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ICAR-IIPR Regional Station, Bhopal
Phanda, Bhopal–Indore Highway, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh — strategic pulses research, seed production and technology transfer for central India.
About the Station
ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Regional Station Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh was established in 2013 with the objective of catering to the needs of pulses-growing farmers of central India. The regional station is located in Phanda village on the Bhopal–Indore highway near the toll plaza and is adjacent to the M.P. State Agricultural Farm. It is about 25 km from Bhopal railway station and 20 km from Bhopal Airport.
The mandate of this station is to conduct strategic pulses research for central India; quality seed production including nucleus, breeder and foundation seed; characterization and evaluation of germplasm; generation of high yielding breeding lines for central India; and conducting field demonstrations and transfer of technologies. The station is also engaged in capacity building of officials of the State Department of Agriculture and training of farmers.
21
Varieties released & notified
2476q
Breeder seed produced
6954q
Quality seed under Seed Hub
445
Front line demonstrations
2102
Farmers visited the station
Research Activities & Thrust Areas
Mandate crops
- Chickpea
- Pigeonpea
- Lentil
- Urdbean
- Mungbean
- Field pea
- Grass pea
Research Activities
- Strengthening of germplasm characterization, evaluation and utilization of pulse crops (chickpea, pigeonpea, lentil, mungbean, urdbean, grasspea).
- Genetic enhancement of pigeonpea for the central zone.
- Improvement of Kabuli chickpea for enhanced productivity, wider adaptability and nutritional quality.
- Improvement of grasspea for low ODAP and high yield.
- Genetic enhancement of summer mungbean for the central zone.
- Characterization of wilt / root rot (WRR) complex diseases in chickpea and lentil and their management.
- Conducting national and international trials to identify superior genotypes of chickpea, lentil and grasspea for the central zone.
- Identification of trait-specific donors of pulses.
Thrust Areas
- Focus research on major pulses of the central zone with emphasis on the rain-fed agro-ecosystem.
- Genetic improvement of pulses for the central zone with emphasis on terminal drought and heat tolerance and fusarium wilt resistance in crops like chickpea and pigeonpea.
- Germplasm enhancement of important pulses of the central zone through germplasm evaluation, characterization and utilization in the breeding programme via pre-breeding approaches.
- Produce breeder seed of major pulse varieties released for the central zone.
- Encourage farmers’ participation in quality seed production through the Seed Hub.
- Disseminate need-based technologies suitable for farmers of the central zone through front line demonstrations and other programmes.
Breeding — Varieties Released
Association of ICAR-IIPR, RS, Bhopal in the development and release of varieties — 21 varieties released and notified.
| Crop | Sl. | Variety | Year of release / notification | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigeonpea | 1 | IPA 15-6 | 2021 (Notified) | CZ |
| 2 | IPH 9-05 | 2021 (Notified) | NWPZ | |
| Chickpea | 1 | IPCB 2015-132 (Kundan) | 2024 (Released) | NEPZ |
| 2 | IPC 2017-351 (Abha) | 2024 (Released) | MP State | |
| 3 | IPC 2017-292 (Kranti) | 2024 (Released) | MP State | |
| 4 | IPC 2012-108 (Krishna) | 2024 (Released) | UP State | |
| 5 | IPC 2007-28 (Atal) | 2021 (Notified) | UP State | |
| 6 | IPCK 163-13 (Madhav) | 2021 (Notified) | NWPZ | |
| 7 | IPC 2010-145 (Kuber) | 2021 (Notified) | UP State | |
| 8 | IPC 2009-145 (Kanchan) | 2021 (Notified) | UP State | |
| Urdbean | 1 | IPU 17-1 | 2021 (Notified) | MP State |
| 2 | IPU 17-2 (Drishti) | 2022 (Notified) | MP State | |
| 3 | IPU 19-10 (Narmada) | 2022 (Notified) | MP State | |
| 4 | IPU 13-6 | 2023 (Released) | MP State | |
| 5 | IPU 18-2 | 2026 (Notified) | UP State | |
| 6 | IPU 10-26 | 2020 (Notified) | MP State | |
| 7 | IPU 11-02 | 2020 (Notified) | MP State | |
| 8 | IPU 13-1 | 2020 (Notified) | MP State | |
| Lentil | 1 | IPL 534 | 2020 (Notified) | MP State |
| 2 | IPL 341 | 2023 (Released) | MP State | |
| 3 | IPL 342 | 2023 (Released) | MP State |
Material generated: Pigeonpea — F1–F7 ABR lines; Mungbean — F2–F3 ABR lines; Chickpea — F2–F5 ABR lines; Grasspea — cultivated × L. cicera (F1s), mutant population (M5 generation).
