MSSRF Looking back and forward - Presentation by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan

1. M S Swaminathan Research Foundation
Looking Back and Forward
Prof M S Swaminathan, FRS
26 September 2020, Chennai

2. Pro-nature, pro-women, pro-poor
orientation to technology
development and dissemination
Major Goals

3. Impact of genetic alteration of plant architecture on food security
Some Milestones
1943 : Bengal Famine; 3 million children, women and men died of
hunger
1960 : Shift to semi-dwarf wheat (Norman Borlaug)
1963 : Beginning of intensive breeding research on raising the ceiling
to yield
1966 : Increasing PL 480 wheat imports, going upto 10 million tonnes
1968 : Issue of the stamp “Wheat Revolution”, depicting the role of
science in agricultural transformation
2013 : Parliament approves the National Food Security Act, conferring
the legal right to food over 70% of India’s population
Thus, 2013 marks the transition from ‘ship to
mouth’ to ‘right to food’ with home grown food

4. Sir C V Raman
1929-30 Source : Google Image

5. Genesis of the
First World Food Prize
1987

6. First Team and Place – Kotturpuram
1990

7. Dr Smt M S Subbulakshmi

8. Inauguration of MSSRF
(April 14, 1993) by the
then Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu,
Dr. Selvi J. Jayalalithaa
Inauguration of JRD TATA
Ecotechnology Centre (29 July
1998) by the then
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
Dr. M. Karunanidhi
Continuity of Political Support

9. I am grateful to Thiru C Subramaniam for suggesting that this campus
should be developed as a Science City. I accept the suggestion with
pleasure. With the help of leading scientists and technologists, I assure
you we will take steps to make this area a Science City, which will be
renowned, the world over. “I am confident that the Centre will become the
source of many new technological innovations, of great relevance to rural
regeneration”
Statement made by Dr Selvi J Jayalalithaa on the
occasion of the inauguration at MSSRF in 1992
‘cOJz;Ltho;thNutho;thh;kw;nwy;yhk;
njhOJz;Lgpd;nry;gth;”
“They alone live who live by agriculture;
All others lead a cringing, dependent life.”
- Saint Thiruvalluvar

10. Babu Jagjivan Ram, Bharat Ratna C Subramaniam and Smt Indira Gandhi
Synergy between Technology and Public Policy
MSSRF has received political support from all parties
Source: Google Image

11. “To the hungry, God is
Bread. Let us work to
ensure that the God of
Bread resides in every
home and hut”
Noakhali 1946
- Mahatma Gandhi

12. “Everything else can wait,
but not agriculture”
Jawaharlal Nehru speaking at IARI in 1947
August 14-15, 1947 – India’s tryst with destiny
“The future belongs to science and to those
who make friendship with science”

13. MSSRF registered as not for profit
MSSRF registered as not for profit, 3 member Trust, with
Prof M S Swaminathan, Prof V L Chopra, and Prof V K
Ramachandran
“to encourage research & training on application of
modern science & technology for ecologically
sustainable agriculture to address livelihood security
of the rural poor“

14. MSSRF (1989 onwards) : Research Centres
Chennai Chennai Kalpetta, Kerala
Poomphar PondicherryJeypore, Orissa

15. Genetic Shield against Sea Level Rise
Charter for Mangroves, Pichavaram
The beginning of the mangrove revolution

16. Natural Resources
Conservation
and Enhancement
Sustainable
Livelihood
o Land
o Water
o Biodiversity
o Common Property
o Resources
On-farm Non-farm
o Diversification
o Value Addition
Market driven
SHGs
Biovillages
Institutional Structures for
Climate Risk Management

17. Biovillage
LinkingEcologicaland
LivelihoodSecurity

18. An Iyyanar Temple in
front of a Sacred Grove
Spiritual Dimension of
Conservation
Mangroves : Ancient Wisdom
Temple Tree : Excoecaria agallocha
Chidambaram, India

19. Genetic Garden of HALOPHYTES at Vedaranyam
Obligatory halophytes Facultative halophytes
Tolerate high concentration
of sodium salts
> 3 times of seawater salinity
Even demand high NaCl for
survival and reproduction
1560 species
Most of the species tolerate
only moderate level of salinity
Reproduction requires low
saline condition
Mangroves
60 species
Converting Sea Water into Fresh Water through Halophytes

20. Deepwater (floating) rice has
three special adaptations:
i. ability to elongate with
the rise of water levels;
ii. develop nodal tillers and
roots from the upper
nodes in the water
iii.the upward bending of the
terminal part of the plant
called 'kneeing' that
keeps the reproductive
parts above the water as
flood water subsides
Genes for Climate Resilience

21. Blue Planet Prize - 1996

22. 10th Year of MSSRF
A Social Vision of Science
History of MSSRF:
10 Year Book Release
Captures the last 10 years
in fostering a new social
contract between scientists
& economically & socially
underprivileged sections
of rural society

23. 20th Year of MSSRF
20 Years of MSSRF:
An Adventure in Science
& Sustainable Development
This book describes the
trajectory of MSSRF journey
in linking the best of science
with the best of development

