Bayer CropScience opens R&D centre in Karnal for vegetable seeds

Bayer CropScience India’s vegetable seeds division has inaugurated a multi-crop breeding station in Karnal, Haryana. The modern facility will focus on breeding activities, screening of diseases, evaluation & selection of breeding materials, inbred development and crossing in vegetable crops like cabbage, onion, tomato, hot peppers, cucumber, okra, water melon and gourds.
 
Spread over 8.5 acres, the high-tech breeding station will be equipped with all aspects of R&D infrastructure in the same location. These include an administrative building, polyhouses, phyto pathology lab and plots for breeding. Seed cleaning and seed preparation laboratories, cold room for germplasm storage, adequate space for future expansion of activities are also in the plan. State-of-the-art laboratories will support activities in resistance breeding and disease screening. The new facility will also have a cultivable area of five acres for field experimentation and two acres for polyhouses.
 
“Bayer CropScience is a leader in its vegetable seeds business and the opening of the R&D station provides a stronger footprint in the country. Research and breeding activities will be boosted specially in crops like onion which hold a huge potential for the country,” said Joerg Rehbein, head of Bayer CropScience, Indian Subcontinent.
 
This facility is primarily for breeding programs of cabbage & onion and screening, evaluation and generation advancement of all other vegetable crops. It has a phyto pathology lab and an insect rearing facility. The company’s other R&D facilities are in Bangalore and Kullu. Disease screening facilities and early hybrids evaluation are at Pune, Guntur, Kolkatta and Indore to cater to the needs of various market segments.
 
“This facility will enable us to further consolidate our leadership position in the country and give a big boost to our output in all important crops like onion, cabbage, tomato, okra, melons and hot pepper,” said Hema Abichandani, head of Bayer CropScience vegetable seeds, India.