• Development of high yielding, quality rice varieties/ hybrids with resistance to biotic (BPH,
• Blast, BLB) and abiotic stresses (Cold, Salinity).
• Development of high yielding aromatic rice varieties.
• Development of nutrient enriched rice varieties to enable value addition.
• Development of suitable agro techniques for rice and rice based cropping systems.
• Conducting Production Oriented Survey for identifying major production constraints.
• Development of new protection technologies for major insect – pests and diseases.
• ICTs aided timely dissemination of alert messages for minimizing rice yield losses.

Key Research Themes / Focus Areas

• Development of fine grain, blast resistant rice varieties.
• Development of aromatic, short slender rice varieties.
• Evaluation, identification and development of multiple pest and disease resistant rice varieties / donors in rice.
• Studies on different rice cultivation systems and optimization of best management practices.
• Studies on site specific nutrient management in rice for Southern Telangana Zone.
• Evaluation of new herbicide molecules for the management of weeds in different rice ecosystems.
• Documenting information on the incidence of insect pests in different rice cultivation systems.
• Identification of newer pesticide molecules and their combinations for effective management of insect pests and diseases in rice.
• Supply of quality seed to farmers and other stake holders to enhance the rice productivity in the state.
• Human resource development through different extension activities to enable sustainable rice production and profitability.
• Teaching and guiding the students in conducting of quality research programmes while pursuing post- graduation.

Infrastructure Facilities Available

• Plant Pathology Lab: Basic lab facilities for culturing and maintenance of plant pathogens.
• Entomology Lab
• Polyhouse facility for rearing the BPH and screening studies.
• Misting facility for screening of rice genotypes against leaf blast under Uniform Blast Nursery Conditions. 
• Crossing Chamber
• Grain Quality Lab
• Agronomy Lab
• Prefabricated modular seed godowns
• Seed processing machine with universal fine cleaner, Gravity Separator & Destoner

Varieties Developed:

Memorandum of Agreement for Telangana Sona, low glycemic index rice from PJTSAU

Awards:

• Rice Research Centre, ARI, Rajendranagar was adjudged as the Best Research Centre and was awarded during 3rd University foundation day on 03.09.2017.
• Institute of Rice Research, ARI, Rajendranagar received Best Research Station award during 10th University Foundation day i.e., 3rd September, 2024.
• Rice Entomology, Rice Research Centre, ARI, Rajendranagar awarded Best AICRIP Centre in Entomology discipline during 60th ARGM (2025) held at IIRR, Rajendranagar

 Agro-Technologies Developed: 

• Novel and broad spectrum combination fungicide for managing multiple diseases of rice.
• Thifluzamide 24% SC: A cost effective fungicide for control of sheath blight of rice.

• Regularly involved in human resource development through different extension activities to enable sustainable rice production and profitability.
• Regularly conduct Production Oriented Survey (POS) and collect feed back from rice farmers across the state to further enable us to formulate effective technical programmes for sustainable rice farming.
• Conduct diagnostic visits during active crop growing season and provide suitable solutions for better crop productivity.

Regularly developing and disseminating information on pest alerts through youtube videos for profitable rice farming

Station In-Charge (Name & Designation) : Dr. I. Swarnalatha Devi, Principal Scientist & Head

Email : psrice2009@gmail.com

Mobile Number : 833

• Formulation of suitable package of practices to maximize the yield of genotypes identified in different forage crops.
• Evaluation and identification of nutritionally rich varieties of different forage crops and to utilize the genotypes for future breeding programme.
• Breeder seed production of released and notified by state and central released forage crop varieties.

Infrastructure Facilities Available

• Labs: The centralized lab established to analyze the forage samples of south Indian state centers.
• Equipment: Small cold storage unit
• Irrigation: A well with Irrigation facilities.

• Fortification of Fodder Maize with Zinc.
• Hydroponic Fodder Production Technology for Dairy Farmers.
• Sweet Sorghum – the New High Yielding Nutritive Fodder Crop.
• Silage preparation in Poly bags.
• Fodder Oat Production in Telangana under irrigated Conditions.
• Enhancing Lucerne Seed production through Foliar application of Plant Growth Regulator
• Perennial grass based cropping systems for year – round supply of fodder for milch animals.
• Optimum seed rate and spacing for Higher Fodder Production of Hedge Lucerne.
• Bio Fortification with Zinc and Iron for the Quality of Annual Cereal (Maize and Sorghum) Fodder Crops.

