Research Projects

Odisha, a secondary center of origin for rice, has a rich heritage of rice landraces, with many still available today. Farmers prefer to grow local landraces due to their nutritional properties, and it is crucial to conserve these landraces to pass them on to future generations. Aromatic rice, gaining popularity due to its high international market price, is a prime example of this. Mutation breeding is a cutting-edge tool for boosting yields and ensuring a sustainable food system. This project aims to identify suitable aromatic rice landraces for mutation breeding experiments, induce genetic mutations in local rice landraces using different mutagens, study morphological, biochemical, and Molecular characterisation for improved quality traits, enhanced nutritional content, and higher yield potential, and conduct DNA profiling for intellectual property rights. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Baba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai, spanning three years, including workshops, meetings, trainings, and field and laboratory work.