Research on Pearl millet improvement in India is conducted through the All India Coordinated Research
Project on Pearl Millet (AICRP-PM) administered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The AICRP-PM has a network of 13 AICRP centers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. The AICRP-PM centers located in 12 State Agricultural Universities (SAU's) and University of Mysore pursue mandated activities and strategic research on pearl millet in the area of germplasm utilization, improvement, production, protection and value addition etc.
This Annual Group Meeting is the 54th in the series since inception of AICRP on Pearl millet. In the 3-day programme that starts tomorrow (15th March 2019) the results of the research activities taken up during the past year will be discussed, reviewed and future technical programme for the coming year will be finalized in various technical sessions.
The inaugural session will be chaired by Dr. A. K. Singh, Director, IARI and DDG (Extension), ICAR. The chief guest is Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE & DG, ICAR
This year’s AGM has a special feature – Brain storming session on “Enhancing Genetic Gains in Pearl millet for Nutritional Security and Economic Prosperity” in which different stakeholders involved in pearl millet production, processing, marketing and consumption along with farmers would present their views and needs for framing the future pearl millet research in the country. This is done under the chairmanship of Secretary, DARE & DG of ICAR in the presence of Crop Science division from ICAR, pearl millet researchers of the country, public and private sector representatives.
The hybrid and varietal entries which are evaluated in the All India Coordinated Trials across the country that have completed testing for three years will also be considered for identification by a Varietal Identification Committee under the chairmanship of DDG (CS).
A technical session VIII: New initiatives in Pearl millet research is conducted on 2nd day under the chairmanship of Padma Bhushan Prof. R.B. Singh, Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, where in new frontier areas of research taken up in pearl millet will be presented, discussed and the participants knowledge base will be updated.
Sessions on breeder seed production of the released hybrids and varieties, DUS testing of the hybrids and varieties which come for protection under PPVFR Act, Front line demonstrations etc are also scheduled.
In the plenary session (3rd day), the proceedings of the various sessions will be presented and finalized for implementation in the coming year.
