The Indira Gandhi Agricultural University (IGAU), Raipur has bagged the first prize for their ‘Paddy Biodiversity’ stall set up at the three-day International Paddy Symposium which concluded in Hyderabad on November 20.
The stall was represented by the IGAU’s Genetics and Plant Breeding Department scientists.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and State Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal have congratulated the university authorities for the achievement.
Around 23,250 germoplasm from the stored rice of IGAU is ranked second in the world. This germoplasm includes specific properties of rice varieties like anti-drought, aromatic, medicinal and high-nutrient, officials stated.
The stall displaying such paddy was the centre of attraction in the fair, stated officials.
The paddy property of Chhattisgarh was briefed to the visitors through pictures and posters. Besides, India, Scientists from China, Nepal and Philippines presented their stalls. Officials said that the participants from both India and abroad appreciated the IGAU stall.
The IGAU stall was represented by the IGAU’s Genetics and Plant Breeding Department Head AK Saraogi along with scientists Sandeep Bhandarkar and Sunil Nair as well as Research Assistant GC Ojha.
Notably, in September this year, the IGAU had announced that it is developing a local rice form named Chapti Gurmatiya containing low Glycerine Index.
“This low Glycerine Index rice variety was part of Chhattisgarh residents before the Green Revolution Era. It was popularly grown and consumed here. We thought of working on it to provide a healthy food material again,” Professor Girish Chandel, Principal Scientist, Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department of IGAU had informed. “We hope to release the variety for Type 2 Diabetic patients by the year-end since the mice feeding experiment is giving encouraging results,” he had stated.
Sources maintained none of the State agricultural universities across the nation have focussed on the particular variety for the health-conscious purpose.
Chandel had stated that an Australian Machine replicating the human intestine is used for the particular rice-experimentation.
Highlighting the role of the foreign procured machine, Vinay Premi, a Doctorate Research Scholar assisting Chandel in the project said, “We cook the rice and put it in the machine with artificial enzymes to observe the impact on human-like gut.”
However, asked about the release of the variety for the public, Premi felt it will take atleast two to three years more for the release.