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Amritbir Riar

Affiliation / Function

Activity areas

  • Farming systems development
  • Agrobiodiversity
  • Seed Systems
  • Participatory Research
  • Climate adaptation

Projects

StatusFiBLTitleStartEnd
ongoing CH Assessment of the Agroecology Fund's support to Community Seed System Initiatives (AEF4CSI) 01.03.2026 30.11.2026
ongoing CH Agroecological Transitions for Horticulture in Arid Zones of Southern Africa (ATHAZ-CONNECT) 01.03.2026 31.12.2030
completed CH Support for organic saffron production in Afghanistan 25.08.2025 31.10.2025
ongoing CH Backstopping support for the SDC in the development of agricultural and food systems 01.05.2025 31.12.2028
completed CH Graphics project: promoting the value of neglected crops (CROPS4HD-Graphics) 03.03.2025 30.06.2025
ongoing CH Enhancing Resilience and Functional Biodiversity of Farming Systems by Mainstreaming Landraces in Karnataka (South India) 01.12.2024 30.11.2027
ongoing DECHEU Organic seed and plant breeding to accelerate sustainable and diverse food systems in Europe (LiveSeeding) 01.10.2022 30.09.2026
ongoing CH Markets and Seeds Access Project for Small Grains and Legumes in Zambia and Zimbabwe (MASAP) 01.12.2021 30.11.2033
ongoing CH Consumption of Resilient Orphan Crops & Products for Healthier Diets (CROPS4HD) 01.07.2021
completed CH Conducting of trainings for cotton farmers and selected key stakeholders in the implementation of organic cotton standards in Uzbek cotton production 16.04.2020 31.10.2021
completed CH OCA Organic Cotton Training Curriculum (OCTC) 01.03.2020 30.04.2021
completed CH Role of crop diversification in livelihood improvement of Indian organic cotton growers 17.01.2020 31.10.2020
completed CH Microbial nitrogen cycling and functional diversity of soil microbes in organic and conventional farming systems under temperate and tropical climates 01.01.2019 30.06.2022
completed CH Seeding the Green Future: Breeding for Securing Organic Cotton & Genetic Diversity Phase II (2018-2022) (SGF) 01.01.2018 30.06.2022
completed CH Seeding the Green Future: Breeding for Securing Organic Cotton & Genetic Diversity Phase I (Indian Cotton Season 2017/18) (SGF) 01.01.2017 31.03.2018
ongoing CH Decentralised farmers participatory identification and selection of cotton cultivars suitable to organic and Low-Input conditions in India (Green Cotton) 01.01.2013
ongoing CH Long-term farming systems comparisons in the tropics (SysCom) 01.05.2005 31.12.2026

Training / professional career

  • Since 2022 Deputy leader, Department of International Cooperation, FiBL Switzerland
  • Since 2020 Group lead Resilient Cropping Systems, FiBL Switzerland
  • Since 2017 Senior Scientist at FiBL Switzerland
  • 2015 - 2017 Scientist at FiBL Switzerland
  • 2011 - 2015 PhD (Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences), John Allwright Research Scholar, The University of Adelaide, Australia
  • 2009 - 2010 Research Associate, Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR), Karnal, India
  • 2009 Marketing and extension officer, Chambal fertilisers and chemical ltd. Chandigarh, India
  • 2008 - 2009 Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture, Khalsa college (Guru Nanak Dev University) Amritsar, India
  • 2006 - 2008 Masters in Agricultural Sciences (Honours) Agronomy, Guru Nanak Dev University, India
  • 2006 Diploma Agri-clinics and Agri-business, National Institute of Agricultural Extension management, Hyderabad, India
  • 2002 - 2006 B.Sc. Agricultural Sciences (Honours), Guru Nanak Dev University, India

Awards

  • John Allwright Fellow (2011-2015)
  • Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR) – Team award 2019
  • Society for Scientific Development in Agriculture and Technology  – Distinguished Scientist Award 2020
  • Shift Prize 2021 (award for transformative agroecological research for development) – Team award
  • Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR)  – Team award 2021

