Agricultural Research and Education
The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of
Agriculture provides government support, service and linkage to the Indian Council
of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and is responsible for coordinating research and
educational activities in the field of agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries.
Also, it helps to bring about inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaboration
with national and international agencies engaged in agriculture and allied sectors.
Research, Education and Extension Activities of the ICAR
The activity spectrum and the highlight of research, education and extension in different fields are submitted below :
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Agricultural Research
Research, Education and Extension Activities of the ICAR
The activity spectrum and the highlight of research, education and extension in different fields are submitted below :
- Crop Sciences
During 2006, 73 new varieties of different field crops were released by Central Varietal Release Committee and 115 varieties were released by different State Varietal release Committee. The crop improvement programme includes development of high yielding varieties of wheat, improvement programme includes development of high yielding varieties of wheat; improvement of high breeds in maize; sorghum and pearl millets; popularization of winter maize; high yielding and early duration varieties in mung bean and urd bean; high breeds in caster; and development of short duration varieties of pigeon-pea. Nearly 6260 tonnes of breeder seed of different crops were produced and distributed as per the state indents so that farmers could get a quality seed at the appropriate time. A project on seed production in crops and fisheries has been launched by the government in 2005-06.
An eco-friendly IPM approach in wheat was applied by DWR, Karnal. IPM module being promoted, is targeted at the pests like termites and aphids. IPM technology in sorghum based on seed treatment with neem oil @ 5ml/kg seed effectively controlled shoot fly and stem borer. Integrated Pest Management was effectively tried for all the major crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cash crops.
A number of accessions were monitored for seed viability, seed quality and seed health after ten years of storage. 205 accessions of fruit crops, tuber crops, bulbous crops, spices and medicinal and aromatic plants were added to in vitro gene bank. Under DNA finger printing, presently database consists of 923 varieties of 16 crops.
- Horticulture
Significant Achievements are given below :
- Rejuvenation of unproductive old orchards of mango and litchi.
- A promising mango hybrid ‘H-39’ has attractive blush on fruit, high TSS (24 Brix), high carotenoid content (7.8 mg/100g), firm pulp, regular bearing habit and dwarf nature.
- Embryogenic cell suspension cultures have been successfully developed in Rasthali and Ney Poovan varieties of banana for developing resistant transgenic plants against Fusarium wilt and resistant in Nendran against Sigatoka leaf spot.
- Developed ‘Kashi Anmol’, ‘Kashi Early’ and ‘Kashi Vishwanath’ varieties of chilli, ‘IIVR-11’ of okra, ‘Kashi Kunwari’ of cauliflower, ‘Kashi Hans’ of radish and ‘Kashi Gauri’ of cowpea.
- Developed onion variety ‘Bhimraj’ for kharif season.
- Developed ‘Kufri Chipsona-3’ and ‘Kufri Himalini’ varieties of potato.
- Developed ‘Sree Padmanabha’ variety of cassava and cashew promising hybrid ‘H 1250’ - VRI - 2 x VTH 40/1.
- Dual purpose variety (leaves as well as seed) of Corinander ‘NRCSS ACr.1’ and Fennel variety ‘NRCSS AF’1’ having high essential oil, high yielder and suitable for early transplanted crop.
- Identified INGR 07041 - a promising genotype of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) - having compact plant type with high andrographolide content (%).
- Identified ‘IIHRP-1’ hybrid resistant to fusarium wilt in carnation.
- Productivity of apple, almond and apricot has been more than double under medium high density plantation with pollination, integrated nutrient and pest management, organic mulching and drip irrigation.
- Developed and launched the web based user-friendly software package entitled ‘Digital Herbarium of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India’ Established gene banks in hill and tribal areas, of five walnut selections having nut weight of 18.63 to 27.16g and five selections having kernel weight of 10.69 to 12.76g which supercede the varieties developed by USA during last 150 years of walnut breeding.
