India accounts for 67% and 80% of the global area of chickpea and pigeonpea, respectively. Varieties/hybrids developed from ICRISAT-bred materials account for 53% of the total indent of breeder seed for these crop in India. Developing and validating ICM packages using an on-farm approach, monitoring virulence spectrum and variability in pathogen/pest populations at phenotypic and genotypic levels. PQU facilitated export of 6479 seed samples and 5502 grain and plant material samples to 27 countries, import of 3196 seed samples from 6 countries, and conservation of 6628 germplasm accessions in Genebank. Integrate the outputs from research across the whole value chain (soil and water management, improved cultivars and production technologies, climate smart production systems, post-harvest management and value addition, etc). Operation, maintenance and optimum utilization of power, water, air-conditioning and civil and engineering infrastructure, buildings, machinery, instruments and equipment.

1. Pooran Gaur
On behalf RP-Asia Team
Regional Planning Meeting - Asia
Patancheru
11 Mar 2020
Perspectives on outlook for Asia Research Program

2. Research Program - Asia
(1) Crop Improvement
(2) Integrated Crop Management
(3) Plant Quarantine Unit
(4) ICRISAT Development Centre
(5) Farm and Engineering Services
Harish Gandhi
Mamta Sharma
Rajan Sharma
Sreenath Dixit
Suresh Pillay

3. Theme/Unit IRS SMG
VS &
Consultants
NRS LRS NRS-Con NRS-SS Total
Crop Improvement 1 7 13 2 50 14 6 93
Integrated Crop Management 5 2 1 15 3 1 27
ICRISAT Development Center 1 11 12 1 28 56 4 113
Plant Quarantine Unit 1 1 4 6
Farm & Engineering Services 3 1 21 56 6 87
Program Office 1 1 2
Total 3 27 28 27 153 73 17 328
Staff strength in RP-Asia

4. 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total
Confirmed bilateral projects 7.93 6.52 3.52 1.15 0.07 19.19
Submitted Proposals - 40% 2.78 3.08 2.64 1.03 0.34 9.87
Total – RP Asia 10.70 9.60 6.16 2.18 0.42 29.06
Funding pipeline for RP-Asia
Funds available and expected from bilateral projects (excluding CRP and ICAR funds)
Budget in 2019
CI + ICM + IDC + Program Office 11.11
PQU + FES 3.89
Total 15.00
(in million USD)

5. • Recognized global leadership in breeding of its mandate
crops and a track record of high performance.
• In-house multi-disciplinary team and a global network of
partners (cross-country knowledge sharing).
• Access to global germplasm collections.
• Access to advanced facilities (precision fields, high
throughput precision phenotyping) and technologies
(genomic tools, RGT).
• IDC for large-scale adoption and impacts of technologies
and providing feedback to research programs.
• PQU for safe exchange of germplasm and breeding
materials across countries.
• FES for supporting field operations and maintaining
research facilities.
• A good track record of capacity building, training and
knowledge sharing.

6. Crop Improvement
Focus areas
• High yield potential, enhanced resistance/tolerance to abiotic
and biotic stresses, climate resilience, and adaptation to
different agro-ecologies and cropping systems.
• Market value, industrial use, nutritional quality and labor-
saving traits.
Varieties/hybrids released globally from ICRISAT-Asia bred materials
Crop Asia Africa Other
regions
Total
Chickpea 66 (5)* 34 (4) 3 (2) 103 (11)
Groundnut 66 (12) 45 (18) 3 (3) 114 (33)
Pigeonpea 75 (8) 32 (7) 11 (4) 118 (19)
Sorghum 80 (6) 46 (22) 19 (7) 145 (35)
Pearl millet 186 (4) 10 (8) 6 (2) 202 (14)
Total 473 167 42 682
*No. of countries in parenthesis

7. • India accounts for 67% and 80% of the global area of chickpea
and pigeonpea, respectively. Varieties/hybrids developed from
ICRISAT-bred materials account for 53% of the total indent of
breeder seed for these crop in India.
• ICRISAT-related varieties cover >90% of the chickpea area in
Myanmar, where chickpea production increased 5-fold in past
15 years.
• 60-70% of pearl millet hybrids in India are directly or
indirectly based on ICRISAT-bred hybrid parents. Pearl millet
productivity in India increased @ 3% per annum
Trends in area, production and productivity of
chickpea in Southern India (AP, TS & Karnataka)
Trend in pearl millet yield in India
Some examples of impacts of improved varieties/hybrids

