Biotech Updates

ICRISAT Germplasm Materials Making Impact on Global Food Security

May 27, 2011

The National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) worldwide have reported the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics' substantial contribution to measures to attain global food security by the number of germplasm and breeding materials released. ICRISAT's press release said that 735 varieties and hybrids have been released to the NARS as of December 2010. These include sorghum - 242; pearl millet - 163; groundnut - 145; chickpea - 120; and pigeonpea - 65. Of these, 347 are in Asia (198 in India); 319 in sub-Saharan Africa (183 in East & Southern Africa and 136 in West & Central Africa); and 69 in the rest of the world.

ICRISAT Director General William D. Dar congratulated the NARS partners and the ICRISAT scientists for the accomplishment. He added that, "Through partnership-based international agricultural research-for-development that embodies Science with a Human Face, ICRISAT will continue to work for the improvement of the well-being of millions of smallholder farmers, particularly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa."

For more on this news, see the press release at  http://www.icrisat.org/newsroom/news-releases/icrisat-pr-2011-media13.htm.