Hope on the horizon: A paddy field in Palamau

Ranchi, Dec. 1: Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), Kanke, is looking to develop a variety of rice that can survive the onslaught of extreme weather conditions, particularly drought and flood.

Funded by the central department of biotechnology, the project is being jointly carried out in 15 research centres across the country. BAU will conduct the research activities in the state.

Pegged at an estimated cost of Rs 17.74 crore, the project is being held in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute Centre in Manila, Philippines.

“All the centres in the country will conduct separate experiments on a variety of rice specific to their region. The crop hence developed will be cross-bred,” said B.N. Singh, research director of BAU. He added that the varsity had been allotted Rs 54 lakh by the department of biotechnology to undertake research activities in Jharkhand.

Aimed at cross-breeding two different varieties of rice, the experiment, titled genotyping, is the first of its kind in the country. Being conducted on similar lines as that of BT-cotton, the experiment, if successful, will augment food production in the country. “Weather will no longer be a deterrent for crop production,” Singh, who is also the principal investigator of the project, said.

“The technique used in the research will be known as market-assisted breeding,” said Singh. He added that they would first have to identify rice varieties prone to drought and flood, and study their respective DNA compositions to grow the resistant variety.