Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute

Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) is a non-governmental organisation and non-profit research and development institute in Tambmal, Phaltan, Maharashtra, India. The institute undertakes research and development in the fields of agriculture, renewable energy, animal husbandry and sustainable development.[1] The institute was founded in 1968 by Shri B. V. Nimbkar, who remained its president until 1990. Dr.Anil K. Rajvanshi is currently the director of the institute whereas Dr. Nandini Nimbkar is the president.

Agriculture

NARI has developed various safflower varieties and hybrids for both high oil content and petals.[2] NARI is one of the research centers included in the All India Coordinated Research Project on Oilseeds for irrigated safflower under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR, New Delhi).[3] The institute has developed high yield varieties and hybrids of cotton, sunflower, safflower, and sweet sorghum (named Madhura),[4] as well as technology for producing ethanol, jaggery and syrup from sweet sorghum. NARI also carries out agrochemical testing for various companies and research laboratories in India to the standards of the Central Insecticides Board for the purposes of registration of new agro-chemicals.

Renewable energy

Work in this field has been mostly in solar and biomass energy and recently in sustainable and environmentally friendly transport systems, ethanol lighting/cooking and handicapped rickshaw.

  • NARI has developed an efficient multifuel lantern called Noorie for rural areas.[5]
  • Complete technology for producing ethanol from sweet sorghum has been developed at the institute. A number of high ethanol yielding varieties have also been produced.[6]
  • NARI has developed a stove running on 50% (w/w) and more ethanol/water concentration.
  • The gasification technology for thermal applications has been developed at NARI, including technology for gasification of loose leafy biomass fuels like sugarcane leaves and bagasse, sweet sorghum stalks and bagasse.
  • Technology to increase survival of tree seedlings in arid regions has been developed. Solar energy is used to collect water from soil, which is then fed to the seedlings.[7]
  • NARI has developed technology for solar detoxification of distillery waste using photocatalysts.
  • NARI in late 1990s pioneered the development of electric cycle rickshaws in India.[8]
  • NARI has developed a lantern cum stove running on ethanol for rural areas.[9]
  • Recently NARI has extended the ethanol lanstove concept to that running on kerosene.[10]
  • A YouTube on NARI's lanstove is available.
  • NARI has recently developed a very low cost water purification system using solar energy.[11]

Animal Husbandry

The research and development has focused mostly on all aspects of sheep and goat production. Improved breeds of sheep have been developed which are more productive than the local breed. Also boer goats are being used for cross breeding to improve meat production of the local goats.

Facilities
  • NARI has an A class weather station for its agriculture and renewable energy research where all the weather data including solar radiation has been collected since early 1980s.
  • The institute has crop varietal evaluation as well as pesticides and growth promoters testing facilities.
  • The Bajaj Center for Sustainable Development, scheduled to open in March 2010, is intended to allow professionals from different fields to work towards finding solutions for the problems faced, in particular, by rural India.

Awards
  • Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi was awarded the 2001 Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Application of Science and Technology for Rural Areas.
  • NARI was given the FICCI Annual Award for Rural Development for 2001-02[12]
  • NARI's work on electric and improved cycle rickshaws won the Energy Globe Award in the AIR category in 2004.
  • Dr. V. Singh, the safflower breeder of the Institute, was given the HARDF Award by Indian Society of Oilseeds Research in January 2003
  • The Institute was given the Vasantrao Naik Award for 2006 for contributions to agriculture
  • B. V. Nimbkar was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006.[13]
  • NARI was given the 2007 CSIR award for S&T for rural development for its sheep breeding work[14]
  • NARI was awarded the Globe Award for its work in ethanol lantern cum stove (2009)[15]
  • Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi the Director of NARI was given the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award of University of Florida.[16]
  • B. V. Nimbkar was awarded the 2016 Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Application of Science and Technology for Rural areas.

References
  1. Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute
  2. These Hybrid Varieties of Safflower Can Shake Up Agriculture and Farmer Income in the Dry States
  4. "Syrup made from sweet sorghum could be next best health food". From the Better India.
  5. "Lantern research at NARI". From The Tribune.
  6. "Ethanol Stove research at NARI".
  7. This Experiment Using a Glass Cover and the Sun Can Generate Water Even in Drought Affected Areas!
  8. Electric and improved cycle rickshaw as a sustainable transport system for India
  9. "The LanStove (Lantern+Stove) developed at NARI". From The Hindu.
  10. "Kerosene lamp which cooks food without polluting".
  11. An Old Saree, Glass Tubes and Sun – All you need for a revolutionary Water Purifier!
  12. FICCI award for Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute
  13. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  14. CSIR Award for rural development 2007
  15. "Globe Award to NARI". From The Hindu. Chennai, India. 4 June 2009.
  16. "Gator Engineering honors Distinguished Alumnus awardees".
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