Science and technology-based interventions can be used for improving productivity of pulses with an overall objective of enhancing farmers’ income in rain-fed areas as well as addressing protein malnutrition, said Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Senior Advisor SR Rao at a discussion on improving productivity of pulse crops of specific importance to eastern India and rain-fed agriculture system, organised here on Friday by city-based Institute of life Sciences and the Department of Biotechnology of Government of India.
Rao called for a joint and coordinated approach for working in the area of genetic resources, genomics and breeding for improved quality characters. This should be taken on a mission mode approach and DBT will support such an initiative, Institute of life Sciences Director Ajay Parida mentioned that the pulse crops particularly black gram, green gram, horse gram, rice bean which were widely cultivated earlier, no longer find a place in cropping systems. In the eastern regions of India and in non-irrigated lands these crops could be profitably cultivated if we could develop drought, salinity and high-temperature resistant varieties with superior productivity and quality traits.
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi Director Kuldeep Singh spoke about the huge collections of these pulses at national level and mentioned that using advanced technology of genetics and genomics; it would be possible to identify promising varieties for cultivation by the small and marginal farmers.
Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur Director TP Singh, Imphal-based Institute of Bio -resources Director Dinabandu Sahoo and Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi KV Prabhu also spoke.