Director’s Message

UAS takes pride in not only providing exceptional academic programs, but also exposing students to the research process by inviting them to participate in project teams lead by internationally recognized faculty. Students are encouraged to get out of the classroom and into the field, the greenhouse, or the lab, where they experience the excitement of discovery while translating knowledge into action. Through outstanding and innovative research programs, UAS faculty, staff, and students are tackling today’s biggest issues in health, the economy, and the environment; they are making a difference…

Directorate at a Glance

The University is catering to the research needs of 10 districts of Southern Karnataka (Fig.) coming under the jurisdiction of UAS, Bangalore comprising Eastern dry zone (Zone 5), Southern dry zone (Zone 6) and parts of the Central dry zone (Zone 4) and Southern transition zones (Zone 7). The Director of Research is responsible for the due performance of the research stations as well as planning, coordinating and monitoring research in the University. A multi-tiered arrangement involving zonal stations, extension specialists and teaching departments within the University, linkages with other research institutions in the zone, line departments, progressive farmers and agri-entrepreneurs provides operational framework for formulating relevant research agenda.

Agriculture in the State is dominated by small and marginal farmers, who have small holdings. Raising productivity is likely the single most important factor, if income of this group is to be doubled. The research in UAS, Bangalore has a vision to generate cutting edge farm technologies for transforming agriculture to make it profitable for the farmers and to meet the growing demand for food.

The University also coordinates location specific, strategic and anticipatory research programmes in 13 Agricultural Research Stations situated in 10 Southern Districts of the state, mainly to address the location specific problems of farmers to improve their standard of living while ensuring food security by enhancing productivity and enhancing agricultural resources efficiency with no adverse effects.

Adaption of varieties / hybrids as well as new production technologies developed by the University can potentially strengthen farmers cropping systems by increasing yields, improving drought resilience, boosting resistance to pests and diseases and also capture new market opportunities. Since inception (1965-2022), the University has released 31 hybrids, 286 high yielding crop varieties and 7 animal breeds viz., Cereals & Millets (125), Potential Crops (5), Pulses (53), Oilseeds (27), Commercial crops (31), Horticultural Crops (31) and Fodder crops (11), in different crops.

A basket of more than 450 sustainable farming technologies developed by the University have transformed the landscape of the rainfed agriculture in Southern India by ensuring livelihood of farming community. Production technologies developed for dry land agriculture have helped in stabilizing farm productivity even in sparse rainfall years. UASB has also developed several low costs, eco-friendly technologies for managing pests and diseases. Several new value-added technologies are being developed. The dissemination, transmission, evaluation, and fine-tuning of the technologies in close collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders are the subject of concerted efforts that are continuously improved.

Communicating effectively to our partners and stakeholders as well as the general public the available technology interventions will always be, a key priority of the Directorate.

Website has the information about the directorate, its activities, accomplishments, and initiatives. You will find here the directorates various publications, projects and programs and contact information of all our research stations and project implementing units are also found here.

Organisational Pattern

Directorate of Research is headed by Director of Research and who is in turn assisted by two Associate Directors of Research (ADRs) functioning at Directorate of Research, GKVK, Bengaluru and ZARS, VC Farm, Mandya. The Associate Directors of Research monitor the Agriculture Research Stations and research projects (AICRPs and externally funded) functioning in their operational jurisdiction.

ADRs of each zone facilitate Director of Research in coordinating regular on-going research activities of the university and establishing close linkage between line departments in identification and prioritization of location specific research needs, formulation and implementation of suitable technical programme and overall monitoring of research programme of the scientists working in the zone to achieve the identified mandates. In addition, the scientists will be motivated to develop collaborative research projects for external funding to meet the research gaps. Besides, performing location specific research activities, consultations and certification (Testing trials of varieties, equipment, agro-chemicals, bioinoculants etc.), the Directorate of Research establishes linkages between university and other research institutions of national and international reputes.

Each Agricultural Research Station is headed by a Senior Scientist / Farm Superintendent and All India Co-ordinated Research Projects (AICRP) are led by Scheme Heads. The Director of Research is technically assisted by Chief Scientific Officers, Technical Officers and Documentation unit