6 March 2026, New Delhi
Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General ICAR, interacted with an 11-member Japanese delegation at the in New Delhi today. The delegation was led by Osamu Koyama, President, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS).
During the meeting, Dr Jat appreciated the ongoing partnership among ICAR, CIMMYT–BISA, JIRCAS and JICA under the BNI (Biological Nitrification Inhibition)-Wheat Project, describing it as a strong example of international scientific collaboration.
While acknowledging the significant progress achieved under the BNI-Wheat initiative, Dr Jat highlighted opportunities to further expand the research scope and impact of the project. He emphasized the need for deeper understanding of the influence of environments and agronomic management practices on BNI-Wheat performance to facilitate wider adaptation across India’s diverse agroecological regions. He also accentuated the project’s potential to reduce India’s dependence on nitrogen fertilizers while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Reaffirming ICAR’s commitment to the partnership, Dr Jat expressed hope that the BNI-Wheat project could be extended beyond 2027 for another five years, enabling the development and deployment of BNI-Wheat varieties in India.
Both the ICAR Director General and the JIRCAS President reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening agricultural research cooperation between India and Japan, with a focus on human resource development and enhanced scientific knowledge exchange.
Dr Koyama expressed his appreciation to ICAR and its leadership for their continued support to the BNI-Wheat initiative through CIMMYT–BISA, and reiterated JIRCAS’s commitment to advancing collaborative research under this partnership.
(Source: International Relations Department, ICAR)
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