ICAR-IISR, Lucknow celebrates 70th Foundation Day

16th February, 2021, Lucknow

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh celebrated its 70th Foundation Day today.

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) commended the Institute’s efforts in transforming the sugar sector of the country from crisis to self-reliance. Dr. Mohapatra emphasized that the technologies developed by the Institute and their applications by stakeholders made it possible to enhance the cane yield in Uttar Pradesh from 60 t/ha in 2015 to 80 t/ha in 2019-2020 and sugar recovery from 9.50 in 2015 to 11.40 in 2019-2020. This has made the country produce about 5 to 6 m tonnes surplus sugar annually in addition to demand for domestic requirements.

The Director General urged the scientists to work for reducing water consumption in producing one kg of sugar to almost 50% by the next five years; take the challenges of studying the effects of climate change on diseases, pests and productivity on sugarcane crop, etc.

The Chief Guest also inaugurated the newly constructed Technology Tower, Conference Hall and Mobile App “Ikshu Kedar” along with 4 Publications namely “ICAR-IISR at a Glance”, “Water Footprint in Sugarcane”, “Ethephon: Impact on Sugarcane Physiology and Sugar Productivity” and “Rajbhasha Magazine - Ikshu”, etc., during the occasion.

The Guest of Honor, Dr. Tilak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director General, (Crop Science), ICAR emphasized on innovative research to address the problems of dreaded disease of sugarcane - red rot. Dr. Sharma stressed on making the application of new biotechnology tools, speed breeding, genome editing, etc., to be the priority of cane research.

The Guest of Honor, Dr. R.K. Singh, ADG (CC), ICAR also addressed the Institute’s Scientists and Staff Members and urged for continued efforts in the larger interest of the farmers, sugar industry and the nation.

Dr. A.D. Pathak, Director, ICAR-IISR, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh outlined the Institute’s achievements and presented the way-forward approach in 2021 and onwards.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)