The world's population is estimated to grow from 6.8 billion to 9.4 billion people by 2050 with food requirements exceeding that of the combined produce of the past 10,000 years. But to achieve such high produce seems next to impossible. Rice and wheat, the two global staple crops are facing low productivity mainly due to lack of adequate investment to improve varieties and yield, diminishing land and water resources, and environmental problems. The only way out is to empower future plant breeders by educating them in advanced technologies to meet the needs of developed and developing countries.
Towards this Monsanto, a global agricultural company constituted the Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Programme (MBBISP) this year. It honours the father's of the green revolution; Dr. Norman Borlaug (recipient of the Nobel Prize) and Dr Henry Beachell (recipient of the World Food Prize) for their lifelong contribution to increases in rice and wheat production that continue to help feed the world today.
The programme has selected 12
international recipients. Among these is Bhanu Kalia, a MS in Genetics student from the Punjab Agricultural University for her ground breaking research proposal on wheat leaf rust. Kalia and the eleven other young researchers representing 10 countries will pursue their PhD's with full scholarship in rice and wheat breeding at universities world over through a generous fund of Rs50crores (USD10 million) by Monsanto. It will provide a generous student stipend, tuition, applicable fees, health insurance, research fees and travel, as well as funds for the collaborating institution and advising professor. It supports projects that allow the student to develop advanced breeding techniques, as well as experience conducting at least one season of field work in a developing country.
For her research, Kalia will head to Kansas Sate University and collaborate with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). She will produce synthetic wheat, using its ancestral parents. According to her, these wheat plants will be armed with new resistance genes to fight leaf rust. "No application of fungicides will be required as the plants will fight the pathogen themselves.This approach will be both economically and environmentally beneficial," informed Kalia.
After completion of her degree, Kalia aims to continue research on wheat, focusing on increasing yield and resistance to different diseases. "I encourage my fellow Indian students to participate in the programme which is a fantastic opportunity to contribute in helping our farmers have access to the best varieties in crops and productivity via agriculture science and innovation."
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