Varanasi: MKS Sundaram, principal secretary, agriculture, agriculture education & research, agriculture marketing, and agriculture foreign trade & export promotion department, recently visited International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) and reviewed ongoing research and collaborative initiatives.Vikas Kumar Singh, interim director of ISARC, briefed him on the centre’s research mandate, facilities, ongoing projects and technological innovations. Vikram Patil, IRRI-UP-AGREES project lead, presented the progress achieved during Kharif 2026 in collaboration with UPDASP and the Department of Agriculture, and outlined plans for Rabi 2026-27 under the project.Sundaram toured the centre’s research farms and observed demonstrations of several agricultural technologies, including SpeedBreed Facility, Mechanisation and Postharvest Unit, Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) trial plots, drone-based applications, Varietal Cafeteria and Natural Resource Management (NRM) plots.The demonstrations showcased efforts to develop improved rice varieties, promote farm mechanisation, conserve water and other resources, and encourage sustainable farming practices.He also visited the Geospatial Lab, Computational Biology Lab, EdTech Studio, Plant and Soil Lab, and Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA). The visit provided insights into ongoing work in digital agriculture, crop improvement, soil health, agricultural education and value addition in rice and rice-based products.Sundaram also discussed issues like ongoing research, emerging agricultural technologies and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between IRRI and the Uttar Pradesh govt to address agricultural challenges and promote sustainable farming.
