Tropical Legumes III

Thanks Murdoch University for publishing a nice Press Release on our recent paper in Nature Genetics.

https://www.murdoch.edu.au/news/articles/better-chickpeas-possible

The Nature Genetics paper is available https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01760-4

Better chickpeas possible, harnessing genetic traits of wild cousins A new study has revealed the potential of using wild crop relatives for chickpea improvement, paving the way for more advanced crops and greater global food security.

Honored and thrilled to be on the cover page of the CIO Times's April 2024 issue. CIO Times is a print and digital media platform from USA that curates opinions, outlooks, and visions about the industries from their leaders.

Thanks very much CIO TIMES, for highlighting and profiling our work being carried out at MMurdoch UniversityCCentre for Crop & Food Innovation; & State Agriculture Biotechnology Centreand also earlier work carried out at IICRISATCCGIAR CCenter of Excellence in Genomics & Systems BiologyIIPK Gatersleben - Leibniz-Institut CCh. Charan Singh University, Meerutand AAligarh Muslim UniversityDDepartment of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, AligarhAAligarh Muslim University.

Enjoy the cover story at https://theciotimes.com/magazine/Top-5-Rising-Business-Leaders-You-Must-Follow-in-2024/

Thanks to all my colleagues and collaborators for all their hard work and contributions and all my mentors and well wishers from all around the world.

@ Royal Society TTWAS - The World Academy of SciencesAAAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAAfrican Academy of SciencesIIndian National Science Academy -INSANNational Academy of Agricultural Sciences, DelhiNNaas IndiaIIndia in Australia (Consulate General of India, Perth) WWorld Food Prize FoundationGGrains Research and Development CorporationHHort InnovationFFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - PhilippinesAAssociation of Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin (AASIO)AALL INDIA VARSHNEY WELFARE ASSOCIATIONAASSOCIATION OF PLANT BREEDERS BBill & Melinda Gates FoundationIInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDA IIndian Council of Agricultural ResearchMMinistry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India DDepartment of Biotechnology, IndiaPPrincipal Scientific Adviser to GoIAAustralian Centre for International Agricultural ResearchFForum for Agricultural Research in Africa - FARA

Happy to share a recent paper published in Nature Genetics in collaboration with Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) China. The paper can be found at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01660-7 , and sharable link provided by journal at https://rdcu.be/dy7iV .

This paper reports development of genome variation map and trait association study in peanut after sequencing of 390 accessions from China . Please read a Media statement from Murdoch University https://www.murdoch.edu.au/news/articles/a-better-peanut-for-your-plate .

Congratulations to all authors and especially my colleagues Vanika Garg and Anu Chitikineni from Centre for Crop & Food Innovation; & State Agriculture Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University and Manish Pandey and Sunil Shivaji Gangurde from Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology ICRISAT (CGIAR).

A better peanut for your plate? New findings reveal potential for peanut crop improvement.

While visiting ICRISAT, I got an opportunity to meet many friends, and collaborators. I am posting some pics that I have - missed to click pics with many other colleagues. In the case you have, please post them under comment section.

Thanks one and everyone for your time, love and affection.

While I am grateful to ICRISAT and its DG for a great felicitation on my induction as Fellow of the Royal Society, I am also grateful to my long-term friends and previous colleagues (and now collaborators) specially Manish Pandey, Hima Bindu Kudapa Sri Swathi from Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology to arrange a get together and felicitation. It is always a nostalgic feeling by visiting CEGSB Bldg 300, the centre that I developed and nurtured for a long time.

It was great to meet all friends at CGESB. Thanks for your love!

I am sharing a few pics that I have on my phone- but I know that many friends clicked pics- unfortunately I dont have them- and not able to post them. Colleagues from CEGSB are requested to post those pics (with them) in comment section.

Plant & Animal Genome (PAG) Conference in San Diego (USA), the largest genomics conference (attended by >3000 researchers) is an important annual event for me, as it doesnt provide new and exciting science, but also a platform for meeting collaborators and friends and having a catch up on various topics. PAG is the place where new projects are conceptualized, progress is monitored and research publications are planned.

PAG 31 like other PAGs has been a great conference. Organized the Genomics-Assisted Breeding workshop that had eminent speakers and a large number of participants. Also organized 2nd meeting of International Initiative on pagenome and haplotype catalogue in bread wheat. In addition, many side meetings to discuss various ongoing / planned projects.

