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Mega workshop on “Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) program” organized in Delhi 

Written by rpuri on . Posted in Feature.

By Santanu Mukherjee

Participants during the CRA workshop in Delhi

On January 18 and 19, 2023, a two-day mega workshop on the Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) Program was held in Dwarka, New Delhi. 

Around 90 members were participated in this program and benefited from it. During the workshop, the attendees discussed and learned about solar harvesting, carbon credit, crop residue management, climate resilient cultivars, millets and pulses in cropping systems, and maize drying and processing. 

Delivering the keynote address Dr. Arun Kumar Joshi, MD, Borlaug Institute for South Asia said “under the guidance of the Honourable Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar the Climate Resilient Agriculture program has touched the new heights. If more farmers embrace the CRA technology the agricultural growth will be exponential in near future in a sustainable manner.” 

He also emphasised the role of collaborating institutions and scientists and said that “because of their hard work including the staff of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, farmers are now more aware about climate resilient agriculture and how they can reduce the risk and get more profit in lesser cost. Constant monitoring and guidance by Dr N. Saravana Kumar, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar has fastened the momentum of the project in achieving its milestones. 

Dr. Arun Joshi, MD, BISA sharing his thoughts during the workshop

Dr. Joshi also added that Indian farmers struggle with climate change, declining resources, and revenues as well as weakening soil health. CRA program of Bihar government has given a new life to farmers hope of sustaining their income and livelihood. They have learned to save water, time, fertilizer, and other resources using appropriate seeds, machines, soil and water management, plant protection, and increasing linkage with the value chain. Energy efficient technologies such as solar power irrigation, carbon farming and residue management will go a long way to keep the planet safe from global warming and pollution.  

Dr. Raj Kumar Jat, Senior Scientist and Station Incharge, BISA, Pusa introducing BISA and briefing on the CRA Program said “BISA is an international organization jointly established by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Government of India, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT – Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz Y Trigo), Mexico. The purpose of BISA is to use the latest technologies in agriculture to boost agricultural productivity and sustainably fulfil the demands of the future. BISA is more than just an organization; it is a commitment to the people of South Asia, especially the farmers, and a coordinated effort to spur the second Green Revolution.” 

Dr. Raj Kumar explained how the institution with the other partners is reaching out to the farmers with the climate resilient agriculture technology and practices and how it is using the UAV (Unmanned Arial Vehicle) technology in the farmers’ field. He also informed how the UAV institution is using in agricultural operations, mostly for yield optimization and for monitoring crop development and production. 

To help farmers adapt to the changing climatic conditions, global warming, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, the agriculture sector in the nation and around the world needs an increasing number of innovations and technologies.  There are many well-proven solutions that can improve clim/ate resilience, added Dr. Raj Kumar. 

Training and funding farmers to embrace them has been the bigger problem, however CRA partners with the state government has been constantly working since 2019 to help the farmers in the country understand the importance of these technologies and that is, now shaping up.    

During the workshop Dr. Anjani Kumar, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Patna, Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Director ICAR-RCER, Patna, Anil Jha, Nodal Officer, CRA Program Government of Bihar, Dr. Vijay Singh Meena, Project Coordinator and Dr. Illathur Rajesh Reddy were present. Representatives from other international organizations like IRRI, CIP and ICRISAT were also present including Dr Arvind Kumar, DDG, ICRISAT, Hyderabad. 

Celebrating 10 years of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia

Written by rpuri on . Posted in News.

BISA staff and partners gathered across India and online to mark a decade of excellence in science and partnerships, and to set ambitious goals for the coming years.

By Richa Sharma Puri

October 10, 2021

BISA and CIMMYT gather for a virtual 10 year celebration.

A decade ago, a foundation was laid with a vision to secure food, nutrition, livelihoods, and the environment in South Asia. The Borlaug Institute of South Asia (BISA) was formed and the principles were set following the path of Norman Borlaug to translate the agrarian challenges into opportunities by collaborating with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). BISA was established as an independent, non-profit research organization.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of BISA, Bram Govaerts, Director General, CIMMYT-BISA, gathered BISA staff for a virtual celebration on 5 October 2021. He congratulated BISA colleagues and said “[…] BISA has continued to expand Norman Borlaug’s vision and legacy. It has […] been committed and achieved excellence in science, seeds and partnerships by touching lives of millions of farmers and consumers.”

“Perhaps one of the most impactful outcomes of BISA’s work has been its contribution to build a strong and wide network for evaluating and disseminating new high yielding and climate-resilient wheat varieties for southern Asia in close partnership with ICAR and national agricultural research systems. CIMMYT-BISA has not only contributed towards this but will also make sure that India’s farmers are the happiest. Efforts will and have been made towards their income generation, livelihood for families, a clean environment and building of future agricultural resilience,” he added.

Pramod Aggarwal, Regional Program Leader, BISA and CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), gave suggestions for the way forward and BISA’s future collaborations. He said, “It’s time to strengthen BISA and further expand it to other South Asian countries.”

Arun Joshi, Managing Director, BISA, spoke about the achievements of BISA throughout the last decade and about the establishment of the ‘Farms of the Future’. “BISA farms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. BISA’s no residue burning, efficient resource management, precision phenotyping, climate resilient germplasm, quality seed and capacity development activities are just a few examples of BISA’s successful programs,” he said.

