Despite realizing the full irrigation potential in the country, nearly 40% of the net sown area will remain rainfed. This sector currently produces 40% of the food grains and supports wo-thirds of the livestock population. Rainfed agriculture production systems in the country are diverse and heterogeneous. The average productivity levels have moved from 0.6 tonnes in eighties to 1.1 tonnes at present. There are large yield gaps in several crops and regions between the research stations and farmer's fields. This is both an area of concern as well as an opportunity. With the productivity of irrigated crops reaching a plateau due to declining factor productivity, rainfed agriculture still offers scope for enhancing productivity by bridging the yield gaps with the currently available technologies and also raise yield potential in high rainfall zones through development of improved technologies.

From the socio-economic perspective, farmers in rainfed regions face multiple risks of weather, credit and markets and therefore the need for improving productivity and incomes is more pertinent in rainfed agriculture than irrigated farming. This is key to achieve equity and inclusive growth which are the main goals of XII Five Year Plan. While the past research has certainly resulted in improved production, particularly, in coarse cereals and oilseeds, besides contributing to natural resources conservation, there are still many challenges. The changing socio-economic dynamics and food habits, challenges like land degradation, and climate change require greater attention and increased investments in dryland agriculture. It is in this context, CRIDA needs to envision the future scenario, identify the challenges and draw up suitable R&D strategies.

CRIDA and its research Network

Historical

The earliest attempts to improve rainfed agriculture began in the erstwhile Bombay State. During 1933-35, the then Imperial (now Indian) Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) initiated a broad-based dry farming research project at Solapur, Bijapur, Hagari, Raichur and Rohtak to formulate appropriate strategies. After independence, renewed efforts were made to improve stability and productivity of rainfed agriculture since 1950s through developing appropriate soil and water conservation practices. ICAR gave a new impetus by launching the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA) in 1970, based at Hyderabad with 23 cooperating centres spread across the country beginning the era of location specific adaptive research.

Strategic Research

Realizing that the enormity and complexity of this sector requires basic and strategic research inputs, the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) was established at Hyderabad, on April 12, 1985 by upgrading the Project Directorate of the AICRPDA net-work. CRIDA was mandated to provide the leadership in basic and strategic research in dryland agriculture leaving the location specific problems and their solutions to AICRPDA centres. Around this time, the importance of weather and the science of Agrometeorology in agricultural production were realized after the recommendations of the National Commission on Agriculture. Therefore, to strengthen the research in Agrometeorology, the All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology (AICRPAM) was launched in 1983, also at CRIDA, Hyderabad, with 10 cooperating centres under different SAUs. The strength of AICRPDA and AICRPAM is presently 25 centres each.

While CRIDA undertakes lead research in dryland agriculture, solutions to location specific problems are generated through AICRPDA network. Further support to dryland agriculture research comes from understanding and defining the crop growth related weather parameters - a core activity of AICRPAM. CRIDA also undertakes large number of outreach programmes involving non-governmental organizations through farmers' participatory action research with a livelihoods perspective.

Evolution of the Research Program

In the early Seventies, when the dryland agriculture research program was started, it was mostly adaptive research carried out in different agro-ecological regions to come out with simple and do-able technologies which can improve the yields on farmers' fields with little or no inputs. During this period, simple agronomic practices, most suitable crops, varieties and cropping systems, planting geometry, fertilizer management and weed control methods were developed which became the first set of improved practices for dryland agriculture in the country which were adopted by all the Agricultural Universities and became part of the package of practices of the State Governments. During the Eighties, farm mechanization, agroforestry and operational research for technology transfer received more emphasis. With the establishment of CRIDA, basic and strategic research on dryland agriculture was initiated with detailed studies on stress physiology, moisture and nutrient interactions, climatic water balance, crop weather relationships and Agrometeorology. During the Nineties, CRIDA built the entire research program on outcome of the model watershed program and strengthened its outreach by working with several non-government organizations in a farmer participatory action research mode. CRIDA played a major role in coordinating the Agro-Ecosystem based research under National Agricultural Technology Project wherein extensive on-farm participatory research was taken up in more than 200 rainfed districts on five production systems, viz., rainfed rice, nutritious cereals, oilseeds, pulses and cotton. More than 100 location specific recommendations emerged out of this project which became part of the package of practices of the State Agricultural Universities. Continuing the focus on participatory action research, the Institute implemented the National Agricultural Innovation Project, where the research focus shifted from production enhancement to income and livelihood security. CRIDA came up with several replicable models in this regard in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Vision

Sustainable agricultural production systems in rainfed regions ensuring enhanced income and livelihood security to farmers and landless.

