Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal

The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI) is an autonomous institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, dedicated to advanced research in soil sciences, particularly reclamation and management of salt affected soils. It originated in Hisar, Haryana, on 1 March 1969, following recommendations of an Indo-American team, and was shifted to its present premises in Karnal by October 1969. In 1970, the Central Rice Research Station, Canning Town, West Bengal was merged with CSSRI. The institute has a satellite unit in Bharuch, originally started in Anand in 1989 and moved to Bharuch in 2003, which hosts the coordinating unit of AICRP on Management of Salt Affected Soils and Use of Saline Water in Agriculture. CSSRI operates through four divisions: Soil and Crop Management, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Crop Improvement, and Social Science Research. It has reclaimed nearly 1.5 million hectares of salt affected land, developed salt tolerant crop varieties, and manages an International Training Centre under an Indo-Dutch collaboration since 2001. The institute maintains three regional research stations at Bharuch, Canning Town, and Lucknow, and has published numerous research papers, books, and bulletins through its Publication and Supporting Service Unit.