Biotech Tools for Crop Improvement: Training Program in Hyderabad

A two-week training program on biotechnological tools for crop improvement is being launched in Hyderabad by the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) at Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and the Telangana State Council of Science and Technology. The program is aimed at empowering scientists from agriculture and horticulture fields with the latest biotechnological tools to improve the crops' productivity and resilience.

The program will run from February 1st to 10th and will involve scientists from agricultural and horticultural universities, ICAR, and CSIR research institutes across Telangana. The program will be led by IBT Director C.V. Sameer Kumar, who outlined the objectives of the program. He stressed the importance of providing both theoretical and practical knowledge on various biotechnological techniques such as molecular markers, gene editing, tissue culture, and bioinformatics. The program will also feature lectures from eminent scientists and experts from IBT and other reputed institutions.

Sean Mayes, the Global Research Programme Director for Accelerated Crop Improvement at ICRISAT, shared his insights on how biotechnology can complement conventional breeding methods to develop new crop varieties with enhanced traits.

P. Raghu Rami Reddy, the Director of Research (PJTSAU), highlighted the significance of hands-on sessions. He said that the program should demonstrate how these biotechnologies can be applied effectively to create crops that are resistant to diseases, enriched with nutrients, and increased yields. He urged the participants to focus on using biotechnological tools to innovate crop varieties.