Mission

Ensuring enhanced growth and sustainability of rainfed agriculture through the application of basic, applied and strategic research outputs combined with institutional and policy innovations.

Mandate

CRIDA

• Undertake basic and applied researches that will contribute to the development of strategies for sustainable farming systems in the rainfed areas.

• Act as a repository of information on rainfed agriculture in the country.

• Provide leadership and co-ordinate network research with state agricultural universities for generating location-specific technologies for rainfed areas.

• Act as a centre for training in research methodologies in the fields basic to management of rainfed-farming systems.

• Collaborate with relevant national and international agencies in achieving the above objectives.

AICRPDA

• To evolve simple technologies to substantially increase crop productivity and viability.

• To optimise the use of eco-regional natural resources, i.e., rainfall, land and water, and to minimise soil and water loss and degradation of environment

• To increase stability of regional crop production over years by providing improvements in natural resources management, crop management systems and alternate crop production technologies matching weather aberrations

• To develop alternate and sustainable land use systems

• To evaluate and study transferability of improved dryland technology to farmers' fields

AICRPAM

• To study the agricultural climate in relation to regional crop planning and assessment of crop production potentials

• To establish crop-weather relationships for all the major rainfed and irrigated crops

• To evaluate different techniques of modification of crop microclimates for enhancing the water-use efficiency and productivity

• To study the influence of weather on the incidence and spread of pests and diseases of field crops

• To provide agro-advisory support to farming communities

Objectives, Approach and Monitorable indicators

Functions

• To undertake basic and applied research for sustainable rainfed farming systems

• To provide leadership and co-ordinate network research with state agricultural universities for generating location-specific technologies for rainfed areas including climate resilient agriculture

• To undertake capacity building of all stakeholders in rainfed agriculture

• To act as a repository of information on rainfed agriculture and provide policy backstopping

Organizational Structure

The Institute is led by the Director. The scientists are supported by a number of technical and administrative personnel. Administration, auxiliary and supporting personnel help in attaining Institute's mandated objectives of research, consultancy and related programmes and activities. The organogram of the institute is given below:

Infrastructure

CRIDA has a 9000 sq m spacious building located at Santoshnagar in the eastern corner of Hyderabad city. The Institute has excellent laboratories, guesthouse, trainees hostels, seminar halls, museum, auditorium and two well laid out research farms. Over the years, the Institute has built modern facilities for conducting research and training. A synoptic over-view of the facilities is provided below. Laboratories - CRIDA has 15 well-equipped laboratories to support research in different disciplines of natural resources management and crop sciences.

Soil physics: The laboratory, besides basic facilities, has instruments to measure physical properties of soil and special equipment such as particle size analyzer, modulus of rupture apparatus, time domain reflectometer, rainfall simulator, hysteresis apparatus, pressure plates and temperature data pads. The laboratory supports research and training in soil and water management, land degradation and resource mapping.

Soil chemistry: The laboratory is equipped with important instruments for estimating essential nutrients required for plant growth. It supports research activities on integrated nutrient management, soil quality assessment, organic matter dynamics, carbon sequestration etc.

Plant physiology: The laboratory has facilities to conduct research in stress physiology, plant nutrition, crop modelling and climate change. It is equipped with leaf area and transpiration measurement systems, osmometer, cold centrifuges, plant canopy analyzer and sapflow systems and portable photosynthesis analyser.

