Bagalkot plot, a testing ground for world's first heat-tolerant pigeonpea
About four months later, he waxes eloquent on the advantages of the yet-to-be-marketed cultivar. For him, the foremost advantage of this variety is that it enables machine harvesting. "Normally, harvesting pigeonpea takes a lot of labour and time. The stems of this variety are thinner, and the crop matures evenly, both of which make it easier to cut mechanically. Now, I'll be able to bring in the crop faster and at a lower cost," said Mirji. This is a huge help for a small-time farmer like him, he added.
"I have more time to focus on other work and I am less dependent on hired help," he said. Mirji believes that this variety could really change the game for farmers cultivating pigeonpea. "As a legume, pigeonpea also enriches soil health. So, for smallholder farmers, especially in rainfed and resource-constrained areas, this cultivar offer a reliable, efficient option that makes the most of limited irrigation and improves land-use efficiency," said Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT.
For decades, pigeonpea has been synonymous with the monsoon season. The idea of growing it during the hottest months of the year was, until recently, considered impractical, according to ICRISAT scientists. But with this breakthrough it is also possible now for farmers to make fuller use of fallow lands.
"ICPV 25444's ability to withstand extreme temperatures of up to 45°C, mature within 120-125 days, and grow outside traditional seasons -- thanks to its photo- and thermo-insensitivity-- makes it ideally suited for today's unpredictable climate," Pathak told PTI.
The experiment also demonstrated the power of institutional partnerships. ICRISAT is collaborating with the Karnataka State Seed Corporation (KSSC) and Department of Agriculture for its experiment in Bantanur village. According to ICRISAT, Vijendra Sangam, Director (R&D) of KSSC, played a key role by identifying Mirji for the trial as well as mobilising other participants. Senior leaders from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (UASD), including P L Patil, Vice Chancellor, and B D Biradar, Director of Research, also actively engaged with the stakeholders, said a press note issued by ICRISAT. Pathak said these kinds of interventions are essential as India continues to face a shortfall in pigeonpea production, despite sustained efforts. "The target of 5 million tonne annually remains unmet. Climate change has made conventional solutions inadequate," he said. With India currently importing a sizable quantity of pulses to meet domestic demand, ICPV 25444 also holds great promise in advancing the country's goal of self-sufficiency in pulses, said the ICRISAT Director General. "This is not just an advancement in plant breeding, it's a step toward climate-smart agriculture that serves both people and the planet," added Pathak.
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Hans India
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Bagalkot plot, a testing ground for world's first heat-tolerant pigeonpea
Bengaluru: When Hanamanth Mirji, a farmer from Bantanur village in Karnataka's Bagalkot, agreed to cultivate ICPV 25444, the world's first heat-tolerant pigeonpea, purpose-bred for summer cultivation by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in a small patch of land he owns, he went in with blind faith. About four months later, he waxes eloquent on the advantages of the yet-to-be-marketed cultivar. For him, the foremost advantage of this variety is that it enables machine harvesting. "Normally, harvesting pigeonpea takes a lot of labour and time. The stems of this variety are thinner, and the crop matures evenly, both of which make it easier to cut mechanically. Now, I'll be able to bring in the crop faster and at a lower cost," said Mirji. This is a huge help for a small-time farmer like him, he added. "I have more time to focus on other work and I am less dependent on hired help," he said. Mirji believes that this variety could really change the game for farmers cultivating pigeonpea. "As a legume, pigeonpea also enriches soil health. So, for smallholder farmers, especially in rainfed and resource-constrained areas, this cultivar offer a reliable, efficient option that makes the most of limited irrigation and improves land-use efficiency," said Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT. For decades, pigeonpea has been synonymous with the monsoon season. The idea of growing it during the hottest months of the year was, until recently, considered impractical, according to ICRISAT scientists. But with this breakthrough it is also possible now for farmers to make fuller use of fallow lands. "ICPV 25444's ability to withstand extreme temperatures of up to 45°C, mature within 120-125 days, and grow outside traditional seasons -- thanks to its photo- and thermo-insensitivity-- makes it ideally suited for today's unpredictable climate," Pathak told PTI. The experiment also demonstrated the power of institutional partnerships. ICRISAT is collaborating with the Karnataka State Seed Corporation (KSSC) and Department of Agriculture for its experiment in Bantanur village. According to ICRISAT, Vijendra Sangam, Director (R&D) of KSSC, played a key role by identifying Mirji for the trial as well as mobilising other participants. Senior leaders from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (UASD), including P L Patil, Vice Chancellor, and B D Biradar, Director of Research, also actively engaged with the stakeholders, said a press note issued by ICRISAT. Pathak said these kinds of interventions are essential as India continues to face a shortfall in pigeonpea production, despite sustained efforts. "The target of 5 million tonne annually remains unmet. Climate change has made conventional solutions inadequate," he said. With India currently importing a sizable quantity of pulses to meet domestic demand, ICPV 25444 also holds great promise in advancing the country's goal of self-sufficiency in pulses, said the ICRISAT Director General. "This is not just an advancement in plant breeding, it's a step toward climate-smart agriculture that serves both people and the planet," added Pathak.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
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Ozone pollution spiked in several parts of Hyderabad this summer, but it was the industrial belt of Bolarum that saw the worst of it. Between March 1 and May 31, Bolarum recorded 17 days when ground-level ozone levels breached the safe limit — the highest in the city — according to a research paper published by the Centre for Science and Environment titled 'An invisible threat: Ground-level ozone – Metro cities' based on a study by Anumita Roychowdhury and Sharanjeet Kaur. The study tracked air quality in five major cities — Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata-Howrah, Bengaluru and Chennai — using data from 80 stations under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS). As per the study, Bolarum is most chronically affected by ground-level ozone pollution, and exceeded the standard for 17 days in the study period. While the standard is 100 μg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre of air), the levels of ozone nearly touched 140 μg/m³ on the days mentioned. There were no exceedances at other stations in the city barring ICRISAT which exceeded the standard for two days and Ramachandrapuram which exceeded for one day, totalling to 20 days of ozone exceedance in the city. The days of exceedance in Hyderabad were more concentrated between May 2 and 20. Good news is that the figure is 55% lower than what was recorded last summer. A comparison of May 2025 with May 2024 reveals that ground-level ozone is now lingering in the atmosphere even after sunset, and the average hourly ozone peak is 3% higher than last year, the study noted. At 45, Bengaluru recorded the highest number of days with ozone exceedance. Mumbai recorded 32 days, Kolkata 22 days, and Chennai recorded the lowest at 15 days. Unlike primary pollutants which are emitted directly from sources such as vehicles and industries, ground level ozone is formed through intricate chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide, which are the pollutants released by vehicles, power plants, factories and other combustion sources, the study said. In the presence of sunlight, these substances undergo a series of cyclic reactions that result in the ozone formation near the ground. VOCs also have natural sources such as vegetation adding to the complexity, which explains the higher levels at ICRISAT. What's more threatening is that the ground level ozone can travel long distances, turning into a regional pollutant. It impacts agricultural productivity, threatening food security. Ozone is a highly reactive gas which can be harmful even with short duration exposure, and result in serious public health crisis, the study warned. Ground level ozone can inflame and damage the airways, increase susceptibility to infections and worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Children with underdeveloped lungs, order adults and people with existing respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable. Hyderabad is prone to experience ozone exceedances during winter too, driven by cold, stagnant conditions and poor vertical mixing. But this winter, there was substantial improvement, with the city recording just nine days of exceedance which is a sharp decline from 43 days recorded during the winter of 2024, the study observed.
