International Crops Research Institute for Semi- Arid Tropics, simply known as ICRISAT was inaugurated in the year 1972. It successfully completed 50years of its existence recently on 5th February, 2022. It is a non-profit organisation and also non-political. It is founded by the organisations summoned by the Rockefeller and Ford foundations. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) together signed the charter of International Crops Research Institute for Semi- Arid Tropics. The motive behind its existence is to perform research in the agricultural field in order to develop the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa and especially Asia. One more marking point about this organisation is that it is honoured with the status of United Nations Organisation Operating in the Indian Territory by the Indian Government. In spite this it is also eligible for a few special immunities and also for the tax privileges. ICRISAT has several regional hubs located in the areas of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mali i.e., at Nairobi, Bulawayo and Bamako respectively, and also other places including Mozambique, Nigeria, Malawi, Ethiopia. The headquarters is located in Hyderabad, Telangana. it performs research on the crops which are tolerant to draught and are also nutritious. There are six crops as such which are together called as Smart Food. This Smart food includes Pigeon-pea, Finger Millet, Groundnut, Sorghum, Chickpea and Pearl Millet. These six items are classified as Smart food because they are considered to be good for the consumer and also for the farmer and planet as well.
The aim of the organisation is planned to be achieved in 55 countries and around 2 billion people. In this huge number, 664 million people are considered to be the poorest of the poor. Being this the case, ICRISAT aims to help these poor people existing in large number to overcome the odds they are facing and also to ensure food security to them. These include the issues like a degraded environment, poverty and hunger, malnutrition. The plan is to solve them through a better agriculture. It adopted an inclusive process as well. And this is to include the poor, especially youth, women and children to be a part in their development process despite being side-lined. In the recent times, the agenda of ICRISAT is achieved through certain developments made such as, the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems, the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes, the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals and also through the Institutions and Markets. These are implemented in ways in which benefit smallholder farmers, enabling them and their families to travel beyond farming to supply surpluses which will be stored and sold to markets, covered the way for riches in the drylands. Surplus produce, which is stored as food, is a buffer in times of hunger. Income from marketed produce enable farm families to get more food when needed, including inputs like seeds, labour, fertilizer, tools, insurance and education and livestock. These will further raise farm productivity, beginning a series of investments that cause economic process. As this is often persistent, it creates a self-energizing way to prosperity. As already mentioned, it adapted to an inclusive process of development or inclusive market oriented development. Therefore, he strategy of ICRISAT is stick to the same. International Crops Research Institute for Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has discussed about six developing factors that it is looking at and that it strongly believes will help the needy to move along with inclusive market oriented development. They are as follows: diversification, women empowerment, resilience, intensification, health and nutrition and mostly importantly the food sufficiency. It is also believed that significant reduction in cases of poverty and increase in food security in the aimed areas is feasible through this way. In furtherance to this, this is the route to meet the aspirational goals of ICRISAT to overcome poverty, childhood malnutrition, hunger in the smallholder farming households and also to increase the suppleness of the tropical dryland. Recently, the Odisha government roped in to contribute the state with capacity-building initiatives which specially benefit the ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’.
RECENT INTIATIVES, DEVELOPMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ICRISAT:
Since the inauguration of the ICRISAT organization in 1972, it has made many contributions, innovations and breakthroughs to the country till date. It helped the deprived section of people to overcome the malnutrition, poverty and hunger and also environmental degradation. It helped millions of poor people to overcome these hardships.
In the last ten years, ICRISAT performed its research in various countries like India, Philippines, Vietnam, China, and has inclined to highlight creation and subsistence of rural livelihoods along with the activities releasing crop varieties that yield better.
The breakthroughs achieved by ICRISAT’s science based crop improvement research was related to pigeon-pea and millets. wo major science-based breakthroughs attributed to crop improvement research at ICRISAT relate to pearl millet and pigeon-pea. It released the first marker-assisted and the first public sector bred hybrid pearl millet, HHB 67 in 2006. Later to this development, in 2008 they released the first hybrid pigeon-pea as well. These are implemented to have improved tolerance and best person at the time of terminal drought.