Agronomy: The laboratory is equipped with all basic instruments for soil and plant analyses, neutron moisture probes and root length measurement systems. It supports research activities in soil and water management and crop husbandry.

Microbiology: The laboratory is equipped with facilities to conduct research on agriculturally important micro-organisms including molecular characterization. Important equipments include phase contrast and stereo microscopes, gas chromatograph, vacuum concentrators, PCR and electrophoresis systems. Plant molecular biology and tissue culture laboratory: The laboratory is well equipped with up-to-date facilities for carrying out research activities pertaining to molecular biology of abiotic stress tolerance in rainfed crops such as PCR machines, Gel documentation system, Gene gun, Southern, Western and Northern blotting for achieving their objectives. The plant tissue culture laboratory undertakes research on tree micropropagation.

Entomology: The Entomology laboratory is equipped with modern instruction facilities and equipments relating to insect rearing, bio-pesticide evaluation, testing of pesticides, studies on pest development and assessing the effect of climate change on insect life cycles.

Plant pathology: The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to pursue research in disease epidemiology in relation to weather, development of cost effective and eco-friendly disease management options, integrated disease management and plant growth promoting microbes.

Central laboratory: Besides the discipline-wise research facilities highlighted above, the Institute has a central laboratory, which has state-of-theart instruments, Inductivity Coupled Plasma (ICP) spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, auto analyser, CNS analyzer, HPLC and TOC analyzer. This laboratory not only supports research at CRIDA but also assists the entire research network on rainfed agriculture in the country and provides analytical services to institutions and individuals on payment.

Agrometeorology and databank: The Institute is the coordinating centre for research and training in agrometeorology since the VII Five Year Plan, and has built up excellent equipment support. The centre has automatic weather stations, line quantum sensors, Bowen's ratio apparatus, spectro radiometers and the relevant computer packages for processing historical weather data for agrometeorological planning. State-of-the-art facilities for quality checking, storing of the meteorological data of all the AICRPAM centres and other weather stations of the country are also available. It also maintains a website cropweatheroutlook.ernet.in providing agrometeorological information, current weather status and contingency crop plans to aid the rainfed farmers across the country.

Hydrology: CRIDA has established excellent infrastructure with GIS and GPS facilities for conducting hydrology experiments. Computer controlled rainfall simulator and large tilting flume have been installed, which are useful in conducting micro plot experiments under controlled conditions.

Agroforestry: Agroforestry laboratory has facilities for like soil and plant analysis, including fully automated kjeldahl nitrogen system, and equipment for estimation of aromatic oils and secondary metabolites in medicinal, aromatic and dye yielding plants.

Horticulture: A new laboratory has been established during X five year plan for analysis for soil, plant, fruit, leaf and other horticultural samples/products. There is also a cool chamber for storage of fruits and vegetables and their value added products. Animal sciences: A new wing has been added in Animal Science in the X-plan covering both Animal Husbandry and Animal Nutrition for estimation of proximate principles, fibre fractions, in-vitro digestibility of feeds and fodders, de-worming & vaccination of livestock, metabolic studies with small ruminants, clinical biochemistry parameters like serum, proteins, cholesterol, calcium, magnesium, albumin, etc.

GIS: The GIS laboratory supports in-house digitization, mapping and analysis of watersheds, land use, land cover change analysis and mapping of soil erosion, drought incidence, and land degradation. The laboratory is also equipped with advanced software like ArcGIS (Ver.9.0.) with two add-on modules - ArcEngine and ArcPad, digital satellite data interpretation software - ERDAS Imagine (Ver.9.0.) with virtual and vector GIS addon modules for analysis and a Trimble DGPS.

Transgenic glasshouse and green house: A transgenic glasshouse conforming to containment standards for evaluating transgenic crops is available in the Institute. Apart from this, the Institute has a net house and climate controlled glasshouse for conducting pot culture experiments. Climate change study facilities: CRIDA has set up 6 Open Top Chambers (OTC) to study the impact of elevated carbon dioxide on crops.

Bio-resource centre: A bio-resource centre for production and sale of biological pesticides and biofertilizers was set up at Hayathnagar Research Farm (HRF).

