Conventional rice fields in India 🇮🇳 are among the largest agricultural contributors to greenhouse gas emissions—often releasing several tonnes of CO₂-equivalent (tCO₂e) per hectare every year. Methane emissions from continuously flooded rice paddies pose a major challenge for climate mitigation across Asia’s agricultural landscapes.

During a recent visit to ICRISAT Headquarters in Hyderabad, India, Presto Innovations CEO Abdilahi Nuh engaged with leading scientists and researchers to explore advanced regenerative practices designed to reduce these emissions while improving farmer livelihoods.

Modern climate-smart solutions such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD)—a water-saving technique that can reduce methane emissions by up to 40%—combined with biochar integration, are showing strong potential to both enhance soil health and unlock high-integrity carbon credit opportunities for farmers.

Throughout the visit, CEO Abdilahi Nuh met with experts including Dr. Pushpajeet L. Choudhari, Love Kumar Singh, and Dr. Santosh Kale, who are at the forefront of research in dryland agriculture, GHG monitoring, watershed systems, composting, and biochar-based carbon removal.

The discussions highlighted ICRISAT’s pioneering work in living labs, scalable soil health solutions, and climate-resilient farming models that can be replicated across dryland regions—including East Africa.

This engagement marks a significant step in strengthening Presto Innovations’ mission to deliver high-integrity carbon removal, sustainable land restoration, and farmer-centered climate solutions across Africa and beyond.

Together, Presto Innovations and ICRISAT share a common vision: transforming agriculture through science, innovation, and real-world impact.