- Natural Resource Management
Tista Basin in Sikkim has a unique combination of landscape and geo-agro climatic scenario that influence the formation of different kind of soils. Based on the visual interpretation of the satellite imagery and SOI toposheet total 17 watersheds were delineated. Total 62 soil series were identified and were; mapped into 63 soil mapping units. Soils are mainly Inceptisols, Ultisols, Mollisols and Alfisols. The hills are mostly covered with forests. Most of the cultivable land, except the narrow valley, is terraced and under crops like maize, millets, potato, pulses ginger and vegetables. In a study for rehabilitation of eroded Shiwaliks at Chandigarh, maximum tomato yield was obtained through inoculation with bio-fertilizers. Applications of vermi-compost, FYM and bio-fertilizers to the eroded soil significantly improved soil moisture, respiration rate, phosphate activity, beneficial microbes like azotobactor and phosphate solublizing bacteria.
Three years mean data (2003-2005) indicated that runoff (% of rainfall) was highest at Jogindar Nagar (28.6%) followed by Tinbed (25.6%) and Darang (16.3%) owing to their land slops of 124%, 106% and 81%, respectively. Cut and carry system (18% runoff) was the best compared to rotational (22.6%) and traditional (28.3%) grazing. Trenching in combination with vegetative barrier allowed only 8.2% of rain as runoff compared to 41.5% under control (no measure). Rainfall events of more than 50 mm, though quite less in number contributed 47.7%, 82.3% and 81.7% to total runoff at Darang, Joginder Nagar and Tinbed, respectively.
Rice was found to be moderate to marginally suitable in low and middle hill areas with bunding while maize was found to be moderate to marginally suitable in ridge, low and mid mountains of mostly within 30-50% slope. Hand transplanting in rice and bed planting in wheat was the best treatment combination for maximizing rice (4.32 t ha--1); and zero till drilling in rice and conventional sowing in wheat was the best treatment combination for maximizing wheat (3.57 t ha-1) yield at Raipur. In hilly soils of Uttranchal, deficiency of S was more wide spread in the soils of Chamba ADB as compared to those of Fakot ADB; the magnitude being 45.0 and 31 percent, respectively.
At Bhubaneshwar, four field crops (ragi, groundnut, sesame and black gram) were grown in the alleys (8 m wide) of two fast growing timber trees (Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea at 625 trees/ha.). Crops yield in terms of ragi equivalent yield was highest in groundnut followed by sesame. In Guava based agri-hortisilvi, the highest mean fruit yield of guava was obtained in association with Dalbergia sissoo (3.4 t/ha). The net return (Rs. 8136/-) as well as B: C ratio (2.25) was highest for seasmum in association with Dalbergia sissoo.
At Jabalpur, in guava and paddy-based system significantly higher rice grain yield (1.93 t ha-1) was recorded in 25% higher seed rate and fertilizer dose whereas lowest yield (1.1. t ha-1) was recorded in normal doses of seed rate and showed more than 90% survival and attained 6 m highest and 7.6 cm DBH within three years of its planting. Under this system, turmeric was successfully intercropped and a yield of 7./6 q/ha was realized.
At Jhargram (W. Bengal), bottle gourd grown as intercrop in Gmelina arborea + Sweet orange and G. arborea + Guava - based agro forestry system gave maximum return (Rs. 74,150 and Rs. 73,480/ha/year respectively during 2nd year of experimentation.
Effective control of Parthenium hysterophorus in grassland at Palampur was achieved with metsulfuron methyl 0.0905 per cent, metributzin 0.5 per cent, glyphosate 0.5 per cent 2,4-DEE 0.3 per cent and atrazine 0.3% when applied at 2-3 leaf stage of weed and recorded higher herbage yield.
