Crop research centre to increase cooperation with Japan

Thursday, 12 June 2003, 19:30 IST
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HYDERABAD: A renowned global crop research centre based near here says it is embarking on an extended phase of cooperation with the Japanese government. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), based in Patancheru, has had Japan as its third biggest donor since 1976, contributing about $64 million to the growth of the research facility. For three decades, the Japanese government and Icrisat have worked together for agricultural development in Africa and Asia while also collaborating on dozens of support projects. Japan's first secretary in India, Mitsuaki Kinoshita, visited Icrisat's Patancheru campus Friday. "The institution's ties with Japan would be strengthened by the visit," said William Dar, the director general of Icrisat. Japanese support to Icrisat has focused on special projects that bring scientists from the Japan International Centre for Agricultural Sciences (Jircas). In April 2003, a new Jircas-Icrisat project was signed. The five-year project aims at soil fertility preservation through organic matter management and introduction of legumes or pulses for diversifying and enriching the system. Icrisat also receives Japanese support for collaborative projects on the development of transgenic groundnut and chickpea tolerance for stresses like heat and drought. Japanese support helped Icrisat acquire its first electron microscope and also equipment for its gene bank. Japanese funding was also responsible for developing an agro-climatology project and the Cereals and Legumes Asia Network.
Source: IANS
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