BHUBANESWAR: Eminent rice scientist of the country and former professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, OUAT, Dr Ashutosh Ray passed away at a private hospital here after a prolonged illness. He was 83. Dr Ray was instrumental in releasing more than 46 high-yielding varieties of rice including Lalat which is among the top five rice varieties in Asia.
Lalat is a short height medium maturity duration and multiple resistant varieties were released in 1988 for the irrigated ecology of the state. It is not only the most popular high-yielding variety in Odisha but also well-liked in the neighbouring states. Dr Ray also developed other varieties of rice like Khandagiri, Badami, Bhanja, Konark, and others. He had guided many PhD students in research and also published 35 research publications in national and international journals.
For his outstanding contribution to the field of botany, Dr Ray was awarded by the Orissa Botanical Society, the senior scientist award by Odisha Bigyan Academy. the award was conferred on him by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2010, the Krushak Bandhu award in 1997 and honoris causa (Doctor of Science) by the then Governor SC Jamir during OUAT’s 35th convocation in 2016. His poetry collection ‘Maru Manasi’ has been widely appreciated by literature lovers. Dr Ray is survived by his wife and two children.