Press releases from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Pigeonpea (red gram, tuvar dal, arhar dal) varieties developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are becoming popular over the hill slopes of Uttarakhand in North India, and providing an opportunity to the farmers to improve pulse production in the state.

Correcting the policy bias against dryland agriculture can help solve the current global food crisis and enhance the livelihoods of poor farmers. This was revealed in a policy paper on dryland agriculture issued by Dr William Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is collaborating with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, to establish a DBT-ICRISAT Platform for Translational Research on Transgenic Crops (PTTC) at ICRISAT?s global headquarters at Patancheru, near Hyderabad in India.

The monsoons came late over the semi-arid regions of central India this year. While several farming villages suffered from drought, Kothapally village in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh had water in their wells for drinking and irrigating crops.

Bouncing back from a challenging period in the nineties, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) turned itself around to join the ranks of top international agricultural research centers today.

A scientist from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Dr Hari C Sharma, Principal Scientist - Entomology, has been elected as the President of the Council of the International Congress of Entomology (ICE).

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been rated ?Outstanding? based on the performance-linked measurements of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), for the second year in a row.

Red gram or pigeonpea is an important pulse crop of India where it is grown on about 3.5 million ha. It is a favorite dal (tuar or arhar) of Indian cuisine. It is a very suitable crop for rainfed agriculture because it is drought tolerant, needs minimum inputs and produces reasonable yields under unfavorable agro-ecological conditions.

The survival of more than 250 million people living in the drylands of the developing world is being threatened by a chronic problem land degradation.

As the world celebrates Environment Day, science is continuously mobilized to help mitigate the threats caused by global warming and climate change.
Along with this, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), headquartered in Patancheru, Hyderabad in southern India, is intensively working with its partners to develop science-based strategies that empower vulnerable communities to cope with climate change in the dry tropics of the world.

Scientific innovations can help bring about Africa?s Green Revolution. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad in southern India, is working with other institutions in the global initiative to bring about a green revolution in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa.

The poorest of the poor, especially those in the drylands, are hardest hit by soaring food prices. Even as the urban poor are the most vulnerable, the rural poor also suffer since most of them are net buyers of food. In sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank estimates that more than 100 million people will be pushed back to poverty after seven years of progress. But cutting edge scientific innovations can help the poor overcome this problem.

In these days of soaring food prices worldwide, imagine a crop that provides food, livestock feed and biofuel. It grows in dry conditions, tolerates heat, salt and waterlogging, and provides steady income for poor farmers. Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], a plant that grows to a height of 8 to 12 feet and looks like corn but with the grain on top rather than on the side of the plant, has all these qualities.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched a Center of Excellence in Genomics (CEG) at its global headquarters at Patancheru, India, in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India. ICRISAT is also announcing the launch of a Bio-Food Knowledge Center (BFKC) in its Agri-Science Park with financial support from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) joined the group of international organizations that will deposit seeds of germplasm of mandate crops at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, to be inaugurated on 26 February.

While the global debate ranges on whether the biofuel revolution is causing imbalances in food security systems and increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases, the 'smart' biofuel crops developed, utilized and promoted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) ensure energy and environmental security.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Crops (ICRISAT) and Crop and Food Research, a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently, in Lincoln, New Zealand, which would mutually benefit India and New Zealand in crop science research.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Philippine Science Journalists Association Inc. (PSciJourn) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Quezon City, Philippines, recently to forge partnership, cooperation and coordination on matters relating to innovative agricultural research and capacity building for sustainable development.

Praj Industries joined hands with ICRISAT by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to become a member of the institute's Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Research Consortium (SSERC) on 10 December. Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, and Mr Shashank Inamdar, CEO and Managing Director of Praj Industries, signed the MOA at Hyderabad.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has entered into an agreement with the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT), to ensure the long-term availability of funds for the conservation, characterization and distribution of germplasm (seeds) in the ICRISAT's Genebank for the benefit of agriculture and food security for mankind.