International crops research institute in Hyderabad, India is collaborating with an agricultural science council in the Philippines to enhance the adoption of three legume varieties and production technologies in the country.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) have initiated a project that will enhance the adoption of the said ICRISAT-bred legumes and develop a database on the varieties and technologies.

According to Dr. William D. Dar, director general of ICRISAT, this project will strengthen ICRISAT's existing collaboration with the Philippine government to improve productivity of the crops that are useful to the poor farmers of the country.

The project will enable ICRISAT to work with a consortium of agricultural research institutions in the Philippines. It is also part of the cooperation between ICRISAT and the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research to improve legume production in the Philippines.

The two-year project will utilize the attributed grant of $50,000 from the Philippine government to ICRISAT for the development of agriculture in the country.

Besides serving as coordinating agency for the project, ICRISAT will provide the seeds of improved varieties and relevant technologies, technical advice and backstopping, and training for project staff.

PCARRD will provide institutional support for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. PCARRD will also be the executing agency for the project. The third principal collaborating agency, the Philippine Agriculture and Resources Research Foundation, Inc., will administer funds for the project.

A consortium of Philippine institutions will also work on the project. These are the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Ilocos Integrated Agricultural Research Center, Mariano Marcos State University, Isabela State University, Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Research, Pampanga Agricultural College, Central Luzon Integrated Agricultural Research Center, and Central Luzon State University. For further information, contact Dr. CLL Gowda at c.gowda at cgiar.org. - S&T Media Service