UoH Secures Rs 2.5-Cr DBT-BioE3 Grants for Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Hyderabad, Aug 14 (TNT) The University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Friday said it has secured two competitive research grants under the Department of Biotechnology’s DBT-BioE3 Policy for developing biotechnology-based solutions for climate-resilient agriculture, with a combined sanctioned cost of Rs 2.50 crore.
Of the total sanctioned amount, around Rs 1 crore has been allocated to UoH, which is participating in a national consortium involving scientists from multiple institutions, the University said in a release here.
Dr M. Muthamilarasan of the Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, is the Principal Investigator for UoH in both projects.
The first project focuses on developing climate-resilient microbial consortia for foxtail millet, with the aim of improving crop resilience to climate stress and supporting low-input agriculture.
The project involves exploring beneficial plant-associated microbes, developing sustainable bio-inputs and conducting multi-location validation across diverse agro-ecological conditions.
The bio-inputs are expected to help strengthen crop resilience, reduce dependence on chemical inputs, improve soil health and productivity and contribute to India’s indigenous bio-manufacturing capabilities.
The second project focuses on developing viral resistance in tomato through gene editing and peptide-based foliar treatment.
The project combines genome-editing approaches with bio-based plant protection strategies and will be tested under multi-location field conditions.
The initiative is expected to contribute to improving tomato productivity and food security while reducing dependence on chemical pesticides.
Dr Muthamilarasan said the two projects were an extension of his research work on tomato and millets and would strengthen efforts to develop climate-resilient crops.
He said the two grants had taken his laboratory’s project portfolio to Rs 417.71 lakh, with support from the ANRF, UoH’s Institution of Eminence scheme and DBT.
The projects bring together researchers from UoH, University of Delhi South Campus, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, GITAM, KIIT University and BRIC institutions, among others.
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