Farmers' service laboratory: A research and farmer's service laboratory was set up at HRF to cater to the analytical needs of experiments at HRF as well as of the farmers.

Library and information services: The Institute has a Central Library with a collection of over 8963 books and 5169 back volume of periodicals upto March, 2013. It subscribes to 126 Indian, 13 International Journals and 4 Foreign Databases viz., AGRICOLA, AGRIS, CROP-CD and SOIL-CD are subscribed. The ICAR under National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) has established a Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture (CeRA) to access 2000 + scholarly peer reviewed e-journals from the most renowned publishers in the disciplines of agriculture and related sciences. This online e-resource is available across 150 + Agricultural Research Institutes, Project Directorates, and SAUs under NARS. The Library is also powered with SOUL software from INFLIBNET for in-house library management. Extensive information is collected and maintained on all aspects of rainfed agriculture.

Powers

CRIDA is a Unit of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Director of the institute shall exercise such powers for their functioning as are delegated by the Governing Body or any authority of the ICAR. Powers are delegated to the Director by ICAR.

The Director is assisted in the execution and implementation of various programmes by three Division Heads, Chief Administrative Officer, and Senior Finance & Accounts Officer. The Institute Management Committee (IMC) guides and supports the Director by periodic review of programmes and approval of investments in new areas of research programmes. The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and Institute Research Council (IRC) provide broad guidelines and assist in developing and implementing specific research programmes and projects.

The organizational chart of the institute, provided in section (i) on "The particulars of organization, functions, and duties of the CRIDA" indicates the channels of supervision.

The norms are set by the ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi. The various functions carried out by the institute are indicated in the mission, mandate, and objectives of the institute, outlined in the section (i) on "The particulars of organization, functions, and duties of the CRIDA".

CRIDA is a Unit of ICAR, New Delhi. ICAR follows GOI rules mutatis mutandis, besides Agricultural Research Service rules, Technical Service Rules specially designed for Scientists and Technical personnel in ICAR. The institute follows the rules, regulation, and instructions as followed by ICAR, and as indicated in the manuals and records of ICAR, New Delhi.

The institute is guided and supported by Institute Management Committee (IMC) and Research Advisory Committee (RAC).

The IMC guides and supports the institute by periodic review of programmes and approval of investments in new areas of research programmes. The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and Institute Research Council (IRC) provide broad guidelines and assist in developing and implementing specific research programmes and projects.

The IMC, RAC, and IRC are the committees, which help the institute in guiding and implementing its various programmes and activities. The Composition of these committees is as per the guidelines of ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi.

      Scientific Staff

                   Technical Staff

                 Administrative Staff 

                 Supporting Staff

Budget for five years (Plan and Non- Plan)

(a) Plan

( in lakhs)

B=Budget; E=Expenditure

The relevant provisions of the Act towards charging fee are as under:

1. A request for obtaining information under Sub-section (1) of Section 6 shall be accompanied by an application fee of Rs.10.00 by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft in the name of 'The ICAR Unit A/c CRIDA' payable at Hyderabad.

2. For providing the information under Sub-section (1) of Section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by Demand draft payable to 'The ICAR Unit A/c CRIDA' payable at Hyderabad.

at following rates:

a) 2/- for each page (in A4/A3 size paper) created or copied

b) Actual charge or cost price of a copy in larger size paper.

c) Actual cost or price for samples or models; and

d) For inspection of records, no fee for first hour; and a fee of Rupees 5.00 for each fifteen minutes (or fraction thereof) thereafter.

3. For providing the information under Sub-section (5) of Section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by Demand draft payable to the ''The ICAR Unit A/c CRIDA payable at Hyderabad at following rates:

a) For information provided on CD Rs.50.00 per CD; and

b) For information provided in printed from at the price fixed for such publication or Rs.2.00 per page of photocopy for extracts from the publications.

The payment is required to be dispatched to: Public Information Officer / APIO, CRIDA

RTI Annual Returns

Third Party Audit Certificate