Promoting Resource Conservation Technologies in Northern India through Michigan State University's South Asia Partnership Program

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan State University (MSU) launched its South Asia Partnership (SAP) in 2009 to promote collaborative research, education and training, faculty and student exchanges, technology transfer, joint publications, and outreach activities with partners in South Asian countries including India.  Key thematic areas include natural resource management and enhancing agricultural productivity and food security through new technologies.  In the Indo-Gangetic Plain of Northern India, declining soil health, water scarcity, and shifts in labor markets present significant challenges to the sustainability of multiple cropping systems.  To help address these issues, MSU is partnering with public and private institutions including The Energy Research Institute, Harayana University, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).  A recent SAP sponsored faculty visit to research sites in Harayana and Bihar Provinces revealed strong potential for fruitful collaborative research in the areas of 1) cropping system diversification, and 2) weed ecology and management in reduced tillage production systems.