IRRI and PJTSAU hold training on advanced breeding techniques for regional partners in India to accelerate crop improvement programs

HYDERABAD, INDIA (27 February 2024) The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) South Asia Hub and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) organized the training Haplotype Analysis and its Application in Breeding for National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) in India on 27-28 February in Hyderabad.

The training, funded by the Department of Biotechnology, served as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange, and skill enhancement. It provided participants from IRRI partner institutes and state agricultural and central universities with a deeper understanding of cutting-edge breeding techniques for haplotype-based breeding and genetic research advancements.

These include advanced genomic techniques, biometric analysis, haplotype diversity analysis, identification of superior haplotypes, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), Et-GWAS, linkage, and QTL mapping.

“This event comes at a crucial time in supporting ongoing rice breeding efforts in partnership with the NARES in India,” said IRRI Research Director and Rice Breeding Innovations (RBI) Platform Lead Hans Bhardwaj.

Dr. P. Raghu Rami Reddy, director of Research at PJTSAU underscored the significance of advanced statistical and bioinformatic tools in rice breeding programs.

“This innovative approach addresses several aspects of breeding and operational excellence, demonstrating transformational changes and significant impacts on the ground with NARES breeding programs in the region,” said Dr. Vikas K. Singh, lead of the IRRI Regional Breeding for South Asia.

Thirty participants from PJTSAU in Rajendranagar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Institute of Rice Research in Rajendranagar; National Rice Research Institute in Cuttack and Hazaribagh; Regional Agricultural Research Station Palakkad; Kerala Agricultural University; Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi; Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana; Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat; Central University of Haryana in Jorhat; Indira Gandhi Agricultural University in Raipur, IRRI-South Asia Hub in Hyderabad; and IRRI South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, attended the training.

IRRI and PJTSAU anticipate hosting future similar events, fostering continued growth and innovation in rice breeding.

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