IIT Kanpur develops novel nanoparticles to protect rice, other crops from diseases

The team led by Santosh K Misra and Piyush Kumar from the department of biological sciences and bioengineering has developed BioDCM in collaboration with researchers C Kannan and Divya Mishra from ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, and R Balamurugan and Mou Mandal from School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad

A team of researchers of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, (IIT-K) has developed a novel nanoparticle-based bio-degradable-carbonoid-metabolite (BioDCM) that can protect agricultural crops from fungal and bacterial infections.

The team led by Santosh K Misra and Piyush Kumar from the department of biological sciences and bioengineering has developed BioDCM in collaboration with researchers C Kannan and Divya Mishra from ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, and R Balamurugan and Mou Mandal from School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad (HT file)

“The team led by Santosh K Misra and Piyush Kumar from the department of biological sciences and bioengineering has developed BioDCM in collaboration with researchers C Kannan and Divya Mishra from ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, and R Balamurugan and Mou Mandal from the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad,” said an IIT-K press release.

This comes as the second such innovation in the agriculture sector from IIT Kanpur since last year. Last year, out of the 107 patents filed by the institute, one path-breaking invention was the “Bhu-Parikshak” soil-testing device that has proven to significantly reduce time and hassle required for testing soil in the lab.

Adding to that relentless saga of bringing effective innovations to farmers, the invention of these novel nanoparticles would prove to act as shields to protect crops, especially rice crop, from infection and diseases.

Prof Abhay Karandikar, director IIT Kanpur said, “Our institute has undertaken many innovative high-tech projects to help farmers. As the problems faced by the farmers are multi-fold, our efforts also have been relentless to enrich the whole ecosystem of farming in general. In that regard, the invention of these novel nanoparticles would lessen the worries of crop infection and give boost to yield. I congratulate the whole team for their efforts in delivering another boon to the farmers.”