Bioseed and IRRI extend collaboration for developing next-generation rice varieties

Bioseed and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently agreed to an amendment of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will extend their ongoing partnership for a further five years, advancing research initiatives that aim to develop improved rice varieties with multiple tolerances for biotic and abiotic stresses.

A seed and biotechnology company, Bioseed is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DCM Shriram Limited, one of India’s largest agricultural conglomerates. Bioseed’s partnership with IRRI is through IRRI’s Bio-Innovation Center (BIC), a membership-based program that enables public and private sector partners to leverage the institute’s world-class research infrastructure, expertise, and resources for the development or scaling up of their own products or research solutions. Bioseed has been a BIC member since August 2020.

Photo: Dr. Paresh Verma and Devadatta Sirdeshpande during their tour of IRRI facilities, accompanied by Dr. Gururaj Kulkarni.

Bioseed and IRRI have several collaborative projects currently ongoing. These include:  Evaluation of transgenic maize events for resistance to fall armyworm; Evaluation of transgenic events of rice for drought and salinity tolerance and introgression of selected events in the elite parental lines of Bioseed Research Philippines Inc. rice hybrids; Gene editing rice for improved grain yield, drought tolerance, and leaf blight and blast resistance; Development, characterization, and evaluation of transgenic lines of rice for drought and salt tolerance and enhanced nitrogen assimilation; and Transgenic rice events evaluation for drought tolerance, nutrient utilization, and yield improvement.

The MOU amendment was signed on 26 April 2024. Signatories of the amendment were Dr. Ajay Kohli, Interim Director General of IRRI, and Dr. Paresh Verma, Chief Executive and Research Director of Bioseed SE Asia. Witnessing the signing were Dr. Gururaj Kulkarni, IRRI Bio-Innovation Center Director, and Devadatta Sirdeshpande, Executive President and General Manager of Bioseed Research Philippines. The amendment will extend the partnership for a further five (5) years, from May 2022 to April 2027.

Photo: Dr. Paresh Verma and Devadatta Sirdeshpande during their tour of IRRI facilities, accompanied by Dr. Gururaj Kulkarni.

Prior to the signing, Dr. Verma and Mr. Sirdeshpande visited IRRI Headquarters in February 2024 to review the collaborative research activities. They were pleased with the progress and decided to extend the research partnership for the next five years. Through this BIC program, Bioseed scientists were housed in IRRI Headquarters in the Philippines, working with IRRI scientists and support staff and using the institute’s state-of-the-art facilities to advance their company’s research.