It has been a pleasure to meet friends and collaborators from all over the places. Also had very busy evenings - collaborative discussions over dinner.

Sharing some pics- some friends are in these pics, many of them are not there- sorry about it- but you all are in my heart and mind :-)! .

Very much grateful to DG ICRISAT Dr Jacqueline Hughes for honouring me on my election to The Royal Society. Feel humbled & honored to receive this felicitation from the institute where I worked for 16+ years.

Thanks so much Jackie for this kind gesture and giving a very nice certificate acknowledging contributions and impact of research I carried out in collaboration with colleagues at ICRISAT and collaborators from NARS, CGIAR and ARIs during 2005- 2022.

Sincere thanks 🙏🏽 to you for all your support and contributions as well as previous DGs- Dr William Dar for appointing me and providing various research leadership roles, Dr Peter Carberry for empowering and supporting me and Dr David Bergvinson for his help and support.

Thanks to all other senior leaders and colleagues especially Sean Mayes, ML Jat Victor Afari-Sefa, Kuldeep Singh, Ramon Peachey, Ashok Kumar, Manish Pandey, P Janila, Mamta Sharma, Rakesh Srivastava, Damaris Odeny, Hima Bindu Kudapa, Shalander Kumar, Sreenath Dixit, Suresh Pillay, Wricha Tyagi, Srikanth Rupavatharam, Hari Kishan Sudini, Vani Anamdas, Vikas Kumar Singh, Sri Swathi, Murali Krishna Gumma, SriPadamaja and others to join the function and sharing their thoughts & kind words to me.

Thanks once again Jackie for this function. Thanks to Victor, Sean, Manish, Vismitha and others for all their support for arranging this function.

Murdoch University Grains Research and Development Corporation Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, The Crawford Fund FAO World Food Prize Foundation

Thanks so much Bgi Shenzhen. The video is being displayed at the Hqs and other locations of BGI.

BGI Group is the world's largest genome research organization, providing genomics services such as genetic data, sequencing and gene technology application across human health, diagnostics and agriculture. It has been pleasure to working with them for more than a decade.

Also thanks to BGI for featuring my video on their website.

Closing the year 2023- with an interview by Agriculture Post. Thanks very much Mohd Mustaquim.

In this interview, I have emphasized need of engagement of private sector, and demand-driven agricultural research for benefiting small-holder farmers in India.

Please enjoy the interview

Need to make agricultural research demand driven with private sector engagement: Dr. Rajeev Varshney, Murdoch University - Agriculture Post Biotechnology, Food Security, Agri Research, Climate Change, Genome Sequencing, Plant Genetics, Molecular Breeding, Dr. Rajeev Varshney

Had a great time in Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra on Dec 28 and 29, 2023.

Feel honored and humbled to receive for 2018 by Hon'ble Vice Chancellor & Chairman Goyal Prizes, Prof Somnath Sachdeva, Co-chairperson Goyal Prizes Prof SP Singh, and Convenor Goyal Prizes Prof Sanjiv Arora in presence of Deans, Directors of various faculties and departments.

Goyal Prizes have been conferred to several eminent scientists including Prof CNR Rao, Prof Obaid Siddiqui, Prof GL Mehta, Prof RA Mashelkar, Prof Ajay Sood, and many others in past. Thanks to the vision of Shri Ram Goyal saheb, US-based NRI for recognizing science contribution.

After the function ceremony, I had a great interaction with Professors, teachers and research scholars from Faculties of Science and Life Sciences, as well as University Institute of Engineering & Technology. Great to interact with research scholars and address their questions related to agriculture, food security and establishing collaboration with Murdoch University Centre for Crop & Food Innovation; & State Agriculture Biotechnology Centre.

Many thanks to Prof Sanjiv Arora for all his help and support, and making my visit very enjoyable and memorable.

It was a pleasure to share our work and vision at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi on 27th Dec. Thanks to all friends from ICGEB, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi and of Delhi South Campus to join seminar.

Great to meet and felicitated by Prof Deepak Pental and Dr Ramesh Sonti . It was good to see many old friends like Manoj Prasad, Sabhyata Bhatia naveen Bisht, Swarup Parida and many others.

Great meeting with Plant Biology group - Dr Ramesh Sonti, Dr Sneh Lata Pareek , Dr Tanushri Kaul, and Dr Neeti Sanan for future collaboration between ICGEB and Murdoch University Centre for Crop & Food Innovation; & State Agriculture Biotechnology Centre