that the center was of central importance to feeding people around the globe.
“Since its establishment in 1998, USDA’s DBNRRC has been the epicenter for cutting-edge research on rice,” said Baig. “Co-located with the University of Arkansas in Stuttgart, researchers from both organizations ensure that rice – a staple food crop for billions of people around the world – is increasingly climate-smart, nutritious, affordable, and appealing to consumers. By helping producers grow in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner, our research also helps U.S. rice production successfully compete in the national and global marketplace.”
Some key research accomplishments credited to the center’s scientists include:
- Genetic stocks that provide new sources for improving the resilience of all crops.
The Genetic Stocks Oryza(GSOR) collection was established in 2003 to support the national and international
distribution of rice genetic materials. Today, GSOR houses approximately 38,000 accessions
and has distributed over 148,000 accessions to rice breeders and researchers since
its inception.
- The development and implementation of molecular markers to validate phenotypic data
for fragrance, pericarp color, blast disease resistance, leaf and hull pubescence,
apparent amylose content, starch pasting properties, gelatinization temperature, and
plant height. These markers are widely used by the U.S. rice scientific community
resulting in accelerated crop improvement.
- Advancements in rice blast, the most devastating disease of rice, research. U.S. rice producers are protected by a suite of important disease-resistance genes identified and transferred to industry breeders by DBNRRC scientists.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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