Decoding plant language through light

The article follows the collaboration between Roshanak Darvishzadeh, remote sensing specialist at the University of Twente, and Alice Laborte, geospatial scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), part of CGIAR.

Through the NWO-funded Senior Expert Programme in the NL-CGIAR research programme, their collaboration brings together advanced hyperspectral remote sensing expertise from the Netherlands with IRRI’s deep knowledge of rice systems, landscapes and farmer realities in Asia. Their work focuses on Bacterial Leaf Blight, a rice disease that can already have caused serious damage by the time farmers see the first yellow patches in their fields.

From collecting field data in Philippine rice paddies to training local scientists in hyperspectral data analysis, this story illustrates what the Senior Expert Programme is designed to do: connect Dutch expertise with CGIAR’s long-term, locally embedded research, strengthen scientific capacity, and help ensure that innovation can be translated into practical tools for farmers and food systems.

We would like to thank journalist Jasmijn Snoijink for capturing this story with depth and care, and Roshanak Darvishzadeh and Alice Laborte for generously sharing their time, expertise and reflections in the interview. We also gratefully acknowledge the collaborative efforts of CGIAR and NWO, whose partnership and commitment have helped make this series possible. We are also thankful for the additional support of Nienke Beintema (WUR), Timmo Gaasbeek (BZ), and Vera Musch (LVVN) in the process.