ICAR-IGFRI Annual Report 2015-16

Abstract

ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, is the premier institute mandated for conducting research exclusively on grasslands and fodder crops including annual and perennial grasses. Being established in 1962, the institute has successfully served the country for 54 years achieving several milestones in generation of various need based technologies with an ultimate aim to serve the farming community with green production processes. Standing tall as the only institute in Asia researching on grasslands and fodder crops, also performs development and management of grasslands. To be successful always, institute is following multi-disciplinary research interlinking soil-plant-animal components standing as connecting line between both plant and animal research. Deficit of green and dry fodder is being the major and continuous challenge, Institute has widened its approach in multi-directions with focus on meeting the demand through technological interventions and development of high yielding fodder varieties suitable for changing climate. The institute has seven focussed 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 different agroclimatic zones. There are ten distinctive programmes of forage research, with multi-disciplinary and inter-divisional approach running to address basic, strategic and applied research needs of the nation. During 2015-16, we have developed and identified one single cut variety of oats, JHO-2009-1 (Bundel Jai-2009-1) for release and one variety of cowpea, Bundel Lobia-4 was notified for cultivation through AICRP-FC system. In addition, 35 germplasms of temperate and tropical grasses and legumes were collected, and technologies for increased outputs from sole, mixed and inter-cropping patterns, integrated farming system as well as horti- and silvipasture models have been developed. The institute has developed grasslands in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar in association with state governments and NGOs. Various outreach programmes in Bundelkhand, Leh, Chhattisgarh and all over the country through NIFTD allowed us to showcase our technologies and have gained appreciation among the stakeholders. To strengthen the fodder seed chain and availability of quality seeds to the end users, the institute has supplied 117.0 q of breeder seeds for further multiplication and 218.9 q of TFL seeds directly supplied to the farming community, besides, 3.16 lakh rooted slips of perennial grasses have been sold.