In upland rice at jorhat pretilachlor 0.75 kg/ha + safener was found effective in reducing the weed growth and increasing the grain yield and was at par with the treatment where cowpea was grown as intercrop along with application of butachlor 1.0 kg/ha
. In direct seeded rice, cowpea grown as intercropping in additive series and harvested at 30 DAS followed by working with grubber at 40 DAS was found effective for control of weeds and realizing higher yield. State seed bed along with grubber at 20-25 DAS was also effective for control of weeds.
In rice-rice sequence, application of pretilachlor 0.75 kg ha-1 was found effective for control of weeds in autumn rice. In succeeding winter rice, narrow spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) followed by one hand weeding was equally effective with buttachlor 1.25 kg ha-1 + almix 4g ha-1.
- Agricultural Engineering
A number of agricultural implements such as, lug wheel puddler, inclined plate planter, garlic planter, tractor drawn ridger seeder/raised bed planter, three row rotary weeder, air sleeveboom sprayer, flail type chopper cum spreader, flail type forage harvester-cum chopper etc. have been developed as tractor operated machinery.
Under power tiller-operated machinery, air assisted seed drill, groundnut digger and power weeder have been fabricated. In case of self-propelled machinery, self propelled biasi cultivator, mini combine, 8-row paddy transplanter, high clearance sprayer and vertical conveyor reaper have been developed. Under animal drawn machinery, raised bed planter, bullock drawn-sprayer, tool carrier etc. have been developed. Ergonomic studies w.r.t. layout of tractor operator’s workplace have been carried out. The tractor seat has been designed based on the enthropometric data collected of about 5500 male agricultural workers.
Optimisation of process parameters for hulling of pigeonpea, cleaner-cumgrader for light seeds, curry leaf stripper, model for prediction of maturity of mango on tree, process technology for making aonla beverage, sunflower kernel based confectionery products, process technologies for value added products from pomegranate, technology for soy-millet biscuits, guava leather/bar, fish container mounted on cycle rickshaw hand operated aonla pricking machine and seed pelletiser are significant achievements in post-harvest engineering technology.
Improved cotton saw gin, low cost silver making machine, pilot plant for particle board from cotton plant stalks, value-added textile from sun hemp fibres, warm fabric (shaw) using bulked yarn made from jute polyter blends, small scale processing unit, pilot plant for lac have also been developed.
A family size floating done type biogas plant for solid-state digestion of cattle dung has been designed. Technology for enrichment of biogas digested slurry, anaerobic digestion of crop residues, bio diesel production and jute caddies briquettes as an alternative fuel has been developed.
- Animal Sciences
India has a large livestock and poultry wealth comprising about 485 million livestock that includes 185 million cattle, 98 million buffaloes, 62 million sheep, and 124 million goats, 14 million pigs and 489 million poultry. Some of the major achievements including activities in hill and tribal areas are detailed below.
Based on the structure of cattle population in the Gaushalas, a new model was developed for conservation of cattle in Gaushalas. Four Gaushalas have implemented the model by separating out the best cows in their herd and permitting controlled breeding by bulls of the same breed.
The synthetic breed development programme through cross breeding continued during the current year also. A total of five hundred sixty six (566) male calves were produced through elite mating at 22 military Farms in different years and were sent to Bull rearing Unit (BRU), Meerut for rearing and future bull production. Presently, Project Directorate on Cattle has 305 doses of pure HF semen and 4,08,179 doses of Frieswal semen in the gene bank.
129 genetically superior Murrah breeding bulls have so far been selected from various centres of the Project on Murrah breed and their semen was frozen for progeny testing programme. At present 4,88,555 doses of frozen semen from genetically superior bulls are in stock. : Elite herds of Nili-ravi, Surti, jaffarabadi, Bhadawari, Pandharpuri, Godavari and swamp buffaloes have been established.
Genetic improvement of Jamunapari and Barbari goats is being carried out through selective breeding in the nucleus flock. Use of bucks selected on the basis of index value combining 9 month body weight and 90 day’s milk yield of the dam indicated improvement in both milk yield and body weight.
