Africa Rice Center with IRRI and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), which sets a global strategic research agenda for rice. One of the major tasks of AfricaRice is the development and introduction of new rice seed varieties that are suitable for African conditions. NERICA, which stands for "New Rice for Africa", is two families of interspecific cultivars of African ("Oryza glaberrima") and Asian ("Oryza sativa") rice species, that was developed to improve the yields of African farmers. For his work on NERICA, Dr Monty Jones from Sierra Leone was awarded the World Food Prize in 2004
Scirpophaga nivella orange anal tuft, sometimes brownish in the female. The larvae are off white with a reddish dorsal line. Major feeding plant is sugarcane, besides "Oryza sativa", "Scirpus", "Cyperus", "Eleocharis" (including "Eleocharis dulcis") and "Calidum articulatum" are also susceptible as feeding plants of the moth. Caterpillars bore into midrib, by leaving red markings and small holes on the leaves. Then it bore in the upper portion of stem, causing "dead heart" symptoms. Gradually, side branches start growing from a lower node, giving a characteristic "bunchy top" appearance to the plant. Most effective method is using biological predators and parasitoids. It is