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HomePosts Tagged "ICRISAT" (Page 3)
Agro Universities, Agrotech, Company News, Environment, India, Sustainability

The two-year project will prioritize carbon sequestration to reduce agricultural greenhouse gases, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change on the farming community.

Zuari Farmhub Ltd (ZFHL) has announced a new research partnership with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) aimed to promote sustainable agricultural practices to improve farmer incomes in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

The two-year project will prioritize carbon sequestration to reduce agricultural greenhouse gases, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change on the farming community. ​ The project will leverage ICRISAT’s world-class soil laboratory, which is accredited by the FAO, to develop science-led technologies using spatial data, modeling tools, big data analysis, and artificial intelligence.

The agreement was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Thursday by Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General of ICRISAT, and Madan Mohan Pandey, Managing Director of ZFHL, in Hyderabad, India. Both parties expressed their delight at the prospect of working together to develop innovative solutions that meet the specific needs of farmers in India.

“It is a privilege to partner with ICRISAT, one of the best international agricultural research institutes, for customized modern solutions that meet farmers’ needs. Dwindling organic content in soils, indiscriminate use of fertilizers and the lack of information are critical issues in Indian agriculture that require urgent attention,” said Pandey.

Dr Hughes said that the partnership would utilise the expertise of some of the world’s best soil researchers and cutting-edge scientific techniques to promote sustainable agricultural practices and enhance farmer incomes but proof of concept is required.

“Seeing is believing. It is important for farmers to see the positive impact of improved soil on their crop yields and income before embracing new technologies,” said Dr Hughes.

In the first year of the project, ICRISAT will provide proof of concept of its science-led technologies to validate their effectiveness on improving soil for better crop yields and income. ​

“Artificial intelligence will be used extensively for pest and disease detection, and soil nutrient recommendations will consider farmers’ budgets and yield estimates,” said Dr ML Jat, Research Program Director, Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT.

Deputy Director General – Research ICRISAT, Dr Arvind Kumar applauded the new collaboration which he said was essential in scientific research for the integration of diverse perspectives, expertise, and data, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex and interconnected nature of soil systems.

The two-year project will prioritize carbon sequestration

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, Oilseeds

The collaboration will focus on expanding cultivated areas, deploying scientific technologies, and collaborating at all levels.

Hyderabad based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Oilseeds & Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the production of quality oilseeds in India.

The MoU was signed by ICRISAT’s Director General, Dr Jacqueline Hughes, and IOPEPC’s Chairman, Nilesh Vira, with the aim of strengthening long-term cooperation to increase the quantum and quality of oilseeds grown in India.

The collaboration will focus on expanding cultivated areas, deploying scientific technologies, and collaborating at all levels, including providing farmers with better quality certified seed and strengthening the supply chain of oilseeds. In addition, the partnership will promote food safety principles, recommend policies and programs to the Government of India and to support the growth of the Indian oilseed sector.

During the discussions, Vira stressed the importance of developing climate-resilient oilseed crops, given the unpredictable weather patterns affecting India’s agriculture. He cited the challenge faced by farmers in growing aflatoxin-free groundnuts, a crop that is increasingly in demand in the export market.

“Farmers want oilseed crops that can withstand climate vagaries. Changing monsoon patterns are affecting oilseed crops that usually take 110-120 days to mature. Farmers do not want to grow oilseeds due to unpredictable weather and we need to find solutions,” said Vira.

Kishore Tanna, Director-Groundnut Panel Convenor, IOPEPC said that India is importing 15 million tons of edible oil and that’s because farmers do not want to grow oilseeds, especially groundnuts.

Tanna also drew attention to the fact that groundnut exports to the European Union had dropped to around 6000-7500 tons due to stringent import rules on aflatoxin that call for levels of not more than 2 – 4 PPB for various grades of groundnut.

ICRISAT’s Director General, Dr Hughes, highlighted the need to eliminate intermediaries in the export value chain, thereby increasing the profits for smallholder farmers. She also emphasized ICRISAT’s commitment to finding solutions to eliminate aflatoxin in groundnuts, which has detrimental effects on all consumers.

“Aflatoxin elimination is a doable challenge for ICRISAT, and partnership with IOPEPC will help ICRISAT focus on key areas of intervention applicable for the peanut sector in India,” said Dr Hughes.