Besides improving indigenous sheep through selection, improved breeds/strains like Bharat Merino, Avikalin and GaroleX Malpura were developed for enhanced meat production.
Genetical stability in terms of litter size at birth through inter se mating in 50% Hampshire (11th generation) and 75% Hampshire (10th generation) was recorded to be 6.67 and 6.91 respectively in the 1st crop and 8.69 and 8.1 respectively in 2nd crop i.e. from the tried sows in eight states. A survey on pig production status in North Eastern hill region was also carried out.
Breeding and production of German Angora rabbit for wool and New Zealand White (NZW), White Giant (WG), Grey Giant (GG), Soviet Chinchilla (SC), Dutch and Black Brown (BB) for broiler purposes were taken up in sub-temperate region of Himalayan hills to support small farmers' income.
In order to address the issue of developing suitable poultry birds for backyard rearing, ICAR has developed two breeds - Vanaraja for dual purpose and Gramapriya for egg type with a record production of 165 eggs against 65 eggs per annum from indigenous birds. Several backyard units were established at farmer’s field in the hill states of north east India.
Modulation of Prolactin hormone in blood using active immunizing agent like Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) has shown to reduce the number of pause days in White Leghorn birds leading to increased egg production upto 4%.
The production and reproductive performance of cattle and buffaloes and their disease resistance ability was enhanced by supplementing area specific mineral mixture. Trials showed significant increase in growth rate and milk production of cattle and buffaloes to the extent of 20-30%.
Feeding total mixed ration to mithum (Bos frontalis) incorporating perennial tree leaves like Ficus hirta and herb like Borrena hirticulata up to 30 percent of total mixed ration showed no adverse effects on nutrient utilization and growth performance, and therefore, recommended for stall fed Mithuns. Feed blocks were prepared at NRC on Mithun, Nagaland by incorporating urea treated paddy straw and concentrate mixture at 70:30 ratio. Feeding of these blocks showed better growth rate, nutrient utilization and nitrogen retention.
Considering dwindling yak population and also the need for larger number of yaks for the highlanders, embryo transfer technology in yak was tried for the first time with success.
In order to ensure faster diagnosis of important diseases, nucleic acid based disease diagnostic techniques developed and applied besides monitoring the seroprevalence from infectious diseases of economic importance. Avian influenza in birds in the country as a whole was investigated and controlled successfully through use of diagnostics and vaccines developed at High Security Animal Disease Lab, Bhopal. Parasitic disease diagnostic Kits for use by field veterinarians were developed using real time PCR and ELISA technique.
- Fisheries
Fisheries represent an important and fast growing food production sector in India that contributes more than 1% to the National GDP and 4.7% to the agricultural GDP With an annual production of 6.57 million tonnes from marine and inland waters, the country is the third fish producer in the world and the second largest producer of inland fish, next only to China. Annual export earnings form fish and shellfish are about Rs. 8,357 crore, accounting for nearly 20% of the agricultural export. Fish is a health food that is relatively cheap and affordable to the poor.
Major technological interventions that drove this development in the freshwater aquaculture segment are induced breeding of major carps, catfishes and other fresh water finfishes; fish farming technologies of carps, mashers and snow trouts for upland ecosystems and commercialization of fish feeds for inland aquaculture. In recent years, genetically improved rohu with a growth enhancement up to 17% per generation has also been developed. Through cryopreservation of sperm and eggs of freshwater fishes, many constraints of timely availability of sperm and eggs have been removed. Breeding of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, using inland saline waters, has been achieved, opening up possibilities for utilizing the vast tracts of such water bodies existing in different parts of the country. Polymorphic micro satellite and allozyme markers have been developed for fifteen fish species and Macrobrachium rosenbergii and a database containing karyomorphological information on 126 finfish species from 34 families and 9 orders is in place. In the riverine fisheries front, stock structure of fishes was analysed using allozyme and micro satellite. PCR-based diagnostic capability has been developed for exotic OIE listed pathogens and guidelines developed for introduction of aquatic Exotics and Quarantine procedures. Seed production technology has been developed for the two inland and three marine ornamental fishes. In reservoir fisheries, high production levels of 220 kg/ha/year have been achieved from small reservoirs as against the national average of 20 kg/ha/year.