8. Efforts on enhancing efficiency of crop improvement
• Breeding efforts targeted to well-defined Product
Profiles and early generation testing in Target
Population of Environments (TPEs)
• Broadening genetic base of breeding populations
(enhanced use of germplasm, novel crossing methods
to enhance genetic recombination)
• Making hybrid breeding program more efficient by
exploiting information on heterotic gene pools and
quality control.
• Rapid generation turn over (several crop cycles per
year)
• Improving selection efficiency (high throughput
precision phenotyping, marker-assisted selection,
efficient experimental designs and statistical analysis)

9. Improving operational efficiencies
• Establishment of Crop Improvement Operations Team
(CIOT)
• Enhancing mechanization, automation and digitization
• Implementing Breeding Management System (BMS)
• Cold stores – refurbished
• Establishing a Seed Processing Unit
• Implementing Seed Inventory Management System

10. Integrated Crop Management
• Host plant resistance against major diseases and insect pests
Developing precision phenotyping protocols
Identifying stable sources of resistance
Establishing mechanisms and inheritance of resistance
• Monitoring virulence spectrum and variability in
pathogen/pest populations at phenotypic and genotypic
levels
• Monitoring aflatoxin contamination in food systems
• Bio-control agents (PGPR and microbial metabolites) having
disease-pest inhibitory and plant growth promoting activity
• Developing and validating ICM packages using an on-farm
approach

11. Climate change and plant protection
• Study the effects of climate variability on host x pathogen interactions
• Identification and mapping of risk zones for emerging diseases/insect-pests under
climate change scenarios
• Host–insect-pests/pathogens interactions in relation to simulated climate variables
• Weather-based prediction models for timely management of diseases/insect-pests
Center of Excellence on climate change research for plant protection to develop pest
and disease management for climate change adaptation
Climate change facility @ ICRISAT

12. Plant Quarantine Unit (PQU)
• Facilitate safe import and export of germplasm and breeding materials.
• Pre-export field inspections and field diagnosis of diseases in the imported
germplasm/breeding material.
• Conduct seed health test of germplasm accessions for conservation in the
ICRISAT Genebank.
• Eight SOPs developed for Quality Management System (QMS) of PQU
• Using non-invasive techniques for seed-borne pest detection (Videometer seed
analyzer, Soft X-ray analysis, NGS based detection of seed-borne viral
pathogens)
• Identifying more effective fungicides for seed treatment
• Maintain a database of pathogens of quarantine significance detected in seed
samples.
• Capacity building of National and International Plant Quarantine staff
2019: Facilitated export of 6479 seed samples and 5502 grain and plant material
samples to 27 countries, import of 3196 seed samples from 6 countries, and
conservation of 6628 germplasm accessions in Genebank.

13. • Holistic approach to benefit smallholder farmers
• Integrate the outputs from research across the whole value chain
(soil and water management, improved cultivars and production
technologies, climate smart production systems, post-harvest
management and value addition, etc).
• Serve as a self-sustaining business model, attracting funding from
corporates and other development investors.
• Work with a range of R&D partners, focusing on trust building
through transparency & accountability, and mutual learning and
capacity building.
• Serve as a platform to capture lessons learnt
• Provide feedback into ICRISAT’s research programs to support
problem solving and demand-driven research.
• Further develop the science of scaling-up/out through lessons learnt.
Focus areas/strategies of ICRISAT Development Centre (IDC)

14. Examples of some IDC projects
Odisha Bhoochetana
• 40,000 soil samples from 30 districts analysed for secondary and
micro-nutrients and Soil Health Cards (SHCs) distributed to farmers.
• An online portal on soil health maps published
(http://111.93.2.168/odsoil/).
• 30 sites of learning established and about 3600 demonstrations on soil
test-based nutrient management, improved varieties and best
practices conducted.
• Training of 60 master trainers and 2600 officers from DoA and 10,000
farmers across the districts accomplished.
Doubling Famers’ Income In Bundelkhand
• Site specific rainwater harvesting measures resulted in the harvest of
nearly 0.5 million m3 of water leading to increased cropping intensity.
• 2,100 demonstrations conducted on high yielding varieties and
improved production practices.

15. Farm and Engineering Services (FES)
• Develop and maintain land and water resources, soil and
water conservation structures, research facilities,
infrastructure and other farm structures.
• Provide quality services for operation and maintenance of
the farm and controlled environment research facilities.
• Optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of the resources
available through improved management
• Operation, maintenance and optimum utilization of
power, water, air-conditioning and civil and engineering
infrastructure, buildings, machinery, instruments and
equipment.
Recent developments/upgrades: RGT growth chambers & glasshouses;
Groundnut Hybridization block; Micro-sick plots for transgenic research;
500Kw Rooftop Solar power; Upgrade of Seed Stores Cold Rooms;
Purchase of new machinery and implements (Auto-steer tractors; Laser
land levelers; Precision pneumatic planters; Self-propelled high clearance
sprayer; Laser bird repellant)

16. Thank You