The visiting team shared several avenues to shorten the export value chain and establish direct connections between farmers and exporters. One successful example they cited was the short value chain for soybeans in Rajasthan and Gujarat, which has potential for replication in other crops. They also mentioned the growing popularity of e-markets as another potential avenue for connecting farmers and exporters.

The collaboration will focus on expanding cultivated

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Sustainability

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need for aligning the centres’ research activities with the country’s priorities and planning for a similar meeting every year

At the invitation of the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, 16 International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs), including 10 CGIAR centres attended a meeting at ICRISAT Headquarters in Hyderabad, to update on their research activities in India and innovations in the pipeline.

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need for aligning the centres’ research activities with the country’s priorities and planning for a similar meeting every year in January/ February to synergise the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the IARCs’ research activities.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India, who participated virtually, set the context of the meeting. In his concluding remarks, he expressed the need to ‘institutionalise’ the annual meeting to integrate knowledge from all the centres and plan effectively both for the short, medium and long-term research goals.

“Any knowledge, idea or practice useful to the farmer in India, should reach them as quickly as possible before the opportunity is lost. We need a sandbox environment to test new ideas/ knowledge and then quickly roll it out and find out how much it can be scaled out,” Manoj Ahuja.

Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops, Oil Seeds & Administration, CVO), DA&FW, who participated actively in the discussions, emphasised the need to build strong seed systems and facilitate easy accessibility of improved varieties to farmers. She said she was happy to be part of the ‘first common meeting’ of all the IARCs.

Temina Lalani-Shariff, Regional Director, South Asia, CGIAR, presented case studies on technologies developed by the One CGIAR for regions across India, which were appreciated by officials from DA&FW.

Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research ICRISAT, highlighted the many achievements of ICRISAT and its work across disciplines and across agriculture for the development value chain. He cited the example of soil and water conservation in Bundelkhand which caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke of plans to out-scale to other regions.

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need

Agri Genomics, India, IT, People, R&D, Sustainability

Internationally renowned science-based organisation and pioneering TechBio platform expected to deliver innovative nature-based solutions through exciting public-private relationship

A new cooperation framework was signed between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Eagle Genomics at the International Conference on Innovations to Transform Drylands.

Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT, and Anthony Finbow, Eagle Genomics CEO, signed the agreement overseen by an international gathering of some of the world’s foremost dryland agrifood system experts. 

The MOU will see leading organisations – Eagle Genomics, the pioneering UK-based TechBio platform business applying network science to biology and ICRISAT, an India-headquartered international non-profit organisation that undertakes scientific research for development – collaborate at the intersection of life science and data science to help solve urgent global challenges in food security, nutrition, and agriculture. 

Anthony Finbow, Eagle Genomics CEO, said the collaboration with ICRISAT was a natural fit given the innovative and purpose-driven nature of both organisations, to improve the lives of those suffering from hunger and malnutrition. 

There is a growing awareness that malnutrition cannot be solved without a robust understanding of the role of the microbiome both in enhancing resilience to climate change but also in enhancing nutrient absorption. This includes ensuring access to safe and healthy food and targeting novel microbial-based solutions to improve nutrition, enhance wellness and reduce disease. ​

The e[datascientist] is a platform powered by network science1 and multilayer hypergraphs2, applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide a data-driven insight journey into solving complex problems and delivering greater impact in climate resilience, improving plant nutrient density, and increasing data-driven wellness and human health outcomes.

The platform integrates active learning at every step of the microbiome innovation journey, from characterising and describing microbiomes to a better understanding of complex causal mechanisms to elucidating host-microbiome interactions. Eagle Genomics is reinventing life sciences research and development by bridging the ‘translation gap,’ enabling scientific knowledge from a range of disparate sources and data sets to be integrated and analyzed through the e[datascientist] platform to create novel hypotheses and deliver robust, scientifically underpinned practical solutions.

Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General ICRISAT, said the MOU would see ICRISAT share datasets with Eagle Genomics, drawing upon extensive on-the-ground experience in Asia and Africa that had led to several agricultural world firsts. These include developing early maturing groundnut as well as high iron biofortified pearl millet, innovations that have directly responded to the challenges posed by climate change. This new partnership offers an opportunity to address, and even leapfrog beyond, the Sustainable Development Goals to drive science-based targets for regenerative agriculture.

