Proposals for Support of DBT for Strengthening Agricultural

Biotechnology in SKUASTK

Meeting Dates

Date Venue Subject7-5-2013 Directorate of Research Project formulations in the area of Societal

Development and Biotechnological interventions for improvement of field and horticulture crops

3-5-2013 FVSC and AH Shuhama Project formulation on” Centre for Advanced Animal Disease Diagnosis

13-5-2013 -do- Project formulations in the area of Societal Development through livestock and poultry husbandry

Considerations while building the program for support from DBT

• Challenges facing agriculture development in the temperate and cold arid climatic region,

• Critical gaps in mitigating those challenges

• Perpetual support from DBT for the program under the umbrella of SKUASTK

• Produce competent & trained Human Resource to address the challenges facing hill and mountain agriculture

• Create inter-disciplinary Research Groups

• Focus Societal Biotechnology for income generation, sustainable & clean agriculture

•

Challenges to agriculture in JK • widening demand and supply gaps in most of the food items from the ever increasing

population pressure (over 25 million by 2030) from highest human growth rates in the country (2.9 % vs 1.6%).

• global warming and climate change leading to emergence of new biotic and abiotic stresses

• indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides contaminating food, soil and water beyond minimum permissible levels. The consequences are the devastating effects on the environment and the health of the consumers, leading to increased incidence of diseases like the cancers.

• shrinking land resources due to population expansion, urbanization and soil degradation. Presently only 7% of the total land is available for agriculture activities.

• receding glaciers due to global warming further aggravate the problems inherent to the rain fed agriculture J & K,

• deforestation, loss of biodiversity and qualitative deterioration of the pastures

• stagnation in productivity of agricultural crops• Less remunerative agriculture

Programs for support of DBT• Developmental Programs: Rs 6629.61 Lacs

– Centre for Advanced Disease Diagnosis– School of Biotechnology

• Societal Biotechnology Rs 631.95 lacs– Plant Sciences- 3 projects– Animal sciences- 3 projects

• R & D projects in Field / Rs 620.5 lacs

Horticulture crops

A. Developmental Programs

S.No Program Collaborators ~ Project cost (Rs in lacs)

1 School of Biotechnology: Excellence in Agricultural Education & Research to address the challenges of temperate and cold-arid agro-climatic regions of the J & K state

Plant, Animal and Fisheries sciences

2721.0

2 Centre for Advanced Animal Disease Diagnosis in Temperate and Cold Arid Himalayas

• Veterinary Pathology • Microbiology and

Immunology• Div. of Biotechnology• Vet Parasitology • Vet Public Health

3636.61

Societal BiotechnologyS. No.

Title of project Collaborators Project cost lacs)

1 Promotion of floriculture as a sustainable rural enterprise in border districts of Kupwara and Baramullah, J&K

•RRS, Wadoora 38.0

2 Development of Biocontrol product formulations and their commercial use for disease control in temperate agro-ecosystem

•Division of Plant Pathology

108.0

3 Development and demonstration of food products: Preservation and value addition of food products

• Division of PHT 116.0

Societal BiotechnologyS. No.

Title of project Collaborators Project cost lacs)

4 Improvement of Socio-Economic Status of Small Ruminant Breeders through Technological Backup in Temperate Himalayan Region of Jammu and Kashmir

• MRCSG, Shuhama

• Div LPT• Vet Medicine

208.24

5 Livelihood generation by women in temperate hill and mountain agro-climatic regions through backyard poultry farming using improved germplasm

• Centre for Research on Poultry

• LPM• Div ABG

107.0

6 Strengthening Rural livelihoods through diversification of backyard poultry farming by introduction and popularisation of improved Guinea fowl germplasm

• Centre for Research on Poultry

• LPM• LPT

54.71

Field / Horticulture Crop improvement through biotechnological interventions

S. No.

Title of project Collaborators Project cost lacs)

1. Development of saffron (Crocus sativus Kashmirianus) having tolerance against drought and corm rot fungal pathogens

• Div of Biotechnology

• Saffron Res Station Konibal

132.5

2 Development of cold tolerant biological nutrient solubilizers (P, K & Zn) for organic farming in Kashmir valley

•Organic Far. Res Centre •FoForestry•Div of Envi Sci.•MLRI Mansbal..

22.5

3 Marker assisted introgression of opaque2 gene into elite maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines for the hybrid development in Quality Protein Maize

•Div of Biotechnology•D(K)ARS, Rangreth

91.0

4 Development and validation of low cost biopesticides consisting efficient biocontrol agents for disease management vis-à-vis crop production

•Division of Plant Pathology

41.0

Field / Horticulture Crop improvement through biotechnological interventions

S. No.

Title of project Collaborators Project cost lacs)

5 Survey, Collection and Morpho-molecular Characterization of endemic and exotic species and cultivars of genus Iris in Kashmir valley

• Div of FMAP• Div of

Biotechnology

40.0

6 Marker assisted introgression of major blast resistance gene(s) into commercial variety(ies) of rice (Oryza sativa L.)”