24. Report of the Independent Program Review - 2009
Review conducted a few years ago by eminent
scientists led to the following statement.
“The Review team searched for but was unable to
identify a comparable organization which combines
scientific research with action, uses a combination
of modern science and traditional knowledge, and
develops innovations to address the triple challenges
of poverty, gender inequity and environmental
sustainability. Thus, MSSRF has no parallel in its
entirety”.
- Uma Lele & Kavita Gandhi

25. 10 days 1 month
CTRL TransgenicC T
Salt tolerant Rice Plants with Mangrove Genes
Transgenic DC2
Control (UT)
Characters
White ponni
with 150mM
NaCl
Transgenic
with 150mM
NaCl
Plant height (cm) 95.10 104.95
No. of productive tillers 9.90 14.20
Panicle length (cm) 17.08 22.45
No. of grains per
panicle
134.60 174.80
100 grain weight (g) 1.45 1.63
Yield per plant (g) 20.30 34.75
Rice plants with Mangrove
Genes and Promoter
Performance Evaluation

26. Culinary Diversity

27. Hunger Free Mission
Hunger Free Mission conceived by MSSRF & World
Food Programme as a first step towards combating
Food Insecurity In collaboration, three atlases were
published, meant to analyse the long term problems of
food insecurity to take corrective measures in advance
o The Food Insecurity Atlas
of Rural India
o The Food Insecurity Atlas
of Urban India
o Sustainability of Food
Security Atlas of India
BOOK RELEASE – ATLAS SERIES

28. Innovations in below sea level farming in Kuttanad
COCONUT - RICE - FISH
Punja season
November- February
Low chemical input or Organic
Yield- 4.2 t/ha
April- October
Monoculture – Giant Prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii)
Polyculture*- Indian major carps or
common carps or Silver carps and
grass carps and Giant Prawn
Yield- Rice: 4.2 t/ha
Fish- Prawn: 480 kg;
Carp : 300 kg.
* Recommended practice

29. 19 varieties of Yam in 4 species were in Cultivation (as of
2006) but less than 5 in rural market and none in urban
market
Dioscorea alata
1. Inchikachil I & II`
2. Kuzhikavithu I
3. Kuzhikavithu II
4. Quintalkachil I
5. Quintalkachil II
6. Anakomban
7. Kaduvakkayyan
8. Urulan kachil
9. Kuppathottikizhangu
10. Elivalankachil
11. Neendi/Veetukizhangu
12. Vella kachil I & II
13. Chorakachil/cherakachil/chuvappukachil/ Neela kachil I, II & III
Dioscorea esculenta
14. Nanakizhangu
15. Vella Enchi kachil
16. Mullan Kachil
Dioscorea rotundata
17.Africankachil
18. Thoonankachi
Dioscorea bulbifera
19. Erachikachil/Adathappu
Life Saving Crops
in Wayanad
Leveraging Agro-forestry for Nutrition

30. Bio-bunds

31. Bhumia
Bonda
Kutia KandhaParoja
Soura
Genome Saviours
Some Tribes of Jeypore Tract of Orissa

32. Kalinga Kalajeera :
Product of Participatory Breeding

33. Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

34. Torch Bearers of the Rural Knowledge Revolution
Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy
Celebration of our rural core competence
First Convocation of NVA Fellows,
New Delhi, 2005
Second Convocation of NVA Fellows,
Hyderabad, 2006

35. Local capacity to
address farmers’
issues on pest &
disease incidents
Farm Schools headed by Mahila Kisans

36. The Genetic Garden for Biofortified
plants/crops will contain valuable
germplasm of Naturally biofortified
crops as well as through Plant breeding.
It will also serve as a center for
Conservation and Nutrition Education
Most common micronutrient
deficiencies in humans are iron, iodine,
vitamin A, folate, zinc and selenium
ZINC
IRON
FOLATE
VITAMIN - A
Genetic Garden of Biofortified Crops
Picture Source: Google images

37. Food Safety : Fish for All Centre, Poompuhar

38. Every Child a Scientist
Touch and Smell Garden

39. Role of Community Hunger Fighters in the
Zero Hunger programme
o Become well-versed on the
causes and cures for the
endemic and hidden hunger
prevailing in the village / town
through a nutrition literacy
programme
o Identify and introduce
agricultural remedies to
nutritional maladies based on
gender and age
o Introduce in the farming system
biofortified crops and varieties

40. o Based on the US Land Grant Principle initiated by
President Abraham Lincoln over 150 years ago
o Collaboration in post graduate education starting with
M.Sc in agronomy and as well in the establishment of a
genetic garden of Afghanistan
ANASTU – IARI – MSSRF Collaboration
Source : Google Image
ANASTU established at
Kandahar (2014) at the
initiative of former President
Mr Hamid Karzai

41. RICE BIOPARK
IN Nay Pyi Taw
Myanmar
Indo-Myanmar Partnership initiated & established the Rice Bio-Park at
Myanmar with support of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India,
for improving food security and income security of small families and
producing value-added & market-driven rice and rice-related products

42. Picture Source: Google image
Launching Food Secure India –
150th Anniversary

43. The challenge now is
in the ecological
management of
corona pandemic