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Crop Science

Crop Science

The Division has 13 national institutes including one deemed-to-be-university, 3 bureaus, 9 project directorates, 2 national research centres, 27 all-India coordinated research projects, and 5 all-India network projects. Besides, it administers a large number of revolving fund schemes and national research networks, and facilitates the technical clearance of externally funded projects.

Located at the ICAR Headquarters, the Division has 6 commodity/subject-specific technical sections, namely, (i) Food and Fodder Crops, (ii) Oilseeds and Pulses, (iii) Commercial Crops, (iv) Seeds, (v) Plant Protection, and (vi) Intellectual Property Rights. Each section is headed by an Assistant Director General (ADG). Three Principal Scientists assist the middle level management and technical backstopping of various scientific/technical matters whereas Deputy Secretary (Crop Sciences) is responsible for internal administrative matters in the Division.

Thrust Areas

  • Harnessing conventional and modern scientific knowledge, tools, and cutting-edge of science for development of improved crop varieties/hybrids suited to diverse agro-ecologies and situations, and efficient, economic, eco-friendly and sustainable crop production and protection technologies; promoting excellence in basic, strategic and anticipatory crop science research
  • Refinement of seed-production technologies and production of breeder seed with added emphasis on hybrid cultivars
  • Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of plants, insects and other invertebrates, and agriculturally important microorganisms
  • Providing knowledge-intensive advisory and consultancy in crop-science

  • Achievements

  • Developed and released nearly 3,300 high-yielding varieties/hybrids of field crops for different agro-ecologies; facilitated verification and identification of technologies under the country-wide, synergistic network of All India Co ordinated Projects; these outputs ushered in the eras of green and yellow revolutions in mid­1960s and mid-1990s, respectively; national average productivity raised by 2-4 folds in foodgrains, rapeseed-mustard and cotton since 1950-51
  • First in the world to develop hybrids in grain pearl millet and cotton in the 1970s; also developed hybrids in other crops, including non-conventional crops, such as castor, safflower, rice, pigeonpea and rapeseed-mustard; developed single cross hybrids in quality protein maize (QPM) and baby corn for high nutritional value in addition to high yield
  • Employed genes for stress resistance and quality in several crops from their wild relatives; developed early and suitable plant types for new niche areas and cropping systems in pulses and other crops; evolved effective male sterility systems for hybrid development in many crops

  • For the first time, successfully employed molecular marker assisted selection/pyramiding and backcross transfer of 'xa13 , and 'Xa21 , genes from IRBB 55 in the genetic background of Pusa Basmati 1; thus developed bacterial blast resistant variety Improved Pusa Basmati 1
  • Identified and isolated a gene conferring male sterility in mustard that is useful for hybrid development in other crops; developed a SCAR marker for fertility restorer gene
  • Cloned and characterized a gene 'Pi-Kh' that confers resistance to Blast disease; validated the gene in transgenic rice
  • Identification of novel Arabidopsis derived promoter that drives constitutive expression of foreign genes in transgenic plants
  • Isolated and cloned drought stress responsive transcription factors 'TaCBF5' and 'TaCBF9' from drought tolerant wheat variety C 306
  • Sequenced 6.7 million base pairs of long-arm of chromosome 11 of rice in a major global effort
  • DNA fingerprinting in 33 major crops; fingerprinted 2215 released varieties and landraces.
  • Conserved over 346,000 germplasm accessions of crops and their wild relatives at NBPGR, New Delhi, and 2, 517 microorganism cultures (394 bacterial, 2, 077 fungal, 36 Actinomycetes and 10 yeast accessions) at NBAIM, Mau; digitalized database of over 175,000 insect species at IARI, New Delhi
  • Established a mechanism of registration and documentation of potentially valuable plant germplasm at NBPGR, New Delhi; registered 482 accessions belonging to 77 plant species
  • Developed the bioinsecticide strain DOR Bt-l, registered and commercialized its formulation KNOCK W.P. along with a low-cost mass multiplication methodology for integrated management of semilooper caterpillar in a number of crops; developed endosulfan-tolerant strain of Trichogramma chilonis (Endograma); deployed Pest Management Information System including Interactive Kiosks for Basmati rice, cotton, mustard, chickpea and groundnut
  • Digitalized extant-notified varieties database using Indian Information System (INDUS) software; developed DUS test parameters for 35 crops for Indian conditions.
  • Doubled the seed production of improved varieties in a year amounting to 606,000 quintals during 2006-07 through a mega seed project; thus enhanced the transfer of released varieties for cultivation

Forage Crops and Grasses
Papaya mealybug and its management strategies