The digitization of plant breeding programmes by Indian council of Agricultural Research is remarkably a watershed moment for Indian agriculture. Analyse (200 Words)
Refer - Financial Express
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IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
· The objective of the digitization of plant breeding programmes is to improve the efficiency of plant breeding. It intends to double the average annual yield gain of 0.8% obtained through genetic enhancement since the start of the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, to 1.5% annually over the next couple of decades.
· The digitisation project will cover eight crops: rice, wheat, maize, sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), chickpea (chana), pigeon pea (tur) and potato.
· While Plant breeding is tedious and time-consuming, digitisation will enable speed and accuracy in data collection and compilation, researchers will record data with hand-held devices that can scan, transfer information quickly to the internet, and disclose field locations with the help of satellites.
· Observations like plant height, panicle length, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity can be supplemented with visuals.
· International institutes engaged in agricultural research are already on the Integrated Breeding Platform, ICAR’s digitisation project will enable Indian researchers to collaborate seamlessly with them.
· About 150 researchers will be trained in advanced genomic techniques and data analytics.
· With modern techniques and digitisation of the system, desirable traits can be bred in plants more quickly. That would help address the paradox of India having the largest number of malnourished people despite self-sufficiency in food.
Sandeep 5 years
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IAS Parliament 5 years
Nandadeep 5 years
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IAS Parliament 5 years
