Dr. Jagadish Rane

ICAR–CIAH directs its research efforts toward developing technologies that enable the establishment of remunerative and sustainable horticultural landscapes in the arid and semi-arid regions of India. Through the development of improved varieties of locally important vegetables and fruit crops, the institute is steadily advancing toward this goal and strengthening its visibility in the region. Numerous technologies—including improved crop varieties, production practices, cropping system models, and value-addition interventions—have been successfully demonstrated across different crops. However, many of these are yet to be widely adopted by farmers. The recently launched Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is expected to significantly support the institute in bridging this adoption gap.
While the conventional, “business-as-usual” approach to germplasm collection, characterization, utilization, and the development of production and protection technologies continues, it is equally important to address the pressing need to reduce the indiscriminate use of plant-protection chemicals. Such misuse poses a serious threat to the nation’s “One Health” vision, which encompasses the health of humans, livestock, soil, and beneficial microbiomes. In this context, the scientific validation of emerging organic formulations in the market becomes crucial.
Furthermore, it is essential to remain attentive to insights emerging from advanced laboratories, particularly those exploring plant defence mechanisms. Recent discoveries—such as the role of cold shock proteins (CSPs) in plant immunity—have opened promising new avenues for research and innovation in sustainable plant protection.
Plant defence traditionally relies on structural barriers and biochemical responses, with animal-like immune systems yet to be reported. The emerging concept of plant immunity centres on receptor proteins that can recognise microorganism-specific CSPs. This recognition activates the plant’s internal defence pathways. Because some of these receptors selectively identify CSPs of particular pathogens, they have been termed SCOREs (Selective Cold Shock Protein Receptors).
Among the various SCOREs characterised so far, the receptor identified in pomelo—a fruit of the citrus family—stands out as especially noteworthy. According to scientists from RIKEN, Japan, who reported this discovery (Science, 2025; doi:10.1126/science.adx2508), the pomelo SCORE may provide a new framework for identifying and engineering immune receptors from non-model plants, particularly long-lived perennials with limited genetic tools. Future research is expected to yield enhanced SCORE variants capable of conferring broad-spectrum pathogen resistance to commercially important crops.
While this work advances molecular-biology-enabled crop improvement and offers inspiration to molecular biologists, it also highlights potential leads regarding defensive compounds in citrus fruit crops. Such insights may support the development of organic formulations for early-stage disease management. Progress in this direction could help reduce dependence on chemical plant-protection inputs, which are often linked to concerns about human health and soil degradation in modern agriculture. For citrus growers in arid regions, such innovations also present new opportunities for income enhancement. Beyond fruit production, the utilisation of citrus rinds by industries to develop bio-formulations can promote secondary agriculture and support value-addition pathways that benefit farmers and rural enterprises.