In marine fisheries, breeding of sand lobster has been achieved in captivity and Iarval rearing protocols have been developed for honey comb grouper, Epinephehus merra. In vitro marine pearl production through tissue culture technique in Indian pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata and abalone, Haliotis varia provides opens up new avenues for marine pearl culture. The sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra has been bred in captivity and its seed used for sea ranching. A database on about 2,420 fin fishes and shellfishes including of the Indian waters including 46 stocks of commercially important ones has been created. In the coastal aquaculture segment, new methods have been developed for detection of White Spot Disease in shrimp as also RT-PCR technique for diction of Yellow Head Virus. Seed production technology has been developed for kuruma shrimp, Marsupenaeus japonicus, a candidate species for diversification. Culture of banana shrimp, Penaeus merguenis has been demonstrated in Billamora, Gujarat. A technology package for hatchery seed production of sea bass has been developed paving the way for it commercialization.
New designs for fuel-efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly fishing craft and gear are now available. National standards have been developed for quality assurance in fishery products. Technology for producing chitin and chitosan from shrimp head and shell has been commercialized. HACCP-based package has been developed for the practices for quality control of fish products. Many new value-added products have been produced from cuttlefish, squids, threadfin breams and carps including reportable flexible pouch technology for fish products. V form otter boards, Turtle Excluder device (TED) and square mesh cod ends are the new fishing craft and devices developed for eco- friendly marine fishing.
- Agricultural Education
In Agricultural Education several new initiatives have been taken to build a strong scientific base for research and technology transfer. Recommendations of the IV Deans Committee addressing quality and relevance of education by reorienting course curricula and syllabi for employability of graduates are being implemented in agricultural universities. For quality assurance in agricultural education 14 agricultural universities have already been accredited and several others are under the process of accreditation. With an objective of providing skill oriented hand-on training to student, 138 experiential learning units have been established in 43 agricultural universities. For engendering education by encouraging women candidates for higher agricultural education, 60 new girls’ hotels were constructed in agricultural universities. Similarly, for global visibility of our education system, 12 new international students’ hotels were constructed and during the academic year 2007, yearly 300 students from 25 countries were admitted in various degree programmes of agriculture and allied sciences.
For building global visibility in research and education, 28 Niche Areas of Excellence initiated in universities in their area of attained capabilities like competitiveness and nationalized character in various degree programmes was achieved through All India Entrance Examination for 15 per cent seats at undergraduate level and 25 per cent at post-graduates level in agricultural universities. Scholarships and financial assistance was provided to students for Rural Awareness Work Experience, Internship B.V.Sc & A.H. students, merit-cummeans scholarship, National Talent Scholarship (undergraduate programme), junior Research Fellowship (master’s programme) and Senior Research scientists. Nearly 150 HRD training courses of 10 days to 4 weeks duration were organized annually in which about 300 persons participated. Basic and strategic research in agriculture is encouraged through 25 national fellow and 10 national professional chairs. ICAR also facilitates logical completion of work that remains in hand at the time of superannuation of scientists by providing 50 emeritus scientists awards. Incentive and encouragement is provided to the faculty who attain excellence in teaching through 3-5 Best Teacher Awards annually per university. Training, consultancy, research and policy support has been provided by the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management through induction training programme to entry level scientists, other training programmes, off-campus programmes, workshops and seminars.
