ICAR-IGFRI Annual Report 2017-18

Abstract

ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, is an exclusive institute with the mandate of conducting research purely on grasslands and fodder crops including annual and perennial grasses. Completing 56 successful years in the service of the nation, the institute has achieved several milestones in generation of need based and tailor-made technologies with an ultimate aim to serve the farming community with green production processes. Being the only institute in Asia researching on grasslands and fodder crops, also executes grasslands development and management. The institute is climbing steadily the ladder of successes of multidisciplinary research composed of soil-plant-animal components connecting both plant and animal research. Scarcity of green and dry fodder is being the major and continuous challenge of Indian livestock sector, for which institute is thriving on multi-directions with the focus to meet the demand through technological interventions and development of high yielding and nutritionally rich fodder varieties suitable for changing climate. The institute consists of seven well defined divisions viz., crop improvement, crop production, grassland & silvipasture management, farm machinery and post harvest technology, seed technology, plant animal relationship and social science with multi-disciplinary scientists and three regional stations located at three different agroclimatic zones. Institute is focussing on eight distinctive programmes of forage research, with multi-disciplinary and inter-divisional approach to address basic, strategic and applied research needs of the nation. During 2017-18, four new varieties were identified for release. A multicut, perennial marvel grass variety, Bundel marvel grass-1 (JHD-2013-2) was identified for release for rainfed conditions in Punjab and Rajasthan. An oat variety, Bundel Jai 2012-2 (JHO-2012-2) was identified for release for single cut system in south zone. Berseem variety, Bundel berseem single cut-1 (JBSC-1) was identified for release in central, north-west zone of India. A perennial clitoria variety, Bundel clitoria-1 (JGCT2013-3) was identified for release for all India cultivation under rainfed timely sown conditions. In addition, 57 germplasms of tropical grasses were collected, and technologies for increased outputs from sole, mixed and inter-cropping patterns, integrated farming system as well as horti- and silvipasture models were developed. The institute has developed grasslands in UP, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka in association with state governments and NGOs. Various outreach programmes were employed in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bundelkhand, Leh, Chhattisgarh and all over the country through TSP, MGMG, farmer first, NICRA etc to showcase our technologies. To strengthen the fodder seed chain and availability of quality seed to the end users, the institute has supplied 95.0 q of breeder seed for further multiplication and 174.3 q of TFL seed directly supplied to the farming community.