Central Government Departments

Crop Science of Indian Council of Agricultural Research

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Set up

The Crop Science Division, headed by Deputy Director General (Crop Science) is the largest Subject Matter Division (SMD) of the ICAR, responsible for technical administration of ten national institutes, two bureaus, five project directorates, seven national research centres, 25 all India coordinated research projects and 5 all India network projects. It also governs a large number of ad-hoc cess fund research projects and revolving fund schemes, and coordinates for the technical clearance of externally funded projects.

Located at the ICAR Headquarters, the Division has six commodity/subject-specific technical Sections, namely, (i) Food and Fodder Crops, (ii) Oilseeds and Pulses, (iii) Commercial Crops, (iv) Seeds, (v) Plant Protection, and (vi) Intellectual Property Rights. Each Section is headed by an Assistant Director General (ADG). Five Principal Scientists assist the middle level management and technical backstopping of various scientific/technical matters whereas an Under Secretary (Crop Science) is responsible for internal Administration matters in the Division.

The Focus of Crop Science Division is on management of the scientific development of improved crop cultivars and appropriate crop production/protection technologies with supporting basic and strategic crop science researches in the national agricultural research system in the country.

Thrust Areas

Harnessing modern scientific knowledge to develop high yielding inbred/ open-pollinated varieties and hybrids that are resistant/ tolerant to relevant biotic and abiotic stress factors, efficient in input use, and adapt to specific/ variable ecologies, with emphasis on rainfed agriculture.

Intensification of research on development of commercially viable hybrid technology to achieve higher yield thresholds in various crops/ agro-ecosystems, including non-traditional crops and harsh ecologies; development and diversification of male sterility system is an important area of research.

Tailoring varieties and hybrids with ideal maturity and plant architecture for intensification and diversification of cropping systems.

Development of value-added crop varieties for domestic and export markets.

Developing varieties and hybrids suitable for mechanization.

Developing molecular techniques/tools/protocols/diagnostic kits and their application in crop breeding with emphasis on genetic engineering of crop plants with novel gene(s) to improve productivity, stability, quality and resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Exploration plant genetic diversity, collection, ex-situ/in-situ conservation, characterization, evaluation, genetic enhancement and utilization of plant genetic resources.

Continuing research thrust on development of economical and eco-friendly crop production packages involving integrated nutrient, water and soil-management technologies.

Developing integrated pest management approaches/ practices for sustainable agriculture production.
Refining seed production technology and production of breeder seed with added emphasis on hybrid cultivars.

Promoting excellence in crop-science research of basic and strategic nature, such as manipulation of photosynthetic system, effect and mitigation of climatic changes, breeding methods, germplasm screening techniques and monitoring the variation in pests and pathogens.

Management of regulatory function for the quarantine and phytosanitary clearance of plant germplasm samples for research under import/ export.

Advisory support/ execution in techno-regulatory and enforcement matters and technical back-stopping for policy and legislative matters.

Aiming the research focus from sustainability to farm prosperity.

Achievements

Developed, released and notified over 2,750 high-yielding varieties and hybrids of field crops for their commercial cultivation.

Ø The input responsive, improved semi-dwarf varieties of wheat and rice were instrumental in ushering in the era of Green Revolution in Mid 1960s

Successfully developed improved varietal technology in various crops in the country for enhancing agricultural production/ productivity. Crop productivity increased in

Ø Wheat by 7 times

Ø Rapeseed-mustard by 6 times

Ø Maize by 4 times

Ø Rice, sorghum, sugarcane and cotton by more than 3 times.
Provided the technology-handle to meet the national food and nutritional security goals along the course of changing national priorities over the time:

Ø “Food”: in the First Five Year Plan (1950s)

Ø “Realizing the potentials of semi-dwarf, high yielding wheat and rice varieties” in the 1960s

Ø “Efficiency” during the 1970s

Ø “Quality” during the 1980s

Ø “Development/ deployment of Newer Tools of Science/ Modern Technologies” since the 1990s
Increased food production has transformed the ‘ship-to-mouth scenario until the early 60s’ into a ‘food secure situation with exportable surplus of certain commodities’.

India has become the second largest producer of wheat and rice and is also amongst the top exporters of rice.
Development and adoption of new varieties of oilseeds and complementary technologies doubled oilseed production in a decade (12.6 mt during 1987-88 to 24.4 mt during 1996-97), generally known as Yellow Revolution.

Improved varieties of sugarcane, wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, groundnut, mustard etc. used for commercial cultivation in several countries across the world.

The crop science research in the country has been focused and oriented to solving specific problems.
First-in-the-world hybrids developed in cotton, grain pearl millet, pigeonpea, castor and safflower

Ø Hybrid cotton is a landmark achievement in hybrid research

Ø Hybrids focused for dry lands and resource poor farmers, like in pearl millet.

Second to develop hybrid cultivars of rice and sorghum.

Developed very promising hybrids of sunflower and single cross hybrids of maize.

Headway in hybrid research in Brassica juneca; developed two cytoplsmic male sterility systems and introgressed a dominant fertility restorer gene.

Developed/ deployed the concept of new plant type in various crops/ plants to upgrade genetic ceiling of yield potential.

Consolidated the gains of Green Revolution and sustained the momentum of productivity enhancement and stability in food production and food security.

Ø The improved, high yielding, resistant/ tolerant and short duration varieties/ hybrids in various crops have played catalytic role in

v Crop insulation against biotic/abiotic stresses

v Adoption of other components of improved technology package, such as fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water

v Opening up awareness for multiple cropping systems and in enhancing cropping intensity particularly of wheat, rice, maize, sorghum etc.

v Transforming the mindset of farmers from conservative to technology-responsive one.

Developed new breeding methods, mating designs and analyses and germplasm screening techniques for evaluating resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Developed experimental transgenic in cotton and rice by incorporating genes for insect resistance.

Developed/successfully deployed ready-to-use diagnostic kits to detect transgenic cotton plants from normal ones.

Developed protocols for micro-propagation.

Developed/employed insulation technology to minimize the risks from diseases and pests. In particular,

Ø Deployed wheat varieties resistant to specific races of rust pathogens in different focal areas in the country that resulted in

v eradication of black rust from Nilgiri hills,

v minimizing brown rust from central India, and

v reducing the incidence of yellow rust from northern wheat growing hub of the country.

Worked out the etiology, epidemiology and the management of major diseases/insects pests, facilitating forecasting system and in developing location-specific integrated pest management (IPM) modules for sustainable crop production.

Ø Adoption of IPM modules has helped in lowering the quantum of pesticides requirement and promoting non-chemical, eco-friendly approaches.

Ø Synthesized/ validated large area IPM modules (40-200ha) in rice, cotton and mustard in many states, reducing pesticide load (0-3 applications) and increasing the benefit : cost ratio.

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