Indonesia to acquire drought-resistant seeds from Hyderabad's ICRISAT

An Indonesian delegation visiting Hyderabad has announced plans to collaborate with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to acquire drought-resistant sorghum and millet germplasm. The partnership aims to bring these Hyderabad-bred seed varieties to water-stressed, dryland farming regions in Indonesia to improve agricultural productivity.

The high-level delegation, which includes representatives from Indonesia’s ministry of higher education, science and technology, the ministry of state secretariat, and leading universities, is currently in the city to study local dryland farming practices. The team chose Hyderabad because its semi-arid conditions and existing agricultural methods closely resemble the challenging agro-climatic conditions found in parts of Indonesia.

According to Hafith Furqoni, secretary of the department of agronomy and horticulture at IPB University, Indonesia already grows millet and sorghum, but the local germplasm is limited. Through the collaboration with ICRISAT, Indonesian researchers plan to select 10 to 20 crop germplasms from the Hyderabad-based institute's extensive collection, which is among the largest in the world.

These selected seed varieties will be used for a breeding programme in Indonesia to develop and release new, resilient crop varieties. Furqoni confirmed that ICRISAT has already given its consent for the joint initiative.

The delegation plans to return home this week to present its findings to the Indonesian government. Following the visit, Indonesia will draw up an action plan next year to implement agricultural projects in three identified dryland locations: Java, Kalimantan, and the Nusa Tenggara region.

I Ketut Adnyana, director of research and community service at Indonesia's ministry of higher education, science and technology, stated that funding has already been earmarked for the initiative. The insights gathered during the Hyderabad visit will be adapted to these three target areas.

During their stay, the delegation also visited other local institutions, including the University of Hyderabad, IIT Hyderabad, Prasad Labs, and the Beforest Hyderabad Collective. Members of the delegation noted that the permaculture and regenerative agriculture practices demonstrated at Beforest could offer valuable lessons for restoring degraded drylands back home in Indonesia.