Ricequalityjan7: One of the researchers at the Directorate of Rice Research (DRR)
explains the various quality tests for rice that affect a variety’s ultimate value in the
marketplace and whether or not it will be released for commercial use. [John Diaz-Montano]

Ricemuseumdiazjan7: The Rice Museum at DRR, opened in 2005, chronicles the story
of rice breeding in Asia. [John Diaz-Montano]

ANGRAUcropsdiazjan7: A crop scientist from ANGRAU talks to the Ag Systems group
about various cropping systems in his field trials. [John Diaz-Montano]

Chickenjan7blonde: Members of the Animal Science group visited the Veterinary Hospital
in Bhoigudu, where various animals from chickens to dogs, cows and goats were being treated.
[Elisha Blond]

Six days in India with great people and great food. Today, the breakfast included different food choices. My favorite was “Vada” a kind of bread makes from black gram (bean grown in India). Vada is eaten along with Sambhar (a pea and vegetable stew).

After the delicious breakfast, we went to the Directorate of Rice Research (DDR) in Hyderabad, an entity that coordinates different rice research locations across India. Rice is very important not only in India but all over the world because it is the main component of the diet in many countries. The DDR conducts studies in plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, and biotechnology with the goal of improving the rice crop.

While I am writing this, we are in the tour bus on the way to visit the DDR rice paddies. The bus entered the narrow lane that led to the fields but it can neither go nor return because there is not space for the bus to turn around. So far we have been here 30 minutes going back and forth. Oh! I forgot to tell you, it is lunchtime right now, and we are getting hungry (I should have eaten more Vadas this morning). The situation is becoming critical; some people are so hungry that seem to be hallucinating because they just keep asking: Where are we? Why don’t we just break the fence? Who am I? Why?

It has passed more than one hour now, and some desperate ones of us get off the bus to find a solution by trying to open a heavy iron gate, so the bus can enter and turn around. And yes! It works! Finally we are going for lunch to the Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU).

Lunch was SPICY, the spiciest so far during the trip, BUT VERY GOOD as always. After lunch we visited the ANGRAU field crops (mango, rice, peanuts, wheat, corn, etc). We have the opportunity to try Guava (a tropical fruit), and it seemed that many people enjoy it; at least it mitigates the burning in my stomach due to the spicy food.

We were back in our hotel, where a delicious dinner was waiting for us.
John Diaz-Montano, Ph.D. Entomology Student

Rural development and infrastructure
Tour report
Date: 7-12-2007

The scheduled visits of today were to kondapalli and Mangalagiri villages. At about 9.30 am we reached kondapalli village to explore the toy making and the artisans ’ livelihoods. We were fortunate enough to see the toy making of an elephant, different gods worshiped in India. We even got to know the natural colours used. We visited the families’ engaged in toy making. Later we shopped the toys.
In the afternoon at 2.00pm we left the hotel to know about the cotton weaving where Mangalgiri cotton is very famous in India. We saw handloom and power looms cotton making. We even explored the dyeing of the raw cotton.
Finally with fond memories of the kondapallli toys and mangalgiri clothing we were back to the hotel.

Animal Sciences
Date – 7 Jan
Student –Callan Space
Places visited – Bhoiguda veterinary hospital & National Research Center on Meat
Lunch at Minerva Grand Hotel

Before our visit to the vet clinic we learned two important things: There is no limit to the limit to the number of people who can ride on a motorcycle (Husband, wife and 3 children) and the late that divides Hyderabad and Secunderabad was man made 400 years ago.

Our visit to the vet clinic was very exciting. The clinic was for all small animals, anything from chickens, dogs and goats. People bring there animals to the hospitals for routine checkups as well as abnormalities. All services at the vet center are free while we were there, we were allowed to freely interact with the vets and the animals. We looked at the facilities, analyzed, x-rays, watch routine procedures and saw a ultrasound of a goat. After our visit at the veterinary hospital we went to National research center on Meat.

At the National research center on Meat we learned about the meat industry in India and current conditions the meat market. In India the meats consumed widely are chicken and lamb (beef and pork are not widely accepted for religious and other reasons). We learned about how they process chicken and lamb and how they formulate sausages and patties. We also toured the facility, which is less than a year old. We saw the labs were they made sausages and patties as well as where they test them. This visit was a different spin on our typical animal science adventures.

After our visits we had a late lunch (3 pm) at Minerva Grand where we indulged in great Indian food before going back to Icrisat to relax and pack for our travel to Chennai.

Ag Systems
Hyderabad/Coimbatore, India

Gatemovingjan7: Indian and American students engage in some teamwork to
move a heavy iron gate that allows the group’s charter bus to turn around in
a field at DRR. [Peter Haas]

Stuckbusjan7mcc: Marissa Fessenden checks out some narrow tolerances
at one of the gates on the way to the rice fields at DRR. [McCandless]

bottlegourdjan7mcc: Kristine Averill, a horticulture student, plays
around with one of the bottle gourds at ANGARU’s vegetable field sites.
The gourds were part of a trial for resistance to downy mildew and are
are being saved for seeds. [McCandless]