Upcoming rice varieties may reduce urea usage by 50%: IRRI Dy D-G
Dr Ajay Kohli, a distinguished agricultural scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines and Deputy Director General of the Institute's Research Department, said that the new rice varieties could be developed to reduce nitrogen usage by half—without affecting yields—and there would be significant benefits: decreased urea consumption in rice farming, improved soil quality, and enhanced human health.
Hyderabad: Dr Ajay Kohli, a distinguished agricultural scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines and Deputy Director General of the Institute's Research Department, said that the new rice varieties could be developed to reduce nitrogen usage by half—without affecting yields—and there would be significant benefits: decreased urea consumption in rice farming, improved soil quality, and enhanced human health.
He was the keynote speaker at a special conference titled "Rice Research for a Better Future". The event was organised by Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University in Rajendranagar on Tuesday.
Dr Kohli was here at the invitation of the university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aldas Janaiah. During his address to scientists and research students, Dr Kohli highlighted that food security on the Asian continent has been significantly bolstered by the rice varieties developed by the International Rice Research Institute.
He noted that the IR-8 and IR-64 varieties, in particular, are cultivated over the largest areas and have contributed to substantial increases in rice yield and production in India. Additionally, Dr Kohli visited the Rice Research Institute and the Institute of Biotechnology at Jayashankar Agricultural University, where he engaged in discussions with scientists about ongoing rice research efforts.
He commended the scientists for their work and advised modernisation initiatives for the Institute of Biotechnology. Dr Kohli emphasised that current research aims to develop new rice varieties that could bring about revolutionary advancements in rice production in the coming years. He explained that if these new varieties could be developed to reduce nitrogen usage by half—without affecting yields—there would be significant benefits: decreased urea consumption in rice farming, improved soil quality, and enhanced human health.
Dr Samarendu Mahanti, a World Food Prize awardee, also spoke at the event, advocating for the promotion of rice varieties tailored to the needs of Southeast Asian countries within Telangana. He argued that this could help boost farmers' incomes and increase exports. He further suggested that farmers would benefit from establishing modern rice mills and receiving appropriate training for millers.
The programme was attended by Dr Meenakshi Sundaram, Director of the Indian Rice Research Institute; Dr Balaram, Director of Research at the Agricultural University; as well as senior officials, scientists, and research students from the university.
Following the conference, Professor Jayashankar, along with Vice Chancellor Dr Aldas Janaiah, Dr Ajay Kohli, and Dr Samarendu Mahanti, met with Telangana State Agriculture Secretary M Raghunandan Rao at the Secretariat.