Plant Genetic Resources
- Germplasm accessions procured (approx. 5000), conserved at NBPGR (182), accessions allotted IC numbers (173) and characterized (2500). Phenotypic data of 4996 chickpea accessions characterized for the heat tolerance trait (2021–2024) submitted to the IBDC national repository.
- Trait-specific donors identified — pigeonpea (10), mungbean (1), chickpea (3).
- 285 accessions of wild species of pulse crops maintained in the wild garden at IIPR, RS, Bhopal.
- Germplasm maintained as active collection — pigeonpea 678 (cultivated), chickpea 119, grasspea 146, lentil 27, field pea 15.
Genetic stocks registered with ICAR-NBPGR
| Sl. | Crop | Name of genetic stock | INGR No. | Year | Trait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pigeonpea | IPACliesto 10 | INGR22155 | 2022 | Closed flower structure until complete fertilization; independent anther filaments (absence of diadelphous condition); indeterminate high-yielding genetic background |
| 2 | Pigeonpea | ICPL 88039A & ICPL 88039B | NGR23047 | 2023 | Cytoplasmic male sterility; A2 cytoplasmic source; early maturing (140–150 days) |
| 3 | Chickpea | IC272450 | INGR21144 | 2023 | Heat tolerance |
| 4 | Chickpea | IPC 2019-5 | INGR25062 | 2025 | Early maturity |
Germplasm identified for registration with ICAR-NBPGR
| S.No. | Crop | Genotype | Trait | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chickpea | ICC 1237-1 | Upright peduncle & double pods | 2024 | IGIC approved, IIPR Kanpur |
| 2 | Chickpea | IPCB 2021-0517-1 | Trifoliate chickpea mutant | 2025 | IGIC approved, IIPR Kanpur |
Plant Protection
- Initiated work on sick plot development for fusarium wilt in lentil and chickpea.
- Received one MPCST-funded project on “Exploration and application of soil inhabiting and endophytic plant growth promoting bacteria including actinomycetes for biological management of soil borne diseases of lentil”.
- Identification of Podosphaera xanthii as the powdery mildew pathogen of mungbean in Bhopal.
- Identified two local collection germplasm of mungbean with moderate resistance to powdery mildew.
- Eight promising isolates identified as Bacillus altitudinis, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus inaquosorum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa through 16S rRNA sequencing, possessing four or more plant growth-promoting attributes and antagonistic properties indicating their potential as bioinoculants.
- Identification of Fusarium falciforme causing root rot and wilt in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) in India — a new pathogen record.
- Evaluation of bio-agents under pot conditions revealed disease suppression (collar rot and wilt) and growth promotion in lentil; results to be validated in Rabi 2026.
Seed Production
2476.44 q of breeder seed and 6954.39 q of quality seed (under the Seed Hub project) produced.
| Sl. | Seed category | Crops | 2016–20 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | Total (q) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Breeder seed | Pigeonpea, urdbean, chickpea, lentil, field pea | 855.49 | 203.39 | 245.41 | 204.70 | 301.70 | 665.75 | 2476.44 |
| 2 | Quality seed procured | Pigeonpea, urdbean, chickpea, lentil, field pea | 4142.65 | 1040.00 | 211.93 | 328.37 | 586.54 | 644.90 | 6954.39 |
Extension Activities & Events
- Model Pulse Village programme.
- 2102 farmers visited the station and enriched their knowledge.
- Technology dissemination to 3587 SCSP beneficiary farmers.
- 445 FLDs of different varieties of pulses conducted.
- 11 training programmes conducted with participation of 408 farmers.
