http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100905/jsp/jharkhand/story_12897908.jsp



Seed war on drought


A. S. R. P. MUKESH



The MoU being exchanged at BAU in Ranchi on Saturday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Sept. 4: Very soon, Birsa Agriculture University (BAU) will undertake a campaign to study around 1,200 traditional varieties of rice in Jharkhand.



As Jharkhand is one of the primary centres of rice cultivation, it is important to conserve local crops and its gene samples in order to tackle the food crisis due to impending dangers of climate change.



The varsity, along with Gene Campaign, a Delhi based NGO that works in conservation activities of traditional crops in eastern India, today signed a MoU in this regard. The research will be undertaken in three phases.



According to the MoU, Gene Campaign will provide high quality traditional rice germplasm that can be integrated in the farming systems of Jharkhand.



At present, the NGO has collected and preserved around 2,700 traditional rice samples of which the varsity will have access to 1,200 samples for initial research activities.



“Our primary focus will be on drought-tolerant varieties of rice. In the last decade, the state has been severely affected by drought, as a result of which it is important to develop more such crops. We will also focus on blast-resistant crops and gallmidge (a plant disease)-resistant variants,” said varsity director (research), B.N. Singh, at a news meet.



Final dates to begin the research are yet to be decided, he added.



The Delhi-based NGO will also provide value-added inputs related to various traditional variants of grains and crops.



For example, Karni, a rice sample available in Jharkhand, is not only good to sow but there is a belief among the farmers that it can cure diabetes.



“Although we will not research this variant as of now, but we will undertake scientific studies to prove or disprove certain long held beliefs about grain variants available with us,” said Singh.



“Ownership of the seed will remain with villagers. We are a bridge between farmers and the world to sustain traditional farming practices in the country,” said Gene Campaign chairman Suman Sahai.



“We will include the participation of farmers by conducting various on-field activities to know their views of the particular grain and crop. In addition, a scientists’ evaluation will assess the importance of specific crops and its impact on human health,” she added.