Sunday, October 23, 2016

GM technology is answer for the emerging problems in agriculture sector

'Adoption of GM technology is the answer for emerging problems in agriculture sector,' opined Agriculture Scientist Dr Vasanthkumar Thimakapura. 'Drought resistance varieties are available in GM based. Its high time farmers should adopt scientific methods and should increase their production, quality. If we wont adopt it, country like India will be a big looser,' he alerted.

He was speaking at the symposium on ‘Climate is changing: Food and Agriculture must too’, organised by Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Yuvaraja’s College and World Food Day here on Sunday. 'Adding, GM technology seeds varieties will not cause any harm, and GM crops are more safe than the traditional crops. There is a need of creating awareness among farmers in the regard,' he opined.

Stating agriculture Sector has turned as biggest challenging field down the years, he further stressed the need for research on different crop varieties, which can be easily adoptable to the varying climate changes.

“Scientists should work towards developing simple, reliable and economic forecasting system. There is also need to develop disease resistant, insect resistant, drought resistant, salinity resistant crop varieties, which are adoptable to the varying climate changes and benefits immensely for agriculture scientists.”

'Change in climate pattern also changes the crop dimension. Insects and diseases damage crop due to climate change. Its estimated that about 30 per cent of crops we lost due to insects and diseases.
Weather condition, humidity, temperature, land scarcity, water availability and several other factors have become cause of worrisome today,' he regretted.

He further suggested farmers to grow short term crops like maize, pulses, millets, ragi, and to adopt drip irrigation and construct ponds to conserve water, and adopt measures to increase the ground water level.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jamuna Prakash, Professor, DoS in Food Science and Nutrition, University of Mysore said that though India produces good quantity of food, more than 2 millions people people are suffering rom micro nutritious deficiency.

'The antibiotics used for animals is getting into our body, and people are losing immunity and resistance power. Change in food habit and lie style has also severally affected the health. Al this has led to increasing mortality, increase morbidity, lower work performance,' she underlined.

'Due to improper storage conditions, decreasing area of cultivation, unrestrain pets, changing climate, drought and several others reasons the production is decreasing down the years and today demand and supply have turned major agricultural challenges.
India and China are major rice growers in the world. Following decrease in paddy cultivation it might cause scarcity for rice across the world in future', she added. 

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