Internationally renowned science-based organisation and pioneering TechBio

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, India, Pulses, R&D, Seeds

It will enhance productivity in the drought-prone areas of Central Zone consisting of Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand Area of UP, Chhattisgarh, Southern Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where terminal drought is a major problem

ICAR – Indian Agricultural Research Institute,  New Delhi in collaboration with its Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya  Jabalpur, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior and ICRISAT, Patancheru Hyderabad developed drought hardy and higher yielding chickpea variety ‘Pusa JG 16’ which will enhance productivity in the drought-prone areas of Central Zone consisting of Madhya  Pradesh, Bundelkhand Area of UP, Chhattisgarh, Southern Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where terminal drought is a major problem and sometimes leads to 50-100 percent loss of yield.

Pusa JG 16 variety was developed by using genomic-assisted breeding techniques that allowed the precision transfer of drought-tolerant genes from ICC 4958 in the parental variety JG 16. The drought tolerance of this variety was affirmed through national-level testing by the All India Coordinated Research Programme of Chickpea.

AK Singh, Director, ICAR-IARI emphasised that the ‘Pusa JG 16’ variety will be a boon for the farmers of drought-prone areas of Central Zone of the country. He congratulated the breeders and all the partners on this outstanding achievement.

ICAR-IARI Chickpea team led by C Bharadwaj, Principle Scientist in collaboration with Rajeev Varshney and Manish Roorkiwal from ICRISAT, Anita Babbar from JNKVV and Indu Swarup from RVSKVV developed the variety.

Bhardwaj emphasised that besides being highly drought tolerant, this variety is resistant to fusarium wilt and stunt diseases, having short duration maturity (110 days) and a yield potential of >2ton/ha under drought stress conditions over the recurrent parent JG 16 (1.3 ton/ha).

It will enhance productivity in the drought-prone

Agro Universities, Agrotech, IT, R&D

The game app will sensitize farmers on four key elements – fertilizer, crop selection, biochar application and irrigation

Taking a cue from the way chess was played to make strategic decisions in early centuries, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has developed a mobile gaming app ‘MRIDA’ that helps smallholder farmers strategize climate-smart agricultural management practices to enhance soil carbon, which in turn enhances yield and builds resilience.

MRIDA (Managing resources for integrated development of agriculture) was developed as part of a research project funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to conduct a detailed and rigorous assessment of agricultural management practices for their potential to sequester carbon. Mrida in Hindi means soil.

The official launch of the MRIDA app during a GIZ-ICRISAT training workshop held in October 2022. The app is currently based on a modelling study conducted in five districts of Maharashtra (Jalna, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Amravati and Yavatmal) and eight districts of Odisha (Angul, Bolangir, Deogarh, Dhenkenal, Kalahandi, Kendujhar, Nuapada and Sundegarh). The app will enable scientists to collect data to understand the decision triggers among farmers.

“The game app will sensitize farmers on four key elements – fertilizer, crop selection, biochar application and irrigation. Based on the season, they can make their selections and ascertain organic carbon and yield output. The recommendations will help them make better on-farm decisions,” said Dr ML Jat, Global Research Program Director, Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT.

“We are happy to partner with GIZ in bringing user-friendly technology that not only educates farmers on soil conservation but also captures farmers attitudes to soil management practices in the face of climate change, providing valuable insights to policymakers and governments,” said Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT.

To develop the app, a team of scientists undertook a modelling study from 2020 to 2022 and developed a game that facilitates behavioral change for adopting climate-smart agriculture practices. The game app was developed in collaboration with partner Vasudhaika Software Private Limited (Kalgudi). ​

“Indiscriminate use of fertilizers and other agro-chemicals deteriorates soil health and increase environmental footprints. This app will encourage farmers to explore and apply regenerative agriculture practices and focus not just on yield output but also soil carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. It will also educate farmers on carbon credits,” said Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research, ICRISAT.

The game app will sensitize farmers on

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, R&D

It is a quicker and efficient tool for Insurance companies and governments to evaluate challenges and damages posed by climate-related shocks.

ICRISAT scientists in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have developed high-resolution spatial maps that enable cropland mapping for insurance claims and agriculture policy decision-making on targeting Regenerative Agriculture (RA).

Agricultural insurance is becoming one of the fastest-growing markets globally. For farmers to cope with crop loss, stabilizing farm incomes through insurance payoffs can help reduce poverty. Spatial mapping is a quicker and efficient tool for guiding agriculture policy makers to minimize climate risks,” said Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research, ICRISAT.

Physical ground surveys are a laborious process and often require an army of surveyors to validate the effects of floods and drought. ICRISAT scientists in collaboration with the ADB developed spatial maps for South Asia to assess croplands, crop type and crop intensity data. South Asia accounts for 1.9 billion people, constituting almost 25 per cent of the world’s population, 87 per cent of which are smallholder farmers.

