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Economy
Mahesh

24/09/22 15:32 PM IST

Science and Heritage Research Initiative (SHRI) programme

In News 
  • Around 20 heritage rice varieties of Tamil Nadu are being traced, collected, redeemed, and restored at least through 10 community seed banks benefiting more than 500 farmers in the state.
SHRI Programme 
  • The initiative by SASTRA Deemed to be University, with support from the Science and Heritage Research Initiative (SHRI) programme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), is reviving, conserving, and characterizing the traditional rice varieties.
  • The operational principles of these banks include memory banking of ethno-ecological knowledge, promotion of medicinal knowledge, and special agronomic qualities through associated cultural belief as well as their conservation. 
  • Regional festivals also help to promote exchange of seeds.
  • For example, paddy seed exchange festival –‘Nel Thiruvizha’ organized along with CREATE- a Tiruvarur-based NGO, helped distribute heritage rice seed varieties such as Karuppu kouni, Thuyya malli, Mapillai samba, Karunkuruvai. 
  • The initiative to collect & conserve the traditional landraces of rice varieties can help share and exchange knowledge about the varieties with inherent capacities to withstand climate uncertainties, drought and flood resistance, medicinal and nutritional properties.
  • ‘Seeds of Past’ conserved to reserve ‘Seeds for future’ can be promoted for upscaling in coming years.
  • Field gene banks have been set up to propagate the heirloom varieties through seed exchange programmes and organic seed multiplication. 
  • The farmers are trained in conservation methods and ways of enriching and revitalizing the indigenous heritage germplasms, as well as on In situ trials for climate adaptability in the farmer’s field on a pilot scale.
Source-PIB

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