The Ladhowal station of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Ludhiana has turned this year’s monsoon floods into a field laboratory to test waterlogging-tolerant maize hybrids. The station is a collaboration between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Mexico-based CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center).
After the Sutlej river overflowed, over 400 mm of water submerged the institute’s fields. Instead of treating the floods as a disaster, BISA researchers saw it as a unique live-testing opportunity, said Dr. Pardeep Sagwal, station coordinator and lead agronomist. Normally, such waterlogging conditions must be artificially simulated, but the natural flooding provided real-world conditions to test hybrid performance.
BISA is currently trialing nine maize hybrids, four of which are specifically developed for waterlogging tolerance. Traditional maize lacks parenchyma cells, unlike paddy, and cannot survive inundation beyond 24 hours, after which it begins to rot.
Over the past two years, BISA scientists have been working with wild maize varieties known for their flood tolerance to breed new hybrids. However, the main challenge is ensuring these hybrids not only survive waterlogging but also deliver good yield performance under normal conditions.
This initiative reflects a growing focus on developing climate-resilient crops as extreme weather events become more frequent. By turning a flood crisis into an experimental asset, BISA is making strides in preparing Indian agriculture for a more uncertain climate future.