Station In-Charge :Dr. J. Aruna Kumari, Principal Scientist (Biochemistry) & Head

Email : forage_hyd@yahoo.com

Mobile Number : 8309101334

• Development & identification of high green and dry fodder yielding genotypes of different forage crops viz., cereals, legumes and grasses suitable for irrigated and rain-fed conditions.
•  Mandated crops: Forage bajra, Maize, Cowpea, Napier bajra hybrid etc.,

Key Research Themes / Focus Areas

• Birds
• Wild boar
• Monkeys
• Black buck
• Rodents

Current Projects

• All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management, CAZRI, Jodhpur

Technologies

• Use of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (SNPV) and Bird perches to reduce insect pests in Bhendi
• Seed treatment with Copper Oxychloride/Azadirachtin to reduce bird damage at sowing stage in Maize and Sunflower
• Planting Barrier crops to reduce bird damage in Maize crop
• Integrated bird management in Maize using reflective ribbons and wrapping method
• Block plantation, reflective ribbons and whole egg solution spray in Sunflower and Bajra to reduce bird damage
• Artificial nest box
• IOT based Bioacoustics 
• Agricannon
• Circular blade wire
• HDPE nylon net 
• GI Wire 
• Bioacoustics to control bird damage

• Demonstrations on Agri solar, Bioacoustics, Ecannon, Agri-cannon
• Training programmes on Vertebrate Pest Management to Farmers 
• Training programmes on Scientific beekeeping.

Station In-Charge (Name & Designation) :Dr. Laxminarayanamma, Principal Scientist (Ento) & Head

Email : ainpornithology@gmail.com

Mobile Number : 8333818241

• To survey weed flora in different crops and cropping systems
• To evolve economical value of weeds.
• To identify easy, economical and effective methods of weed management for different crops and cropping systems. 
• To suggest suitable integrated weed management practices for different crops and cropping systems.
• To control problematic and parasitic weeds.  
• To study the persistence of herbicides in soil, degradation pattern, their residues in grain and postharvest soils. 
• To find out residual effect of herbicides on crops from view point of pollution hazards.
• To improve soil fertility and crop productivity through weed management.

• Weed management in crops and cropping systems
• Weed management in conservation agriculture
• Non-chemical weed Management inorganic cropping systems
• Parasitic weed Management
• Herbicide residues in crops and environmental samples
• Extension of the weed management technologies developed in the scheme

Current Projects

• ICAR -DWR foundered AICRP on Weed management

Infrastructure Facilities Available

• Herbicide residues Lab with equipment required for soil and plant analysis

The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Weed Management developed and validated a range of chemical and non-chemical weed control technologies across diverse cropping systems. Effective chemical weed management options were demonstrated in Wet Direct-Seeded Rice and transplanted rice using post-emergence herbicide combinations like penoxsulam + cyhalofop-p-butyl and triafamone + ethoxysulfuron. In maize, integrated approaches including halosulfuron methyl + atrazine, tembotrione + atrazine, and topramezone-based mixtures controlled sedges and broadleaf weeds. In rainfed cotton, sequential applications of diuron followed by pyrithiobac sodium and quizalofop ethyl offered broad-spectrum weed control. Conservation agriculture systems, such as rice-maize-sesbania and cotton-maize-green manure rotations, benefited from zero tillage and strategically timed pre- and post-emergence herbicides, along with mechanical interventions like brush cutting. For organic and intercropping systems, use of polyfilm, straw mulches, rice husk, groundnut shells, and live mulching (e.g., Sesbania) combined with manual weeding enhanced weed suppression and yield in crops like okra, carrot, tomato, beetroot, watermelon, baby corn, cabbage, and cotton-soybean systems. Technologies were particularly effective in suppressing sedges and grasses while promoting higher crop productivity. The centre received significant recognitions including ICAR Best Centre Awards (2017–18 and 2023–24), and individual accolades to scientists like Dr. T. Ramprakash, Dr. M. Madhavi, and Dr. B. Padmaja for their outstanding contributions.

AICRP on Weed management conducts FLDs  to dissemination of technologies developed and OFTs  for on-farm refinement of the weed management technologies especially related to parasitic weeds

Station In-Charge : Dr. B. Padmaja, Principal Scientist (Agro) & Head

Email : weedhydap@gmail.com

Mobile Number : 8333818242

Mandate:

1. Scientific Validation of Integrated Farming System modules in vertisols of Southern Telangana Zone under irrigated condition.
2. Development of best management practices for major crops and cropping systems in the zone.
3. Quality Seed Production in Rice (Breeder & Foundation seed) and Pigeon pea (Foundation seed)

Major Crops:

Paddy, Redgram, fodder crops and vegetables

Validation of irrigated Integrated Farming System module for Vertisols of Southern Telangana Zone:

An Integrated Farming System bolsters the food and nutritional security of the farming community. This system provides employment to the rural masses. Marginal farmers face tremendous stress over their livelihood in Southern Telangana Zone due to low land holdings and resources available to them. Hence, there is a need to validate a viable integrated farming system for marginal farmers having irrigation facilities on vertisols for efficient natural resource management and to maximize the profits and nutritional security for a farmer’s family of five members.

• Establishment of Integrated Farming System module under irrigated condition

Extension Activities / Outreach Programs

• Training programs organized on Integrated Farming Systems
• Training on forage production technologies
• Demonstrations on forage production and vegetable gardening

• Training programs organized on Integrated Farming Systems
• Training on forage production technologies
• Demonstrations on forage production and vegetable gardening

Station In-Charge : Dr. G. Sreenivas,  Director, ARI

Email : aridirector.pjtau@gmail.com

Mobile Number : 8332970386