Divisions

  • Division of Natural Resources and Environment
  • Division of Integrated Land Use Management and Farming Systems
  • Division of Plant Improvement, Propagation and Pest Management
  • Division of Livestock Production Systems & Range Management
  • Division of Agricultural Engineering for Arid Production Systems
  • Division of Transfer of Technology, Training and Production Economics

Division of Natural Resources and Environment

Major Programmes

  • Integrated basic and human resource appraisal, monitoring, and desertification

    • Disciplines

    • Geomorphology, Pedology, Soil Chemistry, Plant Ecology, Hydrology, Organic Chemistry, Cartography and Land Use, Agro-meteorology, Agronomy

    Current activities

    • Integrated assessment of the natural resources of hot arid zone, involving climate, geomorphology, soils, vegetation, surface & ground water, present land use and land degradation for land resources planning
    • Spatial assessment of soil carbon and carbon sequestration, as well as plant biomass estimation
    • Desertification assessment and mapping
    • Quantitative drainage basin analysis and arid zone hydrology
    • Assessment of soil fertility changes in western Rajasthan.
    • Alternate land use systems with medicinal plants
    • Processing and value addition of products from desert plants like Aloe vera, Salvadora oleoides, etc.
    • Evapo-transpiration and crop-weather relationship of arid zone crops
    • Agro-meteorological advisory services for farmers

    Division of Integrated Land Use Management and Farming Systems

    Major Programmes

  • Integrated arid land farming system research
  • Plant product processing and value addition
  • Management of land and water resources

    • Disciplines

    Agronomy, Soil chemistry/Soil Fertility, Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Soil Physics, Agroforestry / Silviculture, Horticulture, Pest and Weed Management, Soil Microbiology and Plant Physiology

    Current activities

    • Agro-technological options for sustainability in Indian arid zone -Hydrological processes under different land use systems, water and nutrient budgeting, optimize growth and yield of fruit and medicinal plant and v/ater app!icatioT! efficiency using drip and PV Solar pumping systems.
    • Artificial recharge of groundwater -recharges processes under different formations using ponding, percolation tank and sub-surface barriers.
    • Hydrological data base development and capacity building in small watershed. To generate knowledge on hydrological processes of untreated, semi-treated and fully treated watersheds and to develop a suitable hydrological model.
    • Survey of extent of distribution, structure and production function of traditional agroforestry system
    • Development of agroforestry models for different landforms of arid zone e.g. rocky stony, deep sand and hard pen etc.
    • Identification of sand causal factor and development of management strategy for preventing mortality in Prosopis cineraria.
    • Integrated farming system for sustainability in arid zone.
    • Ecobiology and management of northern palm squirrel (pest).
    • Survey, collection, conservation and evaluation of some under exploited indigenous fruit types/culuvars.
    • Survey of input availability for organic farming and development of intensive agroforestry models with organic inputs.
    • Post-harvest technology and value addition of fruit and forest tree species .
    • Production of quality planting material of horticulture and forest plants.
    • Agronomy of medicinal plants.
    • Limited water use for maximizing productivity.
    • Efficient cropping systems.
    • INM in crops and cropping systems.
    • Integrated weed management in seed spices.
    • Integrated nutrient management for sustainable crop production.
    • Indicators of soil health.
    • Evaluation of physiological traits for screening drought tolerant and high yielding pearl millet genotypes.
    • Tree-crop interactions in agroforestry systems.

    Division of Plant Improvement, Propagation and Pest Management

    Major Programmes

  • Biodiversity, coservation and improvement of annual and perennials.
  • Integrated Pest Management

    Disciplines

    Plant Improvement and Biotechnology, Plant Dreeding, Plant Genetics, Plant Biochemistry and Plant Protection(Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology)

    Current activities

    • Division is working on the genetic improvement of annuals and perennials. In the past few years pearl millet varieties like CZP 9802 and CZ 923 and moth been varieties like CAZRI moth 1, 2, 3 have been released. In addition, work is in progress on the improvement of guar, cowpea and mung bean.
    • In the improvement programme on perennials, the division is working on improvement of indigenous grasses like Cenchrus cilliars, C. setigerus, Lasiurus sindicus, etc, indigenous trees like Prosopis cineraria, Tecomella undulata, Acacia senegal, etc and Shrubs like kair, henna, senna and guggal.
    • Work has also been done in the division on biochemical aspects, and micro-propagation of indigenous trees and shrubs, of which work on date palm is an important one Scientists from the disciplines of Plant pathology, entomology and nematology are working on IPM with a focus on using indigenous micro flora and botanicals for control of the commonly occurring diseases. Control of fruit fly in ber and control of soil borne diseases using mustard residues are major contributions.

    Division of Livestock Production Systems & Range Management

    Major Programmes

  • Improvement in livestock, forage production and conservation

    Disciplines

    Livestock Production and Management, Animal Nutrition, Animal Physiology, Animal Biochemistry, Animal Genetics & Breeding, Range/Pasture Management, Forage Production & Conservation

    Current activities

    • Assessment of mineral profile for livestock vis-a-vis health status/deficiency diseases in arid region.
    • To assess impact of drought on feed availability, production and reproduction status of animals in arid region.
    • Formulation and evaluation of supplementary and complete feeds, preparation of total mixed ration/block and its evaluation in experimental animals like cattle, sheep and goats.
    • Optimization of feeding management for goats for meat purpose.
    • Value addition to goat milk for preparation of paneer, kulfee etc.
    • Genetic improvement of arid goat breeds- Marwari and Parbatsar by selective breeding.
    • Conservation and improvement of Tharparkar cattle in its native breeding tract and optimization of feeding and management conditions using local resources.
    • Establishment of suitable Silvi pasture system for optimum yield of grasses, tree leaves fodder to support livestock feeding system.
    • Off campus training to the farmers/farm women for management of dairy animals, value addition to livestock produce, formulation of balanced concentrate mixture urea treatment to coarse fodders for nutritional improvement etc.

    Division of Agricultural Engineering for Arid Production Systems

    Major Programmes

  • Non conventional energy systems and farm machinery power

    Disciplines

  • Agricultural Engineering, Physics, Post-Harvest Technology

    Current activities

    • Development of improved seed distribution system for tractor drawn traditional sowing device
    • Development and performance evaluation of weeder.
    • Design and development of animal feed block making machine .Design & development of harvesting device for Henna.
    • Development and testing of advanced solar thermal systems for arid areas .Production of parazene block based on solar system.
    • Design and development of medium and large size solar PV and integrated system for multiple applications.
    • Design & development of electro-mechanical solar tracker.
    • Design and development of green house for year round production of off-season vegetables .Cool chambers for preservation of food materials.
    • Design and development of cleaner cum grader for value addition of cumin for individual farm family.
    • Assessment of post harvest losses in Alwar districts.

    Division of Transfer of Technology, Training and Production Economics

    Major Programmes

  • Socio-economic investigation and evaluation

    Disciplines

    Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Marketing, Rural Sociology, Statistics, Home Science, Extension Education, Technology Assessment/Dissemination and Human Resource Development, Agronomy

    Current activities

    • Monitoring, investigating and evaluating socio-economic attributes required for planning and development of the arid region.
    • Impact assessment of new technology in arid Rajasthan.
    • Communication for dissemination of arid land technologies.
    • Technological empowerment of women's self help group in arid Rajasthan.
    • Popularization of selected CAZRI technologies for strengthening production systems in arid areas.
    • Training of developmental personnel to update their knowledge about advances in arid land technologies.
    • Providing single window delivery system of CAZRI technological products, services and information through Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC).