Kim Diane Nocito, an Affiliate BS Scholar in IRRI, recently won the Best Undergraduate Thesis for Weed Science given by the Weed Science Society of the Philippines during the 56th Pest Management Council of the Philippines Scientific Conference held last June in Boracay, Aklan.
Her thesis, Genome-Wide Dissection of Novel QTLs and Genes Associated with Weed Competitiveness Traits Using a Population of Early-Backcross Selective Introgression Lines of Rice (Oryza sativa L.), was deemed exceptional for its research on making direct-seeded rice crops competitive against weeds through selective breeding. IRRI has been systematically breeding for weed competitiveness since 2014, targeting direct seeded conditions for the Green Super Rice project, which is under the leadership of Senior Scientist Dr. Jauhar Ali.
Ms. Nocito is thankful to the whole IRRI hybrid rice team, particularly Dr. Jauhar Ali and Dr. Varunseelan Murugaiyan, for their guidance and assistance during her experiments, data analysis, and manuscript writing.
Ms. Nocito graduated as Magna cum laude with a BS in Agriculture specializing in Genetics and Resistance from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She is currently working for Bayer Philippines as part of the Field Station and Agronomic Solutions Support in Calabarzon.