The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) and the University of Western Australia (UWA) will further extend their ongoing collaboration in dryland agricultural research. A three-member delegation, led by UWA vice-chancellor Alan Robson, expressed its wish to strengthen collaborative research, particularly in chickpea, Icrisat said in a release on Wednesday.
The UWA, which has an ongoing five-year breeding programme for Ascochyta blight (the blight infects all the parts of the plant, above ground) resistant chickpea, has extended it for three more years. The programme is slated to conclude by December 2009.
Similarly, the university will encourage exchange of students for research at Icrisat. Along with this, the UWA has announced 50 research scholarships for Indian students wishing to pursue research in various fields in Australia and a grant of Australian $25,000 (around Rs 10.5 lakh) per year for students who will undertake research under joint supervision of Icrisat and UWA, the release added.