• Div of Biotechnology

• MRCFC, Khudwani

91.0

7 Development of new cultivars in ornamentals through in vitro mutagenesis

• Div of FMAP• Div of Fruit

Science

52.0

8 Identifying high nutritional value cold stress tolerant rice genotypes of Kashmir through biochemical and molecular characterization of indigenous rice germplasm

•Div of Biotechnology•MRCFC, Khudwani

150.5

Developmental Program-1

• School of Biotechnology: Excellence in Agricultural Education & Research to address the challenges of temperate and cold-arid agro-climatic regions of the J & K state

• Vision “SKUAST-K as Centre of Excellence

for building knowledge based bioeconomy in bio-resource rich Hill and Mountain state of J&K

Mission

“Societal Biotechnology for securing livelihood, food security and clean environment

through sustainable production of food, feed, fibre and energy in hill and mountain agro-eco system of J & K”

Mandate of the School of Biotechnology

• Human Resource Development in Agricultural Biotechnology

• Biotechnological interventions for sustainable agriculture in temperate and cold-arid climatic regions

• Entrepreneurship development in agri-business

Mandate 1: TeachingMandate 1: TeachingMandate Activity Impact

1. Human Resource Development in Agricultural Biotechnology

• Post graduate teaching and research in plant and animal biotechnology

• Build state-of-art PG teaching & research facilities: SMART classrooms and e-learning portal, research labs.

• Student exchange program with premier institutions in India and abroad.

• Visiting faculty to support teaching in frontier areas.

• Capacity building of the scientists in over-seas institutions

• Produce competent, skilled and trained human resource as a driving force for building the knowledge based bioeconomy

• Develop research collaboration with national and international institutes

• Inculcate team work in multi-cultural society

• Expose students to learn and understand problems in other regions / countries

• Share knowledge and information with other institutions around the country

Mandate 2: ResearchMandate 2: ResearchMandate Activity Impact

1. Biotechnological interventions for sustainable agriculture in temperate and cold-arid climatic regions

• Promote Societal Biotechnology programs

• Build inter-disciplinary research groups within and across institutions, to address the problems facing agriculture and allied sectors using systems biology approach

• Pursue basic and strategic research to address the problems challenging agriculture in 21st Century.

• Ameliorate the livelihood of the poor and marginal farmers through use of Societal Biotechnology programs

• Develop climate resilient varieties of plants and animals

• Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to organic agriculture.

• Help the state of J & K get ready for the next green revolution (bio-revolution)

MANDATE 3: MANDATE 3: Entrepreneurship

Mandate Activity Impact

Entrepreneurship development in agri-business

• Promote knowledge and innovation as a driving force for economic development

• Entrepreneurial trainings in emerging technologies of commercial value

• Forge academic-industry collaboration

• Awareness / dissemination of the generated technologies

• Produce entrepreneurs for self employment

• Create job opportunities

Developmental program - 2

Title: Centre for Advanced Animal Disease Diagnosis in Temperate and Cold Arid Himalayas

Specific objectives

– Establish state of art facility with standard bio-safety measures for handling animal / zoonotic pathogens in the temperate and cold arid climatic regions.

– Develop and Validate rapid sensitive and affordable diagnostics using conventional, serological and molecular technology.

– Undertake advanced research to enhance scientific knowledge of the animal and zoonotic pathogens /diseases in temperate and arid climatic zones using 21st century cutting edge technologies.

– Provide continuous Regional Animal Disease Monitoring, Surveillance, and disease forecasting.

– Develop new health cover strategies including prophylaxis and disaster management.

– Establish relationships with national and international referral laboratories/ repositories for capacity building and exchange of knowledge.

– Capacity building: Impart trainings to veterinary professionals in management of diseases and diagnostic techniques.

Conceptual framework and scientific strategies

R & D 1: Development of saffron (Crocus sativus Kashmirianus) having tolerance against drought and corm rot fungal pathogens

Objectives:– Standardisation of the protocols for in-vitro

regeneration and micro-corm production

–Genetic transformation of saffron with osmotin transgene

– Testing the wild and transgenic lines for tolerence against drought and corm rot

R & D 2: Development of cold tolerant biological nutrient solubilizers (P, K & Zn) for organic farming in Kashmir valley

Collaborators: – Organic Far. Res Centre , FoForestry, Div of Envi Sci., MLRI Mansbal..

