Connect with:
Friday / November 8. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
HomePosts Tagged "Dr Stanford Blade"
Agro Universities, India, People

Dr Blade currently serves as Deputy Director General – Research until the new Director General, Dr Himanshu Pathak, takes up the position next year.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) announces a transition of leadership as Dr Jacqueline Hughes, the outgoing Director General, hands over official duties to Dr Stanford Blade, who will serve as Director General – Interim.

Dr Blade currently serves as Deputy Director General – Research and will guide the institute during this period of transition until the new Director General, Dr Himanshu Pathak, takes up the position next year. Dr Hughes expressed confidence in Dr Blade’s leadership as he assumes the role of Director General – Interim. “I leave ICRISAT in capable hands, knowing that Dr Blade’s deep commitment to our mission and his strategic expertise will ensure continuity as we advance our work in resilient agriculture,” stated Dr Hughes.

As Director General – Interim, Dr Blade is committed to reinforcing ICRISAT’s position as a leader in dryland agricultural research, championing scientific innovation, resilience-building, and partnerships.

“I am honoured to serve as a bridge for ICRISAT during this pivotal time, ensuring we maintain momentum until Dr Pathak joins us next year. Together, we remain dedicated to supporting smallholder farmers and delivering on our promise of a more food-secure and climate-resilient future,” said Dr Blade.

ICRISAT thanks Dr Hughes for her exceptional leadership and welcomes Dr Blade to this vital interim role. The institute looks forward to continuing its mission with renewed commitment and advancing agricultural innovations that benefit dryland communities worldwide.

Dr Blade currently serves as Deputy Director

Agro Universities, Collaborations, Foodgrains, India, R&D, Seeds

The project aims to enhance sustainable livestock production and improve the socio-economic conditions of marginalised farmers across the Kashmir Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir, in northern India, will release new forage sorghum varieties in 2025, marking the first successful adaptation of this dryland crop to the region’s temperate climate. The release follows advanced on-farm trials of elite sorghum lines conducted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in collaboration with the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir.

The project aims to enhance sustainable livestock production and improve the socio-economic conditions of marginalized farmers across the Kashmir Valley by releasing these cold-tolerant sorghum varieties in 2025.

The partnership focused on promoting dual-purpose sorghum varieties that provide both grain and forage. These varieties aim to enhance food, feed, and fodder security, addressing the critical feed supply-demand gap in the region’s animal husbandry sector, which plays a vital role in the local economy. Currently, the region is facing a 40 per cent fodder deficit.

Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General-Research of ICRISAT, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project said “This initiative reflects ICRISAT’s commitment to delivering demand-driven innovations. Partnering with SKUAST has allowed us to co-develop sustainable solutions that benefit smallholder farmers and the broader agricultural sector”

Livestock rearing is crucial in the Kashmir Valley, providing essential protein and employment opportunities. However, the limited availability of nutritious feed poses a significant challenge for the sector, especially at high altitudes.

Fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has emerged as a promising solution. It offers high biomass production of up to 50 tons per hectare, has adaptability to local conditions and also high nutritional value. Its cultivation can improve livestock productivity and enhance the rural economy, directly benefiting marginalized communities, especially smallholder farmers and landless labor dependent on animal husbandry for their livelihoods.

Prof. Nazir A Ganai, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST Kashmir, praised the initiative: “This marks a significant step toward achieving feed, fodder, and livelihood security, especially for underprivileged tribal communities in high-altitude areas.”

Through the initiative, a comprehensive multi-environment evaluation program was established to identify high-yielding, nutritionally rich sorghum genotypes suited for the unique agro-climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. The trials, conducted over two cropping cycles, assessed biomass yield, nutritional quality, and adaptability to low temperatures, leading to the identification of superior cultivars.

“Developing elite sorghum lines tailored to Kashmir’s high-altitude ecologies is a remarkable achievement that will further inform our efforts to extend the cultivation north of 40° latitude,” said Dr Ephrem Habyarimana, Principal Scientist – Sorghum Breeding.

The project aims to enhance sustainable livestock

Agro Universities, People, R&D

Dr Blade will officially assume his role as Deputy Director General-Research at ICRISAT on 1 April 2024.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has announced the appointment of Dr Stanford Blade as the new Deputy Director General-Research. Dr Blade has an extensive background in agricultural research and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this critical leadership position. Dr Blade will officially assume his role as Deputy Director General-Research at ICRISAT on 1 April 2024.

Prior to joining ICRISAT, Dr Blade served as the Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences (ALES) at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has also served as the Deputy Director General-Research for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and as Vice-Chair on the Board of Trustees of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, a Nairobi-based agency supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, Director General of ICRISAT, officially welcomed the appointment. “We are pleased to have Dr Stanford Blade join the organization as Deputy Director General-Research. His substantial experience, both in academia and international research institutions, will undoubtedly strengthen ICRISAT’s capacity to tackle the intricate challenges confronted by farmers in the semi-arid tropics. We look forward to his leadership in driving impactful and sustainable agricultural research,” said Dr Hughes.

Dr Blade holds a Ph.D. from McGill University for plant breeding/cropping systems research, conducted at IITA and supported by a Government of Canada Doctoral Scholarship. His global recognition in the field of agriculture was underscored in 2018 when he was named an International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.

“I am honored to join ICRISAT and work alongside a team of dedicated professionals committed to advancing agricultural research for the benefit of smallholder farmers. I look forward to contributing to the institute’s mission of enhancing food security, improving livelihoods, and sustaining natural resources in the semi-arid tropics” said Dr Stanford Blade.

ICRISAT looks forward to the positive impact his leadership will have on the institute’s research initiatives and global contributions to sustainable agriculture.

Dr Blade will officially assume his role