Insurance companies and government agencies require high-quality satellite imagery to monitor and map floods/droughts and other climatic conditions to make the claims process more accurate and efficient. ​”In addition to crop insurance, spatial maps can also be used as potential tools to target regenerative agriculture. Crop type mapping can also better guide where and in what systems regenerative agriculture can be deployed,” said Dr ML Jat, Research Program Director, Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT.

Higher resolution:

To this end, ICRISAT scientists have produced three distinct spatial maps for South Asia with a spatial resolution of 30 m, which is much higher to get finer details of cropland for food and water security assessments. Currently, these factors are evaluated using mainly coarse-resolution (250–1000 m) remote sensing data.

“The high spatial resolution data would enable cropland assessment, modelling, mapping, and monitoring for South Asia, which is home to nearly two billion people and 230 million hectares of net cropland area. Subsequently, the data would help generate various development models for accurate monitoring and decision-making for the entire region,” said Murali Krishna Gumma, Principal Scientist and Cluster Leader – Geospatial Sciences and Big Data at ICRISAT.

The team developed three spatial maps for South Asia for the year 2014-15 to support food and water security assessments and management. The three distinct spatial maps would assess irrigated versus rainfed croplands, crop types or crop dominance and cropping intensity i.e., the number of times a crop is grown on the same plot of land in a year.

It is a quicker and efficient tool

Agro Universities, Oilseeds, R&D, Seeds

ICRISAT to engage with seed corporations, farmer seed entrepreneurs and FPOs to ensure access to quality Girnar 4 and 5 seeds. ​

To boost valuable groundnut production across Telangana, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) have joined forces to conduct eighty demonstration trials across the State.

The initiative funded by the Government of Telangana aims to expand groundnut production which is presently only cultivated on 0.3 million hectares of land in Telangana. There are plans to engage with seed corporations, farmer seed entrepreneurs and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to ensure access to quality Girnar 4 and 5 seeds. ​

PJTSAU, with support from ICRISAT, is conducting location-specific research, identification of genotypes, and multi-location trials of varieties developed by ICRISAT to deliver suitable varieties to Telangana and improve groundnut seed systems in the State.

Seed production of India’s first high oleic acid groundnut varieties ‘Girnar 4’ developed by ICRISAT in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Directorate of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), was undertaken on four acres of land at RARS-Palem during this year’s rainy season.

Director General ICRISAT Dr Jacqueline Hughes said she was delighted with the collaboration with the Government of Telangana and PJTSAU, that would likely see much needed improvements to groundnut cultivation across the State, leading to improved farmer incomes.

“We look forward to drawing upon the Institute’s experience and expertise in developing inclusive and sustainable seed systems and value chains to deliver to farmers across Telangana, high quality, accessible, and lower cost seed.

Deputy Director General – Research at ICRISAT Dr Arvind Kumar congratulated all parties for the initiative aimed at not only boosting incomes but incentivizing new farmers to enter into groundnut production.

Inaugural Capacity Building Program

About three hundred farmers attended the inaugural capacity building program to accelerate the adoption of the new groundnut varieties held at the ​ Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Palem, Nagarkurnool district, Telengana.

During the capacity building program, participants were exposed to quality seed production techniques and potential innovations to promote groundnut production and value chains.Leaflets in local language detailing good agricultural practices in groundnut were distributed to farmers at the event for on-going reference material.

She emphasized that farmer adoption of new groundnut varieties such as high oleic acid varieties would help them achieve higher yields, profit and potential new export opportunities while promoting best agricultural practices.

ICRISAT to engage with seed corporations, farmer

Agro Universities, India, Pulses

16 beneficiaries awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal 

At a recent training programme hosted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur and ICRISAT, 16 beneficiaries were awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal as granted by the Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India.

The programme enlightened the authorised users on ways to discover and flag counterfeit tur dal being sold as GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal in the market. The importance of using the GI logo as an identification mark on the packaging for originality and quality assurance was explained to the authorised users.

“The GI protection offers benefits to both consumers and producers, leading to the overall economic prosperity of rural communities. An exclusive logo distinguishes the original from the counterfeit products, thus guaranteeing quality to the consumer,” said Dr Surya Mani Tripathi, Head, Legal Services, ICRISAT, who was instrumental in facilitating the GI tag for the Gulbarga Tur Dal.

