Therefore, biofortified vitamin and mineral rich vegetable varieties should be developed to alleviate nutritional hunger. The efficient water use germplasm identified in rice and wheat in the phenomenon facility should be taken forward for their use in QTL mapping and crop improvement. Research work on sensor-based soil and plant health characterization and input application should be initiated.
Research work on monitoring crop diseases, pests, nutrients and irrigation by drones needs to be strengthened. The use of technologies powered by green energy (solar and bio) should be demonstrated in farmers' fields. The Pusa SPG 1118 hydrogel and the limitations, if any, to its large-scale use should be defined and addressed.
The antinutritional factor phytic acid should be considered as a target property to increase the bioavailability of micronutrients. In a hydroponic drought experiment, data should be taken every hour to examine heritability. In crosses with high oleic (low linoleic) and low oleic (high linoleic) germination should be recorded in the F2 population.
The RIL population showed a range of 21-85% germination after 2 years, the fatty acid profiles of the RIL population should be studied in relation to germination.
General Comments
No comments
Development of technologies for realizing the production potential of new varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops. Integrated pre- and post-harvest management for loss reduction and quality maintenance in fruits and vegetables (PI-Dr. Ram Asrey). Concentrate only on fruit packing experiments in fruits in which FHT division works.
Development of nutraceutical and functional foods from horticultural products and grain and pulse based convenience food products (PI- Dr. V.R. Sagar). Efforts should be made to breed for high value vegetables such as broccoli, garden peas and lettuce for cultivation under protected cultivation. Performance of the varieties/F1 hybrids of crops suitable for protected condition should be evaluated simultaneously under protected and open field conditions to assess GxE interaction.
The promising and popular hybrids marketed by reputable private seed companies need to be characterized to identify the traits suitable for protected status.
Specific Comments
Work needs to be done to reduce NCPC costs to improve nutrient use efficiency. Comparative information on carbon sequestration in conventional (long-term experiment) and conservation agriculture should be collected. Objective 1 of the program can be reformulated to include the impacts and risks associated with the use of sewage sludge on agricultural land.
For this, DSR has to be visited under bed planting at Mr. Sandeep Dahiya's farm in Sonepat district. Risk assessment and management of hydroclimatic hazards for natural resource degradation and agricultural sustainability (PI: Dr. P.Krishnan). During the HYDRUS-2D model validation, a comparison must be made with the measured data on NH4-N and NO3-N.
Focus should be on technologies that can be taken to logical conclusion by the end of the project period, i.e. targets for 2019-20 can be revised and pruned based on prioritized theme of the division and feasible based on current status. Detailed data on water conservation and water balance should be indicated in hydrogel-based studies.
More data on water productivity needs to be collected in order to calculate the water economy of different cropping systems.
SCHOOL OF CROP PROTECTION
Models for the assessment of avoidable yield losses should be developed which will be useful for convincing policy makers, etc. Development of new chemicals, toxicological evaluation, structure-activity relationship and crop protection formulations (PI-Dr. NA Shakil). Because soil application is not currently acceptable, seed treatment and foliar application should be attempted for the synthetic and natural products developed.
Studies on Biochemistry, Physiology and Molecular Biology of Insects and Nematodes of Economic Importance (PI-Dr. S. Subramanian). Identification of important plant viruses and pathogens as viruses, their diagnosis, host/vector interaction and management (PI-Dr. V K Baranwal). Virulence, Variability, Pathogenomics and Diagnostics of Major Fungal and Bacterial Plant Pathogens (PI-Dr. RashmiAggrawal).
The survey for the distribution of various diseases in farmers' fields should be done so that the losses due to diseases can be estimated. The use of drones for spraying fungicides as it will reduce the amount of pesticides as well as water demand and the time and labor required. Since most of the rice varieties grown in India are susceptible to bakanae disease, there is an urgent need to find effective fungicides for disease management.
Capacity building in the field of host-pathogen interactions to use genomics-derived information. Assessment and Management of Contaminants in Agricultural Crops and the Environment (PI-Dr. Irani Mukherjee). Farmers should be educated on SOPs for the safe use of agrochemicals, including pesticide spraying.
Interactions of parasitic and beneficial nematodes with rhizosphere microbes and insect pests (PI- Dr. SharadMohan).
SCHOOL OF BASIC SCIENCE
Mutants of Nagina 22 and 3K rice panel of IRRI should be analyzed for different physiological traits of yield and stress tolerance and to identify the genes controlling these traits. The results of the projects, i.e. donors and genes identified for drought and heat tolerance, and nitrogen use efficiency in rice and wheat, should be pursued in the next plan for deciphering the mechanisms and functional validation. Research work on transgenic and genome editing to increase stress tolerance and yield in rice has made significant progress.
An effort should be made to investigate the possibility of commercializing the magneto priming machine and the priming technology. The technology developed for the cost-effective extraction of vitamin E from soybeans holds great potential and must therefore be carried forward to industrial scale for further commercialization. The work on increasing the bioavailability of nutrients isoflavones using enzymes from probiotic bacteria was appreciated and it was suggested to explore it further for the development of soy products with improved isoflavone bioavailability.
It has been suggested to include lipid profiling as one of the parameters to understand the mechanism of low radiance in nutritionally rich domestic pearl millet varieties of Rajasthan.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Establishment 1 ScientificStaff
Genetics and the Division of Fruit and Horticulture Technology are respectively changed to Division of Fruit Science. 23 The post of professor in each discipline can be filled by direct recruitment with the designation of Chief Scientist (Professor) ATR by IARI: Proposal sent to the Council.
Visits to IARI by delegates Coordinated by PME Cell during this period (2017-2020) are given below
Honorable Minister of State for Food Security, UAE – Her Excellency Mariam Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi,. Pan Xianzheng, Director General, Department of Personnel and Labor, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China. Michael Hawkins, Adviser (Agriculture and Agri-Food) and Senior Trade Commissioner, High Commissioner of Canada, New Delhi.
