This entry is submitted by Gloria Gamat, via Creative Reporter.Monday, 23rd January, marked the launch of The Crops Research Informatics Lab (CRIL), the first tangible product of an initiative that's probably considered the biggest alliance in the world of Agricultural Research: The IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance.

Two international crop research centres have launched an initiative intended to give a major boost to researchers developing improved varieties of the world's most important crops - rice, maize and wheat.

This should make it easier, faster and cheaper to compare the biology and genetics of the three crops, which together provide 60 per cent of global food and cover more than 70 per cent of the planet's productive cropland.

The CRIL will be based in CIMMYT but will link up to existing IRRI Facilities. Rice, maize and wheat, all together in one scientific programme: I guess food security the world over is taken cared of.

Read the full report here.

About Gloria Gamat: Gloria is a proud single-mom to Raine (Rainier Brando: born 29 December 2002) and a chemist. Gloria also blogs about motherhood at EMothersOnline and about life and travel in the Philippines at The Philippine Culture Blog and at Pinoy Travel Blog respectively.