The program was attended by farmers and millers, members from the Pulse Board, UAS Raichur and the IPFC team at Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP)-ICRISAT. Throughout the discussion, it was emphasised that post GI registration, the focus should be on quality control and implementation of business frameworks to maximise the commercial value of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal.

16 beneficiaries awarded an 'Authorised User Certificate'

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, R&D

ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such as biochar, need-based fertiliser and irrigation for their potential to sequester carbon

Results of a modelling study by ICRISAT from 2020 to 2022 reveal that the right combination of fertiliser, biochar and irrigation can potentially increase soil carbon by as much as 300 per cent over 30 years in 13 districts of Odisha and Maharashtra, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

The modelling study found that biochar increased carbon value in the soil by 130-300 per cent over 30 years with little difference in yield. Whereas, optimal fertilisers increased the carbon as well as yield by up to 30 per cent. The carbon sequestration increased by more than 300 per cent in combination with fertiliser, biochar, and irrigation.

As part of the project, ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such as biochar, need-based fertiliser and irrigation and assessed agricultural management practices for their potential to sequester carbon. Important crops such as cotton, sorghum, soybean, chickpea, pigeonpea and millet were studied in the region. In addition, soil sampling and the analysis of long-term experiments on improved vs traditional farmer practices and tillage and residue management practices were also conducted.

The modelling study was conducted in five districts of Maharashtra (Jalna, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Amravati and Yavatmal) and eight districts of Odisha (Angul, Bolangir, Deogarh, Dhenkenal, Kalahandi, Kendujhar, Nuapada and Sundergarh). These districts have a predominantly semi-arid climate with annual rainfall between 600 mm and 1,100 mm.

Data such as crop yield, weather, soil types and crop management practices were collected from different sources. ​ ICRISAT scientists made projections for carbon sequestration and yields for both States and conducted long-term experiments.

ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D, Seeds

This groundnut variety will help increase the income of farmers and traders in India and enhance export opportunities for Indian groundnut

Groundnut oil considered as good as olive oil was made possible with the development of high oleic acid varieties. Now, a new variety identified for national release opens promising avenues for India, parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.

India’s first ‘Spanish type’ high oleic groundnut developed by researchers at ICRISAT in partnership with the Junagadh Agricultural University is advantageous compared to the initial varieties (Girnar 4 and 5) of the ‘Virginia-type’.

Spanish lines occupy a significant area across India, Southeast Asia and Africa, while the less popular Virginia lines are limited to the Indian states of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat.

“The new groundnut line being high yielding, drought tolerant, and resistant to foliar diseases will help increase the income of farmers and traders in India and enhance export opportunities for Indian groundnut. The growing demand for groundnut oil in the pharmaceuticals and personal care sectors has further boosted its share in the global market, which is expected to account for USD 3.28 billion by 2029,” said Dr Janila Pasupuleti, Cluster Leader, Accelerated Crop Improvement, ICRISAT.

The new variety GG40 (ICGV 16668) was developed by a ​ team of groundnut breeders at ICRISAT in partnership with Main Oilseeds Research Station (MORS) Junagadh Agriculture University (JAU), Gujarat. The new line departs from conventional breeding techniques and was bred through marker-assisted backcrossing at ICRISAT. Multi-environment testing resulted in the selection of this line based on its superior performance across locations and was recommended for national testing by JAU.

“The new groundnut line is recommended for cultivation in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra during the rainy season,” said Dr RB Madariya, Head in charge-Research Scientist (Groundnut), MORS JAU, Gujarat, India. ​

This groundnut variety will help increase the

Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, Agrotech

The unit creates new livelihoods and better market access opportunities through value-added groundnut and millet to smallholder farmers in Anantapur

Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Minister for Agriculture & Cooperation, Marketing, Food Processing, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, inaugurated a secondary processing unit (SPU) set up by ICRISAT-Walmart in Mudulapuram village. The unit creates new livelihoods and better market access opportunities through value-added groundnut, millet, and other nutritious products.

The SPU is approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and is expected to benefit over 6,000 smallholder farmers in Anantapur district. The facility which has a built-up area of 1,000 square meters, is operated by the women-led Rythu Nestham Food Producer Company Ltd (RNFPCL).