In 2013, ICRISAT launched a Smart Food Initiative. The food and the aim of this initiative is already discussed above. It was enacted and laid its initial focus on Sorghum and Millets. Currently, this scheme of ICRISAT is handled by FANRPAN, APAARI, CORAF, and FARA together globally.
ICRISAT in collaboration with its partners led an initiative named Tropical Legume Project between 2007 and 2019. The project was enacted for the purpose of providing better food security to the deprived people. As a part of this project, it led a national program in India to promote the development of varieties of chickpea. As a result, 226 improved varieties were developed under this project and also large number of seed range for legume crops like groundnut, cowpeas, soybean, pigeon-pea and chickpea, etc. It helped the smallholder farmers in Asia and also in Africa. Also, these both countries became more resistant to climate change, outbreaks of diseases and pest as well. many scientists were trained under this project and are also working in the National Research Institutions all over the African Continent.
In 2019, ICRISAT focused on the Climate resistant chickpea varieties and led a research on the same with the help of an international team. As result of this work, many important aspects for heat and drought tolerance in chickpea were brought to light thereafter. The research has identified three genes for drought tolerance and four for heat tolerance. It was completely based on genome sequencing which was done on 429 different chickpea lines from 45 countries. Due to this approach of genome tolerance, the chickpea variety can be reduced to half in eight to four years. The origin of chickpea is in South West Asia and later it moved to South Asia. It reached India through Afghanistan about 2 centuries ago. The research enriches us with perception of chickpea’s domestication and its genetic diversity as well. There are many advantages that this project brings along with it. Climate in India is always uncertain. As climate change is most happening these days and the increase in temperature as a result are more witnessed in the world. In such instance, this variety of chickpea achieved through the research aimed under this project is most helpful for the farmers and especially the Indian farmers. Chickpea is usually sown between September and October and is harvested in between January and February in India. When the chickpeas achieved through this project, being it heat and drought tolerant are developed, the farmers may possibly go for a second round of harvesting which is beneficial. However, the yield will be less for the subsequent round of harvesting but it still benefits the farmers.
In 2020, International Crops Research Institute for Semi- Arid Tropics i.e., ICRISAT had achieved some major milestones. It released different variety of crops across Africa and Asia. And it bagged some major impacts in developing dryland agricultural food systems. The most advanced resources and technologies related to genomics, digital agriculture and crop breeding were published as International Public Goods.
In 2021, the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics was honoured with the Africa Food Prize, 2021 for its contributions through research in the agricultural field in Africa and Asia. Also for developing food security in the Sub-Saharan Africa especially. ICRISAT was awarded with US $1,00,000 cash prize under this awards for its achievements and strategies. This award was mainly given in the light of the recent project that was enacted in between 2007 to 2019 i.e., Tropical Legume Project. This project made some advancements for the deprived section of people in thirteen countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa by providing and ensuring food security.
50-YEARS of ICRISAT
Recently in 2022, ICRISAT marked its 50years of existence. And in light of that, Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi unveiled a logo for the organization. Along with that, ICRISAT was granted with the conditional exception for the disposition of drones for the purpose of agricultural research activities in Hyderabad, Telangana. The permissions were granted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and “(The) Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). These conditional exceptions are valid from the date of issuance of the letter till six months or until the full operationalization of DSP (phase 1) (i.e., Digital Sky Platform), whichever is earlier.
International Crops Research Institute for Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is the only IARC i.e., International Agricultural Research Center that has its headquarters in India. Also, it has been in collaboration with ICAR i.e., Indian Council of Agricultural Research. As a mark of its 50th year in existence and contributing the country, especially the agricultural sector, the Prime minister inaugurated the global headquarters of the organization in Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana this year. Chief Minister of Telangana, MR. K. Chandrashekar Rao, Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan along with the Union Minister of Agriculture Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar were also a part of the event organised in Telangana recently.