Patna: The three-day Institute Research Council (IRC) Meeting 2026 of the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER) concluded in Patna on Friday with a focus on developing integrated, climate-resilient and farmer-centric technologies for sustainable agriculture in eastern India.
Held from August 5 to 7, the meeting reviewed ongoing research programmes and discussed new multidisciplinary initiatives aligned with national priorities and the emerging needs of farmers in the region.
Dr Anup Das, director of ICAR-RCER and chairman of the IRC, called on scientists to adopt a “One Team, One Task” approach and focus research on multidisciplinary, technology-driven and farmer-centric solutions.
He urged scientists to set clear goals, accelerate innovation and work collectively to address agricultural challenges. He also said constraints encountered during research could provide the basis for developing high-quality and impactful outcomes.
85 Research Projects Reviewed
During the meeting, 85 ongoing sub-research projects under five major thematic programmes were comprehensively reviewed.
The research agenda brought together scientists from different disciplines to develop demand-driven technologies through an integrated approach. New multidisciplinary activities were also proposed in emerging areas of agricultural research.
The five themes covered climate-resilient farming, horticulture, natural resource management, livestock and fisheries, and socio-economic and policy research.
Climate-Resilient Farming Systems
Dr Sanjeev Kumar, head of the Division of Crop Research, led discussions on regenerative and integrated farming systems for climate-resilient agriculture.
The research areas included greening rice fallow areas through conservation agriculture, sustainable intensification of rice-wheat systems, natural farming, integrated farming models for small and marginal farmers, crop diversification and development of stress-tolerant crop varieties.
The group also discussed agroforestry, ecosystem services and plant protection.
Kumar stressed the need for farming systems capable of withstanding climate stresses while improving productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency.
Horticulture And Value Addition
The second theme, genetic resource management and improved production technologies for horticultural crops, was led by Dr Awani Singh, head of RCER-FSRCHPR, Ranchi.
Discussions covered genetic-resource management, varietal improvement, protected cultivation, post-harvest management and value addition.
Singh emphasised the need to connect genetic-resource conservation and varietal improvement with farmers’ requirements and market opportunities to improve productivity, quality and incomes.
Soil, Water And Renewable Energy
Dr A Upadhyaya, head of DLWM, led discussions on natural resource management for improving land and water productivity.
The theme covered efficient soil, land and water management, water productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, precision irrigation and nutrient management.
Scientists were also encouraged to explore solar energy applications, sensor-based irrigation, mapping of rice fallow areas and more efficient use of natural resources.
Livestock And Fisheries
The fourth theme, sustainable livestock and fisheries production systems, was led by Dr Kamal Sarma, head of DLFM.
The discussions focused on livestock and fisheries improvement, sustainable production systems, crop-livestock-fish integration, genetic-resource conservation, animal health, disease surveillance and resource recycling.
Sarma highlighted the potential of integrated livestock and fisheries systems to diversify farm incomes, improve nutritional security and strengthen the resilience of small and marginal farmers.
Socio-Economics And Technology Adoption
The fifth theme, socio-economics, extension and policy research, was led by Dr Ujjwal Kumar, head of DSEE.
The group examined technology adoption, carbon credits, artificial intelligence and machine-learning applications for forecasting, technology dissemination and policy support.
Kumar stressed the importance of robust impact assessments to determine the socio-economic and environmental effects of agricultural technologies on farmers’ livelihoods and incomes.
Focus On Taking Research To Farmers
The meeting emphasised the need to take proven research outputs, including improved crop varieties and technologies, beyond experimental conditions and into wider field adoption.
Participants called for solutions that are scalable, economically viable, climate-resilient and driven by farmers’ needs.
An MoU was also signed during the inaugural programme with Development Focus, Bengaluru, for vegetable seed production using improved varieties developed at FSRCHPR, Ranchi.
A documentary highlighting the success story of Udlu village in Ramgarh under the Tribal Sub Plan, implemented by RCER-KVK, Ramgarh, was released during the concluding session.
The meeting ended with a commitment to strengthen multidisciplinary research and develop technologies capable of moving effectively from laboratories to farmers’ fields, with agricultural communities remaining at the centre of the research process.
Dr P.C. Chandran, member secretary, proposed the vote of thanks.