RNFPCL was established with support from ICRISAT and the Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC) and includes farmers from nine FPOs across eight sub-districts (mandals) of Anantapur district. The facility is equipped with five processing lines, which will produce highly nutritious millet- and pulse-based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat formulations such as traditional khichdi and upma mixes, high oleic groundnut products comprising of nutrition bars (chikki), cookies, snacks and savories, and healthy cold pressed groundnut oil.

“Our government’s priority is to make agriculture more viable and profitable for farming communities. This women-led food processing unit will boost sustainable farming and market access for local agricultural communities, provide employment to women and youth and create new opportunities for community-managed industry through the development of more food processing units.

“We congratulate Walmart Foundation, Flipkart, ICRISAT and AFEC on this initiative, and look forward to more such collaborations in the future,” said Govardhan Reddy.

“The entire infrastructure of the unit will ensure improved livelihoods and better opportunities for smallholder farmers. The launch of this SPU in the district will bring synergy between agriculture and the food processing industry,” said S Nagalakshmi, IAS, Collector and District Magistrate Anantapur, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The unit creates new livelihoods and better

Agro Universities, People, R&D

Prof Varshney will receive award for his innovation in bringing improvements to crop science, primarily based on his work at ICRISAT during his 17-year tenure.

Prof. Varshney will receive the prestigious International Crop Science Award from the Crop Science Society of America for his innovation in bringing improvements to crop science, primarily based on his work at ICRISAT during his 17-year tenure.

Each year the Crop Science Society of America honours and celebrates the achievements of crop scientists to recognize excellence and leadership in research, education, industry, and mentorship; and bestows the prestigious designation of Fellow. At the 2022 Annual Meeting at the Awards Breakfast on November 9, Prof. Varshney will receive a personalized poster of the award added to the Awards Hall of Fame in Baltimore, United States.

Prof. Varshney thanked the present and previous leadership of ICRISAT for their support and guidance during his tenure.

“I cherish my stint at ICRISAT, working with outstanding researchers and collaborating with partners in Asia and Africa, which is resulting in recognition for me. I will always be a strong supporter of ICRISAT’s impact-oriented research,” said Prof Varshney.

Prof. Varshney’s research at ICRISAT contributed to significant positive impacts on the livelihood of smallholder farmers in many developing countries in Asia and Africa. Late last year, he joined Murdoch University’s Food Futures Institute as Director of the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation. He is also the Director of the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre at Murdoch and the University’s International Chair in Agriculture and Food Security.

Prof. Varshney has also been invited to deliver a Plenary Talk at the prestigious International Plant and Animal Genome (PAG 30) Conference in San Diego in January next year. Previous speakers at the conference include Noble Laureates and Fellows of Royal Society/ US National Academy of Sciences. In his plenary talk, Prof. Varshney will present his landmark contributions in integrating advanced genome discoveries in crop improvement for delivering climate resilient, high-yielding, and nutritious varieties to industry and farmers.

Prof Varshney will receive award for his

Agro Universities, R&D

While serving as the Secretary in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, Agarwal was also an ex-officio member of the ICRISAT Governing Board from 2018 to 2022.

 Sanjay Agarwal from the Indian Administrative Service, who is currently the Chair of the Government of India’s Committee on Minimum Support Price, joins ICRISAT as its new Assistant Director General. Director General of ICRISAT Dr Jacqueline Hughes has officially welcomed Sanjay Agarwal who commenced as Assistant Director General. ​

While serving as the Secretary in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, Agarwal was also an ex-officio member of the ICRISAT Governing Board from 2018 to 2022. Agarwal is a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He has over 37 years of experience in administration and public policy including in the areas of women and children’s development, rural cooperatives, handicrafts/textiles, agricultural research, infrastructure, extension and education in various capacities with the State Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Central Government.

“I am pleased to announce that Sanjay Agarwal has joined ICRISAT as the Assistant Director General.  He will be based in New Delhi and lead country relations and business affairs and will have a broader portfolio of activities to support ICRISAT globally,” said Dr Hughes.​

“I deem it a privilege to be a part of ICRISAT as it ventures into new territory to improve dryland agri-food systems. I am looking forward to contributing to its vision and mission as an autonomous non-profit international organization, and in strengthening its identity as a global leader in dryland agriculture,” said Agarwal.

ICRISAT’s leadership has warmly welcomed the appointment and has acknowledged Agarwal’s immense contribution to not only the Institute but for being instrumental in delivering India’s National Year of Millets 2018 – a move which has contributed to 2023 being designated as the International Year of Millets in 2023 by the United Nations.

While serving as the Secretary in the