Front line demonstrations & technology dissemination
| Crop | 2016–20 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urdbean | 138 | 5 | – | 10 | – | – | 15 |
| Pigeonpea | – | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | – | 42 |
| Chickpea | – | 10 | – | 20 | 20 | – | 50 |
| Lentil | – | 10 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 90 |
| Field pea | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | – | 10 |
| Lentil (TSP) | – | – | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 60 |
| Field pea (TSP) | – | – | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
| Total FLDs | 138 | 35 | 57 | 85 | 75 | 55 | 445 |
| SCSP beneficiary farmers | – | 335 | 325 | 382 | 897 | 1648 | 3587 |
| Farmers’ visits | 695 | 200 | 227 | 367 | 392 | 221 | 2102 |
Farmers’ training programmes
| Sl. | Title of training | Date | No. of farmers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Rabi dalhani fasalo me gudvattayukt beej utpadan ki takniki” | 16.03.2021 | 70 |
| 2 | One day farmers training | 29.03.2023 | 50 |
| 3 | One day farmers training | 31.03.2023 | 50 |
| 4 | One day farmers training | 10.01.2024 | 50 |
| 5 | 3 days farmers training | 4–6 March 2024 | 27 |
| 6 | 3 days farmers training | 11–13 February 2024 | 25 |
| 7 | Production technology of pulse crops | 11–13 February 2025 | 25 |
| 8 | 3 days farmers training | 2–4 June 2025 | 15 |
| 9 | FPO farmers training and seed processing plant visit | 21 March 2025 | 45 |
| 10 | “Crop protection, post harvest technologies for kharif pulses” (online) | 29 September 2025 | 25 |
| 11 | “दलहन उत्पादन की उन्नत तकनीकों के माध्यम से अनुसूचित जाति के किसानों की आजीविका सुदृढ़ीकरण” | 10 March 2026 | 26 |
| Total | 408 | ||
Registration and licensing of varieties
| Name of variety | PPV&FRA registration no. | Commercialization |
|---|---|---|
| IPA 15-6 — high yielding pigeonpea variety | REG/2024/0415 | Licensed to 7 companies |
Facilities & Services
Laboratory equipment
Weighing balance, B.O.D. incubators, shaking incubators, laminar air flow, autoclave, pH meter, deep freezer, refrigerators, double distillation unit, Millipore water purification system, microcentrifuge, microscope, horizontal gel electrophoresis unit (mini), UV transilluminator and water bath.
Facilities available
- Rain-out shelter
- Green houses (2 nos.)
- Seed processing plant
Manpower
| S.No. | Cadre | Sanctioned | Filled | Vacant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific | 07 | 05 | 02 |
| 2 | Technical | 04 | 03 | 01 |
| 3 | LDC | 01 | 00 | 01 |
| 4 | Driver | 01 | 00 | 01 |
| Total | 13 | 08 | 05 |
Scientific personnel
| S.No. | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Gitanjali Sahay | Principal Scientist, Genetics & Plant Breeding — Officer In-charge |
| 2 | Dr. Dibendu Datta | Principal Scientist, Genetics & Plant Breeding |
| 3 | Dr. Archana Singh | Principal Scientist, PGR & Economic Botany |
| 4 | Dr. Surendra Kumar Ghritlahre | Senior Scientist, Genetics & Plant Breeding |
| 5 | Dr. Nidhi Kumari | Scientist (SS), Plant Pathology |
Technical personnel
| S.No. | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. Amit Bhatore | Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) |
| 2 | Mr. Ritesh Pawar | Senior Technician (T-2) |
| 3 | Mr. Priyank Shrivastava | Senior Technician (T-2) |
Scientist Profiles
Dr. Gitanjali SahayPrincipal ScientistPlant breeding (legume / grass breeding) — 31 years of specialization in legume crop…View full profile ›
Dr. Dibendu DattaPrincipal ScientistARS in the discipline of Genetics Present discipline in ICAR: Genetics and Plant Breeding…View full profile ›
Dr. Surendra Kumar GhritlahreHead & Principal ScientistPlant breeding (rice and pulse breeding).View full profile ›
Dr. Nidhi KumariScientistDiagnosis and detection, biological plant disease management, mycology and plant virology.View full profile ›
Photographs
