In news
Centre allows ICRISAT to use drones for agricultural research
About International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT)
- It is an international non-profit organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development
- It was established in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller foundations.
- Its charter was signed by the FAO and the UNDP.
- It is headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana) with several regional centers (Bamako (Mali), Nairobi (Kenya)) and research stations (Niamey (Niger), Kano (Nigeria), Lilongwe (Malawi), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bulawayo (Zimbabwe)
- since its inception, host country India has granted a special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian territory
Functions of ICRISAT
- It conducts agricultural research that leads to the development in the drylands of Asia and sub – Saharan Africa so that poor people could overcome poverty , hunger and changing environment with the help of better agricultural practices.
- ICRISAT performs crop improvement research, using conventional as well as methods derived from biotechnology, on the following crops: Chickpea, Pigeonpea, Groundnut, Pearl millet, Sorghum, Finger Millet, teff, and Small millets.
- ICRISAT’s scientific information by topic, crop, location and resources on Explore it
India and ICRISAT
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and ICRISAT have been research partners since 1972, and the collaboration between scientists from Indian national programs and ICRISAT has been highly productive. A few of the research projects currently underway are mentioned below.
- Transgenics in chickpea and pigeonpea for management of Helicoverpa, and transgenics in groundnut for disease management
- Improving tolerance to major abiotic stresses in pulses (chickpea and pigeonpea)
- Development and application of biotechnology tools to aid pearl millet breeding
Source: ICRISAT
