Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) received high praise for its advanced rice breeding programme during a high-level meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal. The meeting, which included senior rice breeders and university officers, welcomed a distinguished delegation led by Dr Gary Atlin, Senior Scientist at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with a team from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, led by Dr Hans Bhardwaj, Research Director and Head at IRRI.
The visiting team, which also included IRRI scientists Dr Shallabh Dixit, Dr Sankalp Bhosale, Dr Vikas Kumar Singh, Dr Kishore Rao, and Dr Challa Venkateshnarlu, reviewed PAU’s rice breeding initiatives, which aim to address regional and global agricultural challenges.
During the meeting, Dr Atlin lauded PAU’s speed breeding programme, calling it “a powerful tool” that has become a game changer in identifying new production lines critical for regional farmers. He emphasized the importance of intensifying field phenotypes and selecting the best breeding lines for varietal development. He added, “We should further accelerate the breeding cycle in Punjab and Haryana, given the high adaptability of farmers in this region.” Dr. Atlin also stressed the need to incentivize farmers to adopt Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) more widely and called for enhanced collaboration between IRRI and PAU in developing advanced screening systems for foolproof germination of rice entries.
Speaking on behalf of IRRI, Dr. Hans Bhardwaj highlighted the long-standing relationship between IRRI and PAU, dating back to the Green Revolution. He emphasized the need for building enduring partnerships that transcend individual projects, noting, “Our collaboration should be project-agnostic and focused on learning, growing, and delivering together.” He also underscored the importance of strengthening research efforts in biotic stresses and mechanization of DSR.
Dr. Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research at PAU, elaborated on the support received from IRRI, which has played a pivotal role in developing medium and short-duration rice varieties aimed at conserving underground water. Dr Dhatt also highlighted PAU’s promotion of DSR during the COVID-19 lockdown when labour shortages prompted widespread adoption of the technique.
In his presentation, Dr R.S. Gill, Principal Investigator of the Plant Direct Project, outlined PAU’s extensive rice research programme, which focuses on improving grain quality. Of the 48 rice varieties developed by PAU, 30 are non-basmati, and 18 are basmati varieties. He noted the growing popularity of the short-duration PR 126 variety, which remained resilient even after re-transplanting following monsoon floods in 2023, leading to a bumper harvest. Dr. Gill also spoke about the biocontrol agent Trichoderma developed by PAU for root disease management and research in genome editing for rice and paddy straw management.
Rice Agronomist Dr Buta Singh Dhillon highlighted resource constraints as a significant challenge in adopting DSR while sharing PAU’s key achievements in DSR agronomy. Dr Rupinder Kaur, a key member of the Plant Direct Project at PAU, discussed the future thrust areas for collaboration, stressing the need for further advancements in rice breeding, especially in developing varieties that address climate resilience and sustainability. She also called for an increased focus on mechanization and precision agriculture to enhance DSR adoption.
Congratulating PAU scientists on their successful rice breeding programme, Dr. Sankalp Bhosale emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration to develop new short-duration varieties. Dr Bhardwaj was equally impressed, stating, “I am delighted to witness the world-class science being conducted at PAU. IRRI will ensure that your impactful work reaches the global stage. PAU is truly a success story to share.”
In his concluding remarks, Vice Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal emphasized the importance of rice for Punjab and the ongoing efforts in developing disease-resistant, nutritionally dense, and leaf blight-immune varieties. He spoke of PAU’s initiatives to promote DSR and Tar-Wattar DSR, alongside efforts to strengthen field management, fertilizer application, green manuring, and paddy straw management. He also announced the establishment of a School of AI at PAU to enhance research capabilities. Dr. Gosal reaffirmed that the deliberations of the meeting would further solidify the PAU-IRRI relationship, which has been instrumental in advancing rice research and breeding.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr V.S. Sohu, Head of the Department of Plant Breeding, followed by a formal welcome by Dr G.S. Mangat, Additional Director of Research. A bulletin on Basmati rice was released, and the IRRI team was felicitated with traditional Punjabi Phulkaris, souvenirs, and a set of PAU publications.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9642
