Welcome to Agri Vision-2024
Dr. B.C. Patra is currently serving as Director (A) of ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India. Prior to that he was working as Principal Scientist & Head, Crop Improvement Division in the same Institute. He is the recipient of Dr. M. Brahmam Memorial Award for outstanding contribution on plant diversity conservation by Orissa Botanical Society- 2015; Fellow of Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources (FISPGR)-2018.
He has published more than 90 Research papers in different National & International peer-reviewed journals, 15 Popular articles, 19 Technical Bulletins and 18 Book chapters. He has also authored a book. He has been working as Reviewer for different national and international journals.
He had received PhD work on Plant taxonomy (Floristic) for District Flora Scheme; the major works were plant collection, identification, morphological description, correct nomenclature and preservation of specimens as herbarium from erstwhile undivided Dhenkanal district.
Ever since joining at NRRI, Dr. Patra has been involved in in the exploration and collection, characterization, documentation and conservation of rice genetic resources including weedy/wild rices enriching the rice gene pool since last more than 30 years. So far, he has conducted more than 40 exploration programmes from different regions of the country for different traits for different rice growing ecologies and more than 4500 accessions of rice genetic resources have been added to the National Active Germplasm Site (NAGS) of NRRI Rice Gene Bank as well as the National Gene Bank of NBPGR.
After exploration and collection of rice genetic resources, he has characterized all the germplasm as per DUS descriptors and evaluated for biotic and abiotic stresses.
He started the pioneering process for registering unique germplasm for the Institute and so far 37 unique rice germplasm lines have been registered by the Plant Germplasm Registration Committee of ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi. He had received ‘Letter of appreciation’ from ICAR-NBPGR for compiling the Manual of passport data for the rice germplasm collected by CRRI, Cuttack since its inception in 1946
Besides, he has been instrumental for facilitating the registration process of new/extant varieties at PPV&FRA, New Delhi and also involved in the process of commercialisation for Institute’s technologies/patents.
He also contributed as Co-developer for developing six high yielding/stress tolerant climate resilient/biofortified rice varieties.