Objectives:• Isolation and characterization of P, K and Zn solubilizing

bacteria from the rhizosphere of different crop plants • Screening of efficient P, K and Zn solubilizing bacteria for their

mineral solubilization and plant growth promoting activities• Develop liquid formulation of P, K and Zn solubilizing bacteria

for cropping patterns of kashmir valley• Field evaluation and crop response assessment of P, K and Zn

solubilizing bacterial inoculant

R & D 3: Marker assisted introgression of opaque2 gene into elite maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines for the hybrid development in Quality Protein Maize

Collaborators: – Div of Biotechnology, D(K)ARS, Rangreth

Objectives:• Selection of inbred lines

• Development of mapping populations

• Marker assisted introgressuion of O2 gene

• Evaluation of the identified promising lines

R & D 4: Development and validation of low cost biopesticides consisting efficient biocontrol agents for disease management vis-à-vis crop production

Collaborators: – Division of Plant Pathology

Objectives:

• To produce low cost biopesticides of efficient isolates of biocontrol fungi and bacteria by validating the invented technology

• Validation of biopesticides and their demonstration in farmers fields in different districts of kashmir valley

R & D 5:

Survey, Collection and Morpho-molecular Characterization of endemic and exotic species and cultivars of genus Iris in Kashmir valley

Collaborators: – Div of FMAP, Div of Biotechnology

Objectives:• Survey of the existing diversity

• Establish repository for conservation

• Morpho-molecular Characterization

• Study inter-relationship among various economically important characters

R & D 6:

Marker assisted introgression of major blast resistance gene(s) into commercial variety(ies) of rice (Oryza sativa L.)”

Collaborators: – Div of Biotechnology, MRCFC, Khudwani

Objectives:• Assessment of pathogenic variability in M oryzae

• Marker assisted introgression of blast resistance gene in rice varieties

• Recovery of the genome of the recurrent parent

R & D 7:

Development of new cultivars in ornamentals through in vitro mutagenesis

Collaborators: – Div of FMAP, Div of Fruit Science

Objectives:• Standardization of in-vitro propogation protocol of

ornamentals

• Standardization of radiation dosage for micro shoots of different ornamental crops

• Isolation and multiplication of beneficial mutants

R & D 8: Identifying high nutritional value cold stress tolerant rice genotypes of Kashmir through biochemical and molecular characterization of indigenous rice germplasm

Collaborators: – Div of Biotechnology, MRCFC, Khudwani

Objectives:• Biochemical and Molecular characterization of rice

germplasms for nutritional and anti-oxidant potential

• Differential expression analysis for abiotic stress tolerance

• Expression analysis of major candidate genes for Fe, Zn uptake and accumulation of nicotinamide

Societal Development 1: Promotion of floriculture as a sustainable rural enterprise in border districts of Kupwara and Baramullah, J&K

Collaborators: – RRS, Wadoora

Objectives:• Popularisation of commercial cultivation of Marigold

as off-season loose flower crop for export to other states

• Popularization and production of high value bulbs of lilium and corms of gladiolus as off-season

Societal Development 3: Development and demonstration of food products:

Preservation and value addition of food products

Collaborators: – Division of PHT

Objectives:• Training of un-employed youth and farm women in

fruit and vegetable processing

• Organize product specific training programs to entrepreneurs' to improve their skills in product development and quality control

• Training to women in processing of surplus agricultural produce

Societal Development 4: Improvement of Socio-Economic Status of Small

Ruminant Breeders through Technological Backup in Temperate Himalayan Region of Jammu and Kashmir

Collaborators: – MRCSG, Shuhama, Div LPT, Vet Medicine ,

Objectives:

• Multiplication and dissemination of elite germplasm farmers

• Transfer of technologies for better nutrition and health management under prevailing production system

• Provide cost effective technologies for value addition of animal by products

• Capacity building for enterpreunership through training and consultancy

Societal Development 5: Livelihood generation by women in temperate hill and

mountain agro-climatic regions through backyard poultry farming using improved germplasm

Collaborators: • Centre for Research on Poultry , LPM, Div ABG

Objectives:• Develop various lines of poultry with varying levels of local

inheritance

• Assess performance of these genotypes

• Disseminate practices for backyard poultry farming using improved germplasm

Societal Development 6:Strengthening Rural livelihoods through diversification of

backyard poultry farming by introduction and popularisation of improved Guinea fowl germplasm

Collaborators: • Centre for Research on Poultry , LPM, Div of LPT

Objectives:

• Introduce and popularize Guinea fowl

• Study performance of Guinea fowl in local agro-climatic conditions

• Develop and Disseminate package of practices for Guinea fowl farming

•Thanks