ICRISAT Named CGIAR’s Breeding Resources Hub for South Asia to Accelerate Crop Improvement

Hyderabad, November 4, 2025

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been designated as the South Asia Hub for Breeding Resources under CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program, positioning it as a regional center for delivering standardized, high-quality breeding services to accelerate crop improvement and innovation.

Key Highlights

• ICRISAT will deliver shared tools, harmonized protocols, and integrated data systems across South Asia.
• The initiative aims to strengthen climate resilience, food system productivity, and regional innovation.
• The hub will align with CGIAR’s global network of breeding centers, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and AfricaRice, ensuring consistency and interoperability of breeding services worldwide.

Unified Breeding Ecosystem

Under this framework, ICRISAT will operate using standardized operational procedures (SOPs), digital tools like the Enterprise Breeding System and Bioflow, and uniform data collection systems. This harmonization enables cross-Center collaboration among CGIAR institutes and National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), creating a cohesive and cost-effective breeding ecosystem.

Advanced Capabilities

ICRISAT will integrate its existing strengths—such as nutritional analysis through Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) provided by the Facility for Exploratory Research on Nutrition (FERN)—within the Breeding Resources framework. These services will now benefit from shared quality control, process management, and collaborative R&D across CGIAR’s global network.

Vision and Leadership

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, reaffirmed the institute’s readiness to deliver standardized breeding services across South Asia, building on its decades of experience in crop innovation. He noted that ICRISAT has already developed over 500 crop varieties and distributed nearly 600,000 germplasm samples to regional partners.

Eng Hwa, Lead for Breeding Resources at B4T, emphasized the shared commitment between ICRISAT and CGIAR to streamline breeding operations, enhance quality, and provide comprehensive support to breeders across the region.

Strategic Significance

The integration of ICRISAT into CGIAR’s Breeding Resources framework marks a major step toward achieving faster, more efficient, and climate-smart crop development. By serving as a unified hub, ICRISAT will not only enhance South Asia’s breeding capacity but also advance CGIAR’s global mission to deliver productive, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.

“This hub model strengthens regional collaboration and accelerates the delivery of next-generation, climate-resilient crops,” said Dr. Pathak.

ICRISAT’s designation as CGIAR’s Breeding Resources Hub for South Asia consolidates the region’s breeding infrastructure, enabling data-driven, standardized, and collaborative approaches to crop improvement—vital for ensuring food security and resilience in the face of climate change.