ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute Celebrates 115th Day Of Inception
The ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore(SBI-Coimbatore), which is playing a vital role in national sugar security: Reports
COIMBATORE: The ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore(SBI-Coimbatore), which is playing a vital role in national sugar security, marked its 115th foundation day.
Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, who was the chief guest, said that SBI-Coimbatore is older than the ICAR and its contribution is present in every Indian household, through sugar. He noted that more than 80 per cent of the country’s sugarcane area is cultivated with ICAR–SBI’s ‘Co’ varieties.
Referring to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel 'Anandamath', Dr Pathak said that, like King Mahendra’s unwavering commitment to duty,
scientists and staff should pursue selfless and dedicated action for the progress of their organisation. He emphasised that today’s agricultural context is markedly different in terms of science, technology, climate, soil, water conditions, and societal expectations, and urged researchers to develop innovative and practical solutions to address these emerging challenges.
Dr Pathak highlighted significant opportunities for collaboration between ICRISAT and ICAR–SBI, particularly for accelerating sugarcane improvement through advanced genomic technologies, artificial intelligence, precision pheno-typing and climate-resilient breeding.
He mentioned that sugarcane is a source not only of sugar but also of energy, feed, fuel, and pharmaceuticals, which current technology can provide, and that AI tools — even in agricultural extension — can be used alongside new science and technology, for which he lauded the institute’s recent research initiatives.
He presented Sir T. S. Venkataraman awards for outstanding research in sugarcane agriculture and the best thesis in sugarcane agriculture for
the biennium 2024–25 on the occasion.
Dr P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR–SBI, reflected on the institute’s recent contributions to sugarcane varietal development. He informed that last year the institute released three varieties: Co 18003, a high-quality variety for Peninsular India; Co 21003, a high-yielding variety for Tamil Nadu; and Co 18022, a
mid-late maturing variety for the North West Zone.