Four decades in the paddy fields, one network of scientists
From nine agronomists meeting in a Battambang cooperative hall to a network of 940 researchers across Cambodia's 25 provinces, the timeline below traces how Cambodian rice and field crop science grew from post-war recovery work into a national research system.
Our History
Founding meeting, Battambang
Nine agronomists from five provinces draft the Network's charter at a district cooperative hall, prioritizing flood-recession rice and post-conflict seed recovery.
First seed bank at Prey Veng
A single storehouse preserves 84 traditional rice landraces gathered from farmers along the Mekong floodplain, ahead of the coming irrigation expansion.
Cambodian Journal of Field Crops launched
Volume 1 appears in Khmer and English, print run of 300 copies, distributed by hand to provincial agriculture offices.
Membership passes 200
Researchers from all 24 provinces attend the sixth annual congress, held for the first time in Siem Reap.
Phka Rumduol released
A fragrant variety bred from the Network's seed collection is registered nationally and later wins international recognition for grain quality.
Provincial trial network formalized
Twelve field stations adopt a shared trial protocol, allowing yield data to be compared across the country for the first time.
Thematic working groups
The seven (now eight) thematic areas formally adopted by the assembly.
Maize and cassava working groups added
The Network broadens beyond rice, formally recognizing upland crop research from Kampong Cham and Battambang growers.
Indexed in Web of Science
The Journal's full archive goes open access; salt- and drought-tolerance research from the network draws its first international citations.
Membership passes 700
A new generation of researchers trained abroad returns to lead climate-resilience trials along the Tonle Sap basin.