| Scientists batting for Indian Nano Farming | | | | As per the statistics available, over 1 billion people |
| India is an agricultural economy. So it is natural for | | | | across India and the rest of the world live on one |
| farm scientists in India to twitch their eyebrows if | | | | meal a day, of which nearly 250 million are from |
| a considerable decline in Indian agriculture | | | | India alone. And the top of it, the one meal they |
| production is observed. Indian Farm scientists | | | | get is from left-overs and garbage cans, |
| foresee food scarcity in the impending years | | | | elaborate Dr. Srivastava. By 2020, the agriculture |
| which could prove to be a serious threat to the | | | | industry would need more water for its |
| India and the world economy. According to them | | | | sustenance, however the water availability would |
| the only way to counter this problem is to make | | | | go down by 12 percent, he further added. The |
| rapid progress in the field of nano-biotechnology. | | | | only remedy is to opt for scientific methods and |
| India's top farm scientists who had gathered at | | | | enhance nutrient content in the soil so as to |
| Indian Agriculture Universities Association (IAUA) | | | | fortify the soil that losing its strength to produce. |
| Meet for Vice-Chancellors organized at the | | | | The deteriorating conditions have prompted |
| National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal had | | | | Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, to |
| expressed concerns over the scarcity of food | | | | start research. The university has already set the |
| which according to them would grow into a | | | | stage to counter the crises by setting up one of |
| serious global issue that needs to be tackled | | | | the best nano-biotechnology labs of the country |
| head-on. | | | | and has undertaking some ground-breaking work |
| With the population mounting in Asia and African | | | | on nematodes in the soil. According to PAU |
| regions, the global population is expected to touch | | | | vice-chancellor Dr M S Kang said, Nematoda is the |
| 7.5 billion by 2020 and 9 billion by 2050. Needless | | | | prime culprit that causes crop destruction and that |
| to say, there is an increased need to use scientific | | | | leads to less crop yields. PAU has undertaken a |
| technology to boost agricultural production, | | | | research wherein the fungus is applied to lock in |
| informed Dr B Mishra, vice-chancellor of the | | | | nematodes. |
| Shere-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural | | | | Continual efforts are being made to use |
| Sciences and Technology, Jammu. | | | | nano-technology for better and prudent use of |
| India is known to produce 230 million tones of | | | | fertilizers and pesticides. Technology can be |
| food grains, 149mt of horticulture products, 51 | | | | applied for fast detection of diseases and delivery |
| billion eggs, 7 billion tones of fish and 105 mt of | | | | of fungicides in a proper maneer. This will aid in |
| milk, nonetheless dearth of post-harvest | | | | increased crop production. Likewise in South India, |
| technology leafs to annual loss of Rs.76,000 crore. | | | | Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries |
| Of this, around Rs.52,000 core is reportedly lost in | | | | Sciences University located at Bidar is making use |
| wastage of milk, fish, fruits and vegetables alone, | | | | of new technologies to increase the output of fish |
| informed Dr A K Srivastava, director, National | | | | and other marine species used as food. |
| Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal. | | | | |