“BISA has been scaling climate smart agriculture technologies not only in Indian villages but to other countries of South Asia, as well, and has supported African colleagues in capacity development.” Joshi recalled the support provided by numerous funding partners, by ICAR (Government of India), state governments (Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra), other governmental institutions, CIMMYT’s Board of Trustees and Management Committee team members and different research programs to strengthen BISA.

Celebrations galore  

BISA’s Jabalpur team gathers for a celebration

In addition to the virtual celebration with the leadership of BISA and CIMMYT, numerous teams scattered across India celebrated the success and fruitful journey of BISA. The teams at BISA farms in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Pusa (Bihar), and Ludhiana (Punjab) marked the occasion by gathering at a COVID-19-appropriate distance and paid regards to Norman Borlaug and spoke about the objectives and vision of BISA.

The New Delhi team celebrated by garlanding the statue of Borlaug, that stands in front of the office of BISA based at the National Agriculture Science Complex (NASC).

Capturing the decade-long journey

The ten-year journey of BISA is captured in “A Decade of Research in Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) 2011-2021,” a research highlights report that was unveiled during the virtual celebration and that will soon be available online. Arun Joshi explained that the document encapsulates the spirit of BISA and its achievements throughout the last ten years. Its sixteen themes define the work of BISA and its reach across South Asia.

The report also informs of BISA’s outreach activities throughout the last decade and its impact on climate resilient agriculture. Themes such as ‘Managing Rice Residue Burning’, ‘Climate Smart Village Approach’, ‘Precision Phenotyping in Wheat Breeding’, ‘Developing Improved Crop Insurance Products’, ‘Mainstreaming Gender in Climate-Resilient Agriculture’ reveal how BISA scaled up these approaches with its advanced technology mechanisms. In addition, every theme captures information related to funding and research partners.

Overall, the ten-year report is a robust document which showcases how millions of farmers in South Asia have benefitted from the strong scientific partnership of BISA and national programs.

Expanding BISA expertise to new horizons in South Asia

Written by rpuri on . Posted in News.

Senior government representatives from across South Asia join forces to consolidate food security in the region.

By Richa Sharma Puri

Delegates from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India meet to deliberate on the significant issues in South Asia’s agriculture sector.

Ten years ago, a foundation was laid on the principles of Norman Borlaug to translate agrarian challenges into opportunities through collaboration between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This major step toward sustainable food and nutrition security was taken through the establishment of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) as an independent, non-profit research organization.

Today, BISA is a global name in agriculture research with a vision to promote food security, nutrition, stable livelihoods, and eco-friendly practices in South Asia. Given the prominent challenges of climate change in these economically fragile agroecosystems, the partnership between BISA, ICAR, and CIMMYT plays a pivotal role in developing improved wheat and maize varieties with climate-smart and conservation agriculture-based practices.

A decade of impact

One of the most significant outcomes of BISA’s work has been its contribution to building a vast, solid network for evaluating and disseminating new high-yielding and climate-resilient wheat varieties for India and other South Asian countries in close partnership with ICAR and CIMMYT. BISA’s transformative solutions and science-led research are critical to targeting stressed resources and attaining global food security.

With support from ICAR and CIMMYT, BISA has developed state-of-the-art research facilities at its three strategically selected research stations, having 1,200 acres of land that the Government of India, jointly with the respective state governments, generously granted to the project. Located in three disparate agro-climatic and socioeconomic environments, these sites are model research farms supporting agriculture research in South Asia. The learning labs at BISA emphasize that scaling climate-smart villages also strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, primarily through addressing challenges such as residue burning. BISA’s collaborative and inclusive approach is more relevant today when the world is grappling with various food and nutrition insecurity challenges.

Time for expansion

BISA envisages attracting countries from south Asia, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), as well as National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), national research institutes, private sector companies, and civil society organizations as active partners for expanding reach in the region. To this end, BISA has completed extensive work in Nepal and Bangladesh and has extended its services to Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Still, more needs to be done in South Asian countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a strong commitment to harnessing the best of international scientific discoveries with local efforts. Collective action is to be garnered to provide trusted and effective mechanisms for developing and sharing cutting-edge agricultural technologies in the South Asian region.

Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICAR, with Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, discuss how BISA’s work can
create food security in South Asia.

To this end, a BISA High-Level Meeting was organized on September 1 and 2 in Delhi, with senior government representatives from the NARS in Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. The meeting provided a forum to identify opportunities to co-create and deploy innovative, multidisciplinary solutions to effectively address the transboundary challenges related to food, nutrition, and environmental security faced by farming communities in South Asia. This platform strives to unite the scientific community and thought leaders to support research and development across the agriculture domain.

Delegates from these countries felt that there is a need for a robust program of germplasm exchange within the region, which is essential to strengthening agriculture’s resilience. All countries expressed a significant need to raise their capacity of young researchers in advanced research techniques related to genomics, phenotyping, climate-smart agriculture, precision agriculture, and digital technologies. Delegates also discussed BISA’s role as a research and innovation regional catalyst, innovation hub, and integrated research platform to build resilient agrifood systems and achieve long-term sustainability and resilience for food security in South Asia.

BISA’s farm-ready research, from setting up climate-resilient villages and developing viable alternatives to rice residue burning to facilitating an open exchange of elite germplasm and cutting-edge technologies, reflects not only the vision of CIMMYT but also the philosophy of our mutual inspiration, Borlaug, who believed strongly in sharing knowledge and “taking it to the farmer”.

Published on – 11/01/2023