Virender Kumar

Position:Coordinator Region XI: Southeast Asia
Location:

Sustainable Impact Platform,International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila 1301, Philippines

Phone:

Mobile:

Email: 

 

+63 (2) 580-5600 ext 2704 (office)

+63-9175189431 

[email protected]

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION
 Ph. D., Weed Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA (2008)
 M. Sc., Agronomy, C.C.S. Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India (2002).
 B. Sc. (Honours) Agriculture, C.C.S. Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India (1999).

EXPERTISE
 Weed science/Systems agronomy with > 12 years of working experience in developing sustainable intensification solutions of crop and cropping systems and integrated weed management of rice-based systems in South and Southeast Asia. The major focus of my work is combination of process-based agronomy and integrated weed management in novel production systems, including those based on the principle of conservation agriculture as well as adaptive solutions for coping with climate extremes and resource limitations.


WORK HISTORY
 March 15, 2015 to Present: Senior Scientist- Weed Science/Systems Agronomy, IRRI, Philippines.
 August 1, 2012 to March 14, 2015: Cropping Systems Agronomist, CIMMYT, India
 April 2008 to July 2012: Scientist (System Agronomy/Weeds), IRRI, India.

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
o Leading the ‘Adaptive Agronomy and Pest Ecology’ cluster of Sustainable Impact Platform of IRRI (June 2019 to Present)
o Leading the IRRI’s research and development program on innovative crop and natural resource management to manage weeds in intensive and diversified rice-based systems in South and Southeast Asia (March 2015 to Present).
o Leading the IRRI’s Direct-Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC) – a public-private multi-stakeholderR4D platform on DSR as coordinator of consortium (2018 to Present).
o Currently leading two work streams [Directly-sown rice (DSR) and integrated weed management (IWM)] of Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) Phase-III project in South Asia funded by USAID and BMGF (2015 to Present).
o Sri Lanka Country Coordinator for project entitled ‘Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP) funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (2015 to Present).
o Currently leading the work package on integrated weed management in various projects of IRRI
o Lead of strategic research component of CSISA project Phase-II (2013-2015)
o Co-Facilitator, Rice-Wheat Consortium (RWC) for the Indo-Gangetic Plains to implement regional research programs/projects (2009-2011)

CURRENT DONOR FUNDED PROJECTS
o Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) Phase-III funded by Bill & Melinda Gates and USAID (www.csisa.org). Project duration 2015-2020 (5 years).
o Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with reduced environmental footprint (CORIGAP). Funded by SDC. Project duration 2017-2020 (four years). http://corigap.irri.org/.