IRRI, the Punjab Agricultural University, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the Dry direct-seeded rice for the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India (PlantDirect) project.
In collaboration with various institutions under ICAR, PlantDirect will develop water-efficient direct-seeded rice varieties to help stabilize India’s rice-wheat cropping system in the face of climate change.
The project is underpinned by IRRI’s Direct Seeded Rice flagship research program, which develops varieties and management practices to enable sowing rice seeds directly into dry soil. The benefits of direct seeding include reduced input and labor requirements, reduced methane emissions compared to the traditional transplanting method, and the potential to enhance smallholder farmers’ income.
PlantDirect is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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