JST Top > Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development > Projects >

Establishment of Nitrogen-efficient Wheat Production Systems in Indo-Gangetic Plains by the Deployment of BNI-technology

Bioresources

India

Establishment of Nitrogen-efficient Wheat Production Systems in Indo-Gangetic Plains by the Deployment of BNI-technology

Using the power of plants to reduce fertilizer waste and create a healthier global nitrogen cycle!

Principal Investigator

- Dr.
  TOBITA Satoshi
  Specially Assigned Investigator, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
- Dr.
  Arun Kumar Joshi
  Managing Director of Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA)

ODA Recipient Country

India

Research Institutions in Japan

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) / Tottori University / National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) / Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) / Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) / Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI)

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2021

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Introduce BNI-enabled wheat varieties with improved nitrogen utilization to India
Almost half of the nitrogen fertilizer used in crop production is lost to the environment, which causes water pollution and contributes to global warming. In crops with the improved ability of biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), BNI substances secreted from the roots inhibit the nitrification process in the soil, which improves the nitrogen utilization rate and enables a high yield maintained with the application of less fertilizer. We are raising wheat varieties with high BNI function and introducing them into the wheat cultivation systems of the Indo-Gangetic plain in India, where large amounts of fertilizer are currently applied, and will evaluate their effectiveness from environmental and economic perspectives.

Reducing the amount of fertilizer has a double benefit to the local economy and the global environment.
The reduction in fertilizer use as a result of the introduction of BNI-enabled wheat varieties should have a positive effect not only on the wheat cultivators of the Indo-Gangetic plain but also on the Indian economy, which pays out large amounts in fertilizer subsidies. It should also decrease N₂O gas emissions and nitrate leaching from agricultural land, creating a healthier global nitrogen cycle.