Google DeepMind ties up with ICRISAT to develop plant genome atlas

The open-access catalogue will use AI to help breeders identify promising plant combinations faster, while the partnership will also support genome mapping for other crops

Google DeepMind and Google.org have partnered with Hyderabad-headquartered International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to launch an open-access global public genetic atlas aimed at identifying the most promising plant combinations, particularly in sorghum, Google India said.

 

“The resulting AI-supported genetic catalogue is aimed at helping breeders and researchers across the world to develop more resilient and productive sorghum varieties faster than traditional methods, which can involve decade-long trial-and-error processes,” the company said in a blog post.

 

Google DeepMind will also support a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at ICRISAT to help develop tools that can map and characterise genomes for other crops and pulses such as chickpea, groundnut and pigeon pea, the company said.

 

 

“We aim for this collaboration to unlock the global potential of indigenous climate-resilient crops like sorghum, and to empower the agri ecosystem with cutting-edge tools that strengthen global food security and safeguard present and future generations,” Stanford Blade, deputy director general of research and innovation at ICRISAT, said.

 

Separately, Google is expanding access to its Agricultural Understanding Models to enable developers, startups and researchers to build customised solutions for hyperlocal farming challenges and strengthen agricultural resilience, the company said.

 

The move is aimed at widening access to AI tools that can be used to address local agricultural conditions and improve decision-making across the farm ecosystem.

 

Google’s AI Educator Series, first launched in May this year in partnership with five states, is now being expanded to Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

 

The series will also be made available as a free online resource accessible to users across the country, Google India said.

 

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, will also provide $15 million to The/Nudge to support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises in India.

 

“This initiative will fund the development of scalable AI tools to expand small enterprises' access to formal credit, market discovery, and compliance,” the company said.