ICRISAT and SKUAST co-develop first cold-tolerant sorghum in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Jammu and Kashmir, in northern India, will release new forage sorghum varieties in 2025, marking the first successful adaptation of this dryland crop to the region's temperate climate.

The release follows advanced on-farm trials of elite sorghum lines conducted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in collaboration with the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir.

The partnership focused on promoting dual-purpose sorghum varieties that provide both grain and forage. These varieties aim to enhance food, feed, and fodder security, addressing the critical feed supply-demand gap in the region’s animal husbandry sector, which plays a vital role in the local economy. Currently, the region is facing a 40% fodder deficit.

Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General-Research of ICRISAT, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project.

″This initiative reflects ICRISAT’s commitment to delivering demand-driven innovations. Partnering with SKUAST has allowed us to co-develop sustainable solutions that benefit smallholder farmers and the broader agricultural sector,″ said Dr Blade.

The team from ICRISAT and SKAUST.

Livestock rearing is crucial in the Kashmir Valley, providing essential protein and employment opportunities. However, the limited availability of nutritious feed poses a significant challenge for the sector, especially at high altitudes.

Fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has emerged as a promising solution. It offers high biomass production of up to 50 tons per hectare, has adaptability to local conditions and also high nutritional value. Its cultivation can improve livestock productivity and enhance the rural economy, directly benefiting marginalized communities, especially smallholder farmers and landless labor dependent on animal husbandry for their livelihoods.

Prof. Nazir A Ganai, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST Kashmir, praised the initiative: ″This marks a significant step toward achieving feed, fodder, and livelihood security, especially for underprivileged tribal communities in high-altitude areas.″

Through the initiative, a comprehensive multi-environment evaluation program was established to identify high-yielding, nutritionally rich sorghum genotypes suited for the unique agro-climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. The trials, conducted over two cropping cycles, assessed biomass yield, nutritional quality, and adaptability to low temperatures, leading to the identification of superior cultivars.

″Developing elite sorghum lines tailored to Kashmir’s high-altitude ecologies is a remarkable achievement that will further inform our efforts to extend the cultivation north of 40° latitude,″ said Dr Ephrem Habyarimana, Principal Scientist – Sorghum Breeding.

The project aims to enhance sustainable livestock production and improve the socio-economic conditions of marginalized farmers across the Kashmir Valley by releasing these cold-tolerant sorghum varieties in 2025.

This work aligns with SDGs 1, 13 and 17.