The three-year, project -- 'Pigeonpea Improvement using Molecular Breeding' -- supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) India Mission, aims to assist pigeonpea breeders to develop improved cultivars more efficiently using genomic tools, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) said in a release.
The project will be implemented by city-based ICRISAT, along with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi, the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur, Karnataka, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), Hyderabad, and other partners in India and Africa, it added.
"In the fight against poverty and hunger amid the threat of climate change, highly nutritious, drought-tolerant crops are the best bets for small-holder farmers in marginal environments to survive and improve their livelihoods," the release said.
Pigeonpea, grown on about five million hectares in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South-Central America, is a very important food legume for millions of poor in the semi-arid regions of the world.
Known as the "poor people's meat" because of its high protein content, it provides a well-balanced diet when accompanied with cereals.
"I am very pleased to announce this new partnership between the governments of India and the United States, and ICRISAT