- Agricultural Extension
The Council has established a network of 533 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) and SAUs, ICAR institutes, NGOs, State Governments and other education institutions, aiming at assessment, refinement and demonstration of technology/product. These KVKs conducted 4109 on-farm trials in order to identify frontline demonstrations to establish the production potentials of improved agricultural technologies on the farmers’ fields. The KVKs organized 30672 training programmes benefiting 8.16 lakh women, 1.59 lakh rural Youth and 0.97 lakh extension personnel on various aspects of crop production crop protection, livestock production and management, fishery, resource management and other related areas. The beneficiaries of KVKs from the training programme also includes 2.27 lakh women farmers, 0.60 lakh rural girls and 0.21 lakh women extension personnel. In order to create awareness on improved agricultural technologies, the KVKs organized a large number of extension programmes including 41.90 lakh farmers. In addition, 8.482 newspaper coverage, publication of 2,231 popular articles and 6,075 extension literatures, and 3,786 and/ TV talks were taken by the KVKs. The KVKs produced 87,782 quintal of seeds, 71.98 lakh saplings/seedlings of fruits, vegetables, spice, medicinal plants ornamental plants, plantation crops and forest species and 29.98 lakh livestock strains and fingerlings for availability to farmers, besides production of bio-fertilizers, bio pesticides and bio-agents.
- National Agricultural Innovation Project
Under NAIP, the concept notes submitted under competitive mode are under review and 7 projects have been approved and about 33 projects are under different stages of advanced processing. The projects approved under research on Sustainable Rural Livelihood Security (Component-III) cover 25 destruction the seven north eastern states, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttranchal, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The approved projects under Basic and Strategic Research (Component-IV) include arsenic in food chain, fixation of heterosis and plants and genomic analysis of cotton boll fibre.
- National Fund for Basic and Strategic Research
Under this scheme (of ICAR), 21 projects have been approved in the frontier areas of agricultural sciences covering biotic and abotic stress management in rice, soreghum, pulse, oilseeds and cotton, animal improvement in buffalo, Immune response in cattle, prolificacy in black Bengal goat, mitigation of methane emission and productivity enhancement in dairy animals and targeted gene integration in rice and cotton.
- Research for Hill and Tribal Regions
ICAR through the Vivekananda Paravatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora, the ICAR Research Complex for North-Eastern Hills Regions, Umiam, Meghalaya and the Central Agricultural Research Institutes (CARI), Port Blair evolve technologies to meet the needs of tribes and hill farmers. These technologies are intended to improve their social-economic status and to help them acquire special skills through vocational training in traditional and non-traditional crops, agro forestry, apiculture, sericulture, horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry and fisheries. During 2006, 9 varieties of different crops were released for Uttarakhand, HP, J&K and North-Eastern Hills by VPKAS Almora. Development of water resource by harvesting surface runoff and perennial hill streams of LDPE lined poly-tanks and protected cultivations of off-season vegetables utilizing the harvested water have helped farmers in Almora District. Similarly micro irrigation system (MIS) helped initializing water efficiently in National District. VPKAS, Almora also designed a user-friendly low cost light trap of efficient mass trapping of beetles.
A detailed digitised climatical as covering all growing seasons was prepared for Meghalya by the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region. A genotype independent multiple shoot induction protocol for pigeon-pea was developed. Three varieties of Kiwi fruit were successfully propagated. The Institute has developed raised and sunken bed technology for increasing cropping intensity using marshy lands. A seed drill was developed for high lope condition simple multiplex PCR for rapid diagnosis of sex in ducks and duck embryos was developed. Captive breeding of chocolate mahaseer was achieved using the brood stocks from Meghalya.
CARI, Portblair found five local strains of Pseudomonas species which proved effective as bio control agents against pathogens of solanaceous vegetables. Sesbania aculeta inter-cropping in wet seeded rice proved beneficial in The Islands. Propionate chelated organic trace mineral supplementation improved the daily milk production in crossbred cows. The institute identified enterprise combinations for slapping valley and valley areas. Also, diverse fishery resources of Andaman and Nicobar Islands were documented.
