Delegation from IRRI Philippines visits PAU to discuss rice project
A two-member delegation comprising Dr Van Schepler-Luu and Dr Jeanie from International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Wednesday to deliberate on emerging research areas for rice cultivation in Punjab and other parts of the world.
This visit was a follow-up of the mega project launch of a DBT-funded project entitled “Tackling emerging diseases and insect pest problem in rice through innovative genomic approaches” at IRRI South Asia Hub held in Hyderabad on April 8. With a budgetary outlay of Rs 19.37 crore, this project is being jointly led by PAU, Ludhiana, and IRRI, Philippines.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, highlighted the long association of PAU with IRRI for developing rice varieties, production and protection technologies. Gosal impressed upon forming an international working group on emerging rice diseases, especially Southern Rice Black Streak Dwarf Virus, a new viral disease of rice reported by PAU for the first time in India in 2022. Dr Gosal advised the PAU and IRRI scientists to organise an international brainstorming session on this disease to frame disease management strategies during the upcoming rice season 2023.
The principal investigator of the project, Dr Jagjeet Singh Lore, who is also the principal rice pathologist, shared the project details to map rice pathogen population across the sub-continent.
A team of PAU scientists, namely Dr Dharminder Bhatia, Dr Preetinder Sarao, Dr Rupinder Kaur and Dr Mandeep Hunjan, working on rice crop will co-lead the project. This five-year project will also help to identify new sources of resistance against major rice diseases.
The scientists from IRRI appreciated the research accomplishments and legacy of PAU in the agriculture and food sector at the national and international level. They visited the research laboratories and held fruitful deliberations with Dr Ranvir Singh Gill, in-charge rice section, PAU, and other scientists working on the rice crop.
