Vizianagaram: Agri research station bags award for millet research

Vizianagaram: Agricultural Research Station of Dr N G Ranga Agricultural University here received Best Research AICRP Award from Indian Institute of Small Millets, a body of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) for the years 2017-20. This is for the fourth in a row that institution got the honour.

In 2016-17 too this institution was selected for the Award. ICAR director general Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra announced this in a virtual conference from the Indian Institute of Small Millets Research campus at Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad.

Vizianagaram-based research station is got national recognition by inventing two new varieties of ragi called Vegavathi-(VR929), Indravati-(VR1101) which have more nutritional values in terms of iron and zinc. This research station also prepared new varieties like Suvarna Mukhi-(VR988). The scientists working in this research station published at least 25 articles in national and international journals about millets. Principal scientist of this Agricultural Research Station Dr T S S K Patro said that efforts of their scientists Dr N Anuradha, (plant breeding), Dr Y Sandhya Rani (soil scientist), Dr U Triveni, Dr M Srinivas made them proud.