HYDERABAD: Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) has collaborated with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, to jointly develop rice varieties that are drought tolerant, pest and disease resistant. The focus would also be on developing rice varieties with low glysemic index which more commonly preferred by diabetic patients.
IRRI will also establish its regional centre on the university campus for giving more thrust to the rice research programs in the State. The university has agreed to provide 20-25 acres of land on the campus for this centre. “IRRI has shown keen interest to work with the PJTSAU on collaborative research projects. IRRI and PJTSAU have decided to prepare rice development project within next four months and submit it to the State government for implementation,” said Dr V Praveen Rao, vice chancellor of PJTSAU.
IRRI and PJTSAU will prepare an action plan for rice varieties in view of the large scale irrigation projects in the State. The research programmes will be taken up on water use efficiency in rice crop and thrust will be given to kharif rice varieties.
The team of scientists from IRRI, led by its director general Dr. Mathew Morrell, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PJTSAU here on Saturday. Earlier, the team met agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy. As part of the MoU, capacity building programmes will be organised by the IRRI for the faculty of PJTSAU on advanced breeding technologies. In addition, student and faculty exchange programmes between the two organisations will also be taken up.