Contact person:
Dr. Tao Li
International Rice Research Institute
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 63-2-580-5600, ext. 2732.


Job Profile

Job Title:      Post doctoral research fellow -
        Rice modeler for salinity stress

Employment Category:    PDF
Reports to:     Dr. Tao Li/Dr. Abdelbagi Ismail/Dr. Bas Bouman
Department:     Crop and Environmental Sciences Division
Organization:   International Rice Research Institute
Country:        Philippines

Job Purpose:
According to FAO, total global area of saline and sodic land is about 444 million hectares in Asia, Pacific and Australia. Millions of hectares in the humid regions of South and Southeast Asia are technically suited for rice production but are left uncultivated or have very low yields because of salinity and other soil problems. Efforts to develop salt tolerant rice varieties, and effective agronomic practices made limited success over the past some years. However, for further progress, a multidisciplinary tool is needed to guide the development of salt tolerant varieties and optimized management options for higher yields. For this purpose, this job position will develop new modules and modify existing modules to enable IRRI's rice simulation model ORYZA2000 to correctly simulate rice growth and crop yields under salinity stress in salt affected areas. Furthermore, the incumbent will later extend this work to simulate yields in areas affected by floods. Existing data sets as well as ongoing field experiments at different sites in Asia will be used to calibrate and validate the developed model. This work will contribute to various projects at IRRI such as STRASA and ACIAR projects in Asia. This position will be based at IRRI, Los Baños, but with collaboration with international partners, with possible travel to other countries.

Major Accountabilities / Responsibilities:
In close collaboration with IRRI scientists and IRRI partners,  the main responsibility is to extent the capacity of ORYZA2000 to assess combinations of suitable varieties and good management practices for high and stable rice production in salt affected areas, and to guide future development of relevant technologies (breeding and management).
Specific responsibilities will include:
        1. Review existing experimental data and scientific knowledge on soil, water and nutrient dynamics, and plant physiological processes and modeling algorithms involved in responses of rice to salinity stress, to identify required data and knowledge gaps for rice model development.
        2. Develop new modules and/or modify existing modules of ORYZA2000 for simulation of rice growth and crop yields as determined by genotype and field management under salt stress.
        3. Calibrate and validation ORYZA2000-salt model against historic and newly collected data from complementary key experiments.
        4. Apply the model to simulate/identify adaptive traits and best management practices for saline environment, and to assess the impacts of salinity on regional rice production.

Job Dimensions
Period: 2 years with possible extension based on performance and availability of fund

Supervisor: Dr Tao Li (Crop modeler)
Co-supervisor:  Dr Abdelbagi Ismail (Salinity and submergence physiologist)
Number of Associates: Numerous NARES collaborators
Financial Responsibility (e.g. Budget Cost, Equipment):None

Key Performance Indicators / Measures of Success:
        1. Documented source code in ORYZA2000 for simulating rice responses to salinity stress.;
        2. ORYZA2000-salt model calibrated and validated against historic and newly collected experimental data;
        3. Guidelines for effective rice field management practices and rice breeding strategies that can minimize the impacts of salinity on rice production based on model simulations;
        4. Tool for simulated characterization and impact assessment of typical salt affected areas on rice production.

Education / Experience

Minimum Education:
PhD in biophysical modeling with background in biology, plant or crop physiology or agricultural science

Experience Required:

  --ESSENTIAL
        1. Demonstrated expertise in biophysical model development.
        2. Good knowledge of key processes of crop physiology and soil chemistry related to abiotic stresses.
        3. Experience in and aptitude for calibration, evaluation and application of crop models.
        4. Experience in one of the following computer programming languages: Fortran (preferred), C++, VB, VBA, Java, etc.

  --DESIRABLE ADDITIONAL SKILL
        1. Good understanding of rice physiology and soil chemistry.
        2. Experience in generating data and assessing responses of rice to abiotic stresses.
        3. Good communication skills (oral, written; informal and formal).
        4. Good interpersonal skills and ability to relate to and interact with individuals from different national and cultural backgrounds

Languages: Fluent in oral and written English

Core Competencies:

  --Communication
        * gets comments or feedback on presented information
        * discusses and respects others' views and opinions
        * uses appropriate communication tools

  --Critical thinking
        * breaks down concrete issues and problems into their component part and identifies key issues
        * distinguishes among facts, perceptions, assumptions, and opinions
        * constructs and develops coherent arguments
        * articulates and communicates reasoned judgments

  --Results orientation
       * sets standards to achieve results
        * tackles tasks in order of importance
        * takes necessary actions if commitments are not met
        * monitors own progress against objectives and plans

  --Teamwork and partnership
       * includes individuals in team activities and capitalizes on diverse skills and ideas
        * accepts responsibility for team goals
        * resolves issues within the team or partnership