THE INDIAN Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has allocated Rs 5 crore to the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture Technology (CSA) for conducting research on improving seeds of various crops.
The scientists in the university will conduct extensive research to raise the production of hybrid seeds and to enhance the production of quality mushroom and fish in the country under this ‘mega seed project’. The project has been assigned for a year and will have to be completed by the end of 2007.
Vice-chancellor of the university Dr MM Agarwal said that the ICAR had already released Rs 3.5 crore and the research work had been begun by the CSA scientists.
According to Dr Agarwal, the scientists will develop hybrid ‘foundation’ and ‘breeder’ seeds of pulses and other crops. The foundation seeds will be given to the farmers for sowing while the breeder seeds will be distributed by the government in other states for multiplication.
Dr Agarwal further said that the university had selected over a dozen farms in Uttaripura, Dilip Nagar, Araul and Jhansi for developing the new hybrid seed varieties. All the necessary equipment and other farming implements were made available at these farms for carrying out intensive research under the project.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Agarwal further said that the university had selected over a dozen farms in Uttaripura, Dilip Nagar, Araul and Jhansi for developing the new hybrid seed varieties. All the necessary equipment and other farming implements were made available at these farms for carrying out intensive research under the project.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the work on preparing a project promoting bio-technology and food processing activities was underway, he said. The project was sponsored by the US under a joint venture programme titled “US India Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture”. The project is aimed at promoting useful quality research in the field of agriculture.