N E W S B Y T E S
he called upon the DDC members to play their part in these endeavors so that a large number of youths in their areas can join agri start-ups and earn their livelihoods in a sustainable manner and contribute to India ’ s GDP .
BioPrime ’ s ‘ King Farmers Cohort ’ program aims to cultivate sustainable agriculture leaders
BioPrime AgriSolutions , a leading biotechnology company specializing in developing cutting-edge agribiologicals , is revolutionizing farmer empowerment with the launch of its “ King Farmers Cohort ” program . This initiative equips farmers with cropspecific , region-specific knowledge and skills , preparing them to thrive in the evolving agricultural landscape . Through a mixture of focused technical training sessions , mentorships , oneon-one support , and group farm visits , Cohort participants will receive business and technical assistance over the entire crop cycle .
The King Farmers Cohort goes beyond mere yield maximization and fosters a holistic approach to agriculture , with a focus on crucial areas like climateresilient practices , soil health management , and building profitability . Each cohort will hold four dedicated Technical training sessions led by leading researchers , and
innovators to provide targeted knowledge focusing on farmers ’ crop specific needs and empower them to adapt to the ever-changing climate and nurture healthy soil , which is the foundation for sustainable success .
IRRI scientists develop first speed breeding protocol for rice
Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute ( IRRI ) have developed a robust , first ever speed breeding protocol for rice that will achieve 4 to 5 crops of rice in one year – almost double of what has been possible in breeding programs until now . This protocol will be important to accelerate breeding new improved varieties of rice to cope with climate change and the needs of a growing
world population . Called SpeedFlower , the protocol focuses on optimizing light spectrum , amount and intensity , along with temperature , humidity and other variables that expedite growth , flowering and maturity in rice .
The study behind the protocol was led by Drs . Vikas Kumar Singh , Uma Maheshwar Singh , and Pallavi Sinha and was developed with funding support from the Department of Biotechnology ( DBT ), Government of India . The research has been conducted as part of the collaborative
48
BioVoiceNews | March / April 2024