Publications

Publications in the Organic Eprints archive

Publications that are not in the Organic Eprints archive

  • Padhi, S.R., John, R., Bartwal, A., Tripathi, K., Gupta, K., Wankhede, D.P., Mishra, G.P., Kumar, S., Rana, J.C., Riar, A. and Bhardwaj, R., 2022. Development and optimization of NIRS prediction models for simultaneous multi-trait assessment in diverse cowpea germplasm. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, pp.1001551-1001551.
  • Riar, A., Gill, G. and McDonald, G.K., 2020. Rate of nitrogen rather than timing of application influence yield and NUE of canola in south Australian Mediterranean environments. Agronomy, 10(10), p.1505.
  • Riar, A., Gill, G. and McDonald, G., 2020. Different post-sowing nitrogen management approaches required to improve nitrogen and water use efficiency of canola and mustard. Frontiers in plant science, 11, p.1111.
  • Riar, A. and Bhullar, G.S., 2020. Long-term experiments agriculture: stages, challenges, and. Long-Term Farming Systems Research: Ensuring Food Security in Changing Scenarios, p.3.
  • Bhullar GS, Riar A, editors. Long-Term Farming Systems Research: Ensuring Food Security in Changing Scenarios. Academic Press; 2020 May 17.
  • Riar A., Gill G., McDonald G. (2017) ‘Effect of Post-Sowing Nitrogen Management on Canola and Mustard: I. Yield Responses’. Agronomy Journal. DOI: 10.2134/agronj2016.12.0728.
  • Riar A., Gill G. and McDonald G. ‘Effect of post-sowing nitrogen management on Co-limitation of nitrogen and water in canola and mustard’ Field Crops Research, 198 pp 23-31.
  • Coventry D., Poswal R., Yadav A., Riar A., Zhou Y., Kumar A., Chand R., Chhokar R., Sharma R., Yadav V., Gupta R., Mehta A. and Cummins J. 2015. ‘A comparison of farming practices and performance for wheat production in Haryana, India’ Agricultural Systems, 137 pp. 139-153.
  • Coventry D., Poswal R., Yadav A., Gupta R., Duggal B., Chhokar R., Kumar V., Riar A., Gill S., Kumar A., Sharma R., Chand R., Sendhil R., Kleemann S. and Cummins J. 2013, ‘Enhancing farm profitability by growing wheat for Chapatti quality markets in Haryana, India’ African Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 8(48), pp. 6265-6274, DOI: 10.5897/AJAR2013.7262 
  • Riar A. and Coventry D. 2013, ‘Nitrogen use as a component of sustainable crop systems’ In: Bhullar G. and Bhullar N. eds: Agricultural Sustainability: Progress and Prospects in Crop Research, U.K: Elsevier, pp. 63-76.
  • Singh R., Kumar A., Verma R., Chand R., Kumar A. and Riar A. 2012, ‘Policy issues and perception of farmers about malt barley cultivation under contract farming in Haryana’ Journal of Community Mobilization and Sustainable Development, Vol. 7(1), pp. 26-31.
  • Singh R., Coventry D., Sharma R., Gupta R., Chhokar R., Gill S., Kumar A., Yadav A., Riar A., Chand R. and Cummins J. 2012, ‘Effect of Tillage and Nutrient Management on Wheat Yield and Quality in Rice-Wheat Rotation’ In: Singh S., Hanchinal R., Singh G., Sharma R., Tyagi B., Sharma M., Sharma I. eds. Wheat: Productivity Enhancement under Changing Climate, New Delhi: Narosa Publishing House, pp. 212-217.
  • Riar A., Chhina G. and Chatha H. 2011, ‘Response of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) to plant density and mulching in term of growth and rhizomes yield in Northern India’ Progressive Agriculture, Vol. 11(2), pp. 450-452.
  • Singh R., Kumar A., Verma R., Chand R., Kumar A., Riar A. and Singh S. 2011, ‘Scope of malt barley cultivation through contract farming in Punjab’ Progressive Agriculture, Vol. 11(2), pp 390-396.