This document outlines the goals and objectives of the Center of Excellence on Climate Change Research for Plant Protection (CoE-CCRPP). The CoE-CCRPP aims to establish facilities and provide opportunities for research on the impact of climate change on diseases and insect pests affecting legumes. Its objectives are to analyze weather data and its relationship to pests and pathogens, evaluate crop resistance under climate change, and predict potential changes in the distribution and abundance of pests and diseases. The CoE-CCRPP will also work to standardize techniques to study interactions between crops, pests, pathogens and the environment in relation to climate variables and build capacity for climate change research.

1. Center of Excellence on Climate Change Research
for Plant Protection (CoE-CCRPP)
DST
Goal Approach
Expected Outcomes
Research Focus
Objectives
❖❖ To establish facilities and provide opportunities to
Indian public and private research institutes for
the research on climate change and its impact on
diseases and insect-pests of legumes in the semi-
arid tropics (SAT).
❖❖ Develop CoE for enhancing the efficiency of basic,
strategic and applied research on effect of climate
variables on insect-pests and pathogens of chickpea
and pigeonpea.
❖❖ Analyze weather data at regional level and its
relationship with resurgence of insect-pests/ pathogens.
❖❖ Evaluate disease/insect-pest resistance in legumes
under climate change scenario.
❖❖ Predict and map potential changes in relative
abundance and geographical distribution of insect-
pests/diseases in chickpea and pigeonpea.
❖❖ Standardize techniques to study insect-pests/
pathogen × host plant × environment interactions.
❖❖ Study biochemical, molecular and genetic
interactions between pathogens/insect-pests × host
× environment in relation to expression of resistance
to the target diseases/insect-pests.
❖❖ Build capacity to undertake research on the effect of
climate change on crop protection.
CCRPP
Distribution of
insect-pests/
diseases
Infrastructure
facilities Forecasting
models
Decision
support system
Future
R&D
Technology
transfer Information
sharing
IPM/IDM
programs
Dry root rot
Open top chamber Free air CO2
enrichment facility Controlled environment growth room
Fusarium wilt Phytophthora blight Pod borer Spotted pod borer
ff Analyze historical weather and diseases/
insect-pests data.
ff Map the likely changes in geographical
distribution of diseases/insect-pests.
ff Identify climate variables
for resurgence of potential
diseases and insect-pests.
ff Develop simulation models
and decision support system.
ff Establish infrastructure facilities.
ff Study changes in pathogen/
insect-pests life cycle.
ff Study biochemical & molecular
changes in relation to climate
variables.
ff Assess changes in expression
of resistance to insect-pests/
diseases in germplasm.
ff Organize training courses.
ff Train PhD students.
ff Sharing knowledge.
ff Development of website.
CCRPP
Crops: Chickpea and Pigeonpea
Climate variables: Temperature, humidity,
rainfall and CO2
/O3
Predict and map potential changes
Study host × pathogen/insect-
pest × environment interactions
Study biochemical, molecular &
genetic interactions between host ×
pathogen/insect-pest × environment
Capacity building