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BISA PhotoSharad Pawar, the then Minister of Agriculture, Government of India (second from right), inaugurated the international seminar, “Meeting Challenges of Global Wheat Production ‒ A Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug” organized by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) & Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on November 21, 2009 at New Delhi. It was at this seminar that the idea of establishing an international institute for South Asia in memory of Dr. Borlaug was mooted by Thomas A. Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT and found spontaneous acceptance by the then Minister of Agriculture, and Mangla Rai, the then Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR, among others.

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Happenings

  • Conducting technical sessions and exposure visits to increase awareness among government officials

    An exposure visit was conducted at the Jabalpur farm in Madhya Pradesh from 3rd to 5th October 2018 for the officials of the Maharashtra Tribal Development Department, encouraging adaptability and sustainability through scientific know-how. Government officials from three primary districts of Palghar, Gadchiroli and Pune participated over the two days visit. Methodologically separated, the training included farm visits, technical sessions, screening sessions, visit to hosting facilities and official meetings. BISA’s senior farm official, Mr. Pankaj Singh conducted the sessions addressing innovation in agriculture to implemented farm practices for reduced labor, land and environmental degradation. Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), scale-appropriate mechanization, precision nutrient and water management techniques, decision tools, sensors and automation-based management systems were some of the primary adapted tools discussed and showcased in the workshop. Using climate calibrated approaches, sustainable intensification of the Cereals-Legumes-Pulses system at Jabalpur was also a major feature in the visit, helping increase soil health and ...

  • Australian high commissioner's visit to BISA farm at Ladhowal, Ludhiana and Climate Smart Village, Nurpur Bet

    Harinder Sidhu, Australian High Commissioner, visited the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Ladhowal, Ludhiana, India on February 19. Arun Joshi, Managing Director for BISA & CIMMYT in India, welcomed her with an introduction about the creation, mission, and activities of BISA and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). HS Sidhu, the Senior Research Engineer for BISA, explained the work CIMMYT and BISA were conducting in conservation agriculture in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University, machinery manufacturers and farmers. This work focuses on using and scaling the Happy Seeder, which enables direct seeding of wheat into heavy loads of rice residue without burning. This technology has been called "an agricultural solution to air pollution in South Asia,"  as the burning of crop residue is a huge contributor to poor air quality in South Asia. He explained recent improvements in the technology, such as the addition of a straw management systems to add extra functionality, which has led ...

  • Breeding for yield potential vis-à-vis biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat: Integrating genomics to move ahead

    A brainstorming meeting on “Breeding for yield potential vis-à-vis biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat: Integrating genomics to move ahead” was organized jointly by CIMMYT and ICAR on Aug 21, 2018. The meeting took place in NASC Complex in New Delhi with a participation of around 50 delegates including the key officials of ICAR, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), State Universities and CIMMYT. Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR chaired the meeting with Dr. Hans J. Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program (GWP), CIMMYT and Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR. Dr. Mohapatra expressed that there is a need to find a well-designed path to take advantage of the strengths of both CIMMYT and ICAR institutes. CIMMYT has a vast experience in germplasm enhancement globally which can be gainfully utilized by the Indian wheat program. Therefore, this meeting is to discuss critically how ...

  • Corporate Service Program (CSP) training in India

    CSP, an initiative by CIMMYT to build effective coordination and flexibility in between team members invited Finance, HR, ITU, Administration and Communication teams to the workshop. CIMMYT office in India organized a CSP training program for its CSP team to build effective coordination and support amongst teams across India. At offsite, the three-day workshop was facilitated to update and provide a clear understanding of financial and administrative procedures, team roles, responsibilities and better coordination amongst different units. Dr. Arun K Joshi (Asia Regional Representative, CIMMYT) enlightened the team members on the vision of Borlaug and his dedication, working towards food security and sustainable futures.  He advised the team for better coordination to enhance the work culture, efficiency and efficacy inculcating the concept of One CIMMYT and FEESO. India Finance Manager (Dinesh Trikha) updated the team on revised financial guidelines and formats, current Government compliances, laws and policies. Queries related to labor ...

  • International Training Workshop on Precision Nitrogen Nutrition in Wheat

    BISA is pleased to conduct International Training Workshop on Precision Nitrogen Nutrition in Wheat:  Integrating Genetics and precision Agronomy for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency. Dates:  1-5 March 2018 Venu: BISA Farms, Ladhowal, Ludhiana Course Coordinator - Dr H S Sidhu ( h.sidhu@cgiar.org ) Kindly see the attached brochure for details. INEW Precision Nutrition Training Brochure_08_01_2018