Current Programmes
2.
Biotechnology based programmes for Women
and Rural Development
The
Council continues to implement grass-root applications of
Biotechnology for women and rural development.
The salient biotechnology programmes being undertaken by the Council
for women & rural development include:
2.1
Participation of Dr. Jatinder Kaur Arora, Additional Director
(Biotechnology) in Indo
Croatian Workshop as a member of team of
experts constituted by Deptt. of Science &
Technology, Govt. of
India
The
Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and Ministry of
Science, Education & Sports, Government of Croatia have recently
established a joint fund of € 1 million for bilateral scientific
cooperation, for which a joint declaration has been signed by the
Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and
Croatian Minister of Science, Education & Sports. DST, GOI invited
Dr. J.K. Arora, AD (BT) to be a part of 8-membered team of experts
constituted for participation in the Indo-Croatian Workshop on
“Commercialization & Social Implementation of Science” at Zagreb
on 25-26 October, 2007 to share her experience on commercial and
social implementation of science & technology with reference to
women & rural development. The objective of the workshop was
primarily to give an exposure on science & technology
priorities/strengths of India to the Croatian counterparts to enable
them to chalk out the collaborative programmes. The entire
expenditure for visit of the team was jointly borne by DST, GOI and
the Croatian Government.
2.2 Production
and Promotion of Neem Based Biopesticide as Environment Friendly Biodegradable Alternative to Chemical Pesticides
The Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India has
initiated a national programme titled “Development and Production of
neem Products as Environment Friendly Pesticides” with the support
of United Nations Development (UNDP) / United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO). The objective of this programme
is to promote collection of neem fruit, its processing for neem
biopesticide production and its application thereby aiding waste
land development, generating rural employment especially for women
and providing farmers with eco-friendly biodegradable pesticide.
This project was initially implemented at two locations viz. Nimpith,
West Bengal through Vivekanand Institute of Biotechnology and Nagpur,
Maharashtra through Neem Foundation which yielded encouraging
results. Based on this, Phase II of the project was launched by
the Ministry in 2007 with the involvement of 10
institutions/organizations including PSCST with an objective of
promoting simple technology for neem biopesticide production
standardized under Phase – I of the project, establishment of neem
seed processing units at different locations, field trials as well
as generation of toxicology and shelf life stability data of the
Neem biopesticide for commercialization, through involvement of
Indian Toxicology Research Institute and Institute of Pesticide
Formulation Technology.
The project team from Biotechnology Division of the Council visited
Vivekananda Institute of Biotechnology, West Bengal and Neem
Foundation, Nagpur to get hands-on experience on the technological
details. Subsequently, the following activities have been
undertaken:
·
Training
Workshops / Awareness Programmes
The Council has organized 11 workshops and 22 public contact
programmes till date under the project in collaboration with various
state agencies in different districts of the state. The objective
of these programmes is to sensitize different stakeholders regarding
eco-friendly neem based biopesticide, technological details for its
preparation and application.
·
Neem fruit collection & processing
The preliminary data on abundance of neem in Punjab has been
collected from State Forests Department which indicates that more
than 12 lakh neem trees exist outside forest area in the state and
lists eight districts viz. Bathinda (4.3 lac trees), Faridkot (1.67
lac), Sangrur (1.60 lac), Muktsar (1.10 lac), Mansa (1.09 lac),
Fatehgarh Sahib (0.88 lac), Patiala (0.64 lac) and Moga (0.45 lac)
having dense neem plantation. Thus, neem fruit collection centres
were set up in two villages viz. Kotshamir
& Tungawali of District Bathinda after series of interactions with
village forest committees, local community and their
representatives. About 8 tons of neem fruit could be collected,
depulped and dried with the involvement of rural women.
· Setting up of neem biopesticide production unit
A neem biopesticide production unit comprising depulper, drier,
decorticator and pulverizer has been set up at Science & Technology
Enterpreneurship Park, Patiala. The unit was inaugurated by
Executive Director, PSCST & Director, Thapar University on 31st
October, 2007. On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding for
collaborative programmes as well as a specific agreement pertaining
to Neem Project were also signed between PSCST and STEP.
· Laboratory and
field evaluation of neem biopesticide against major pests of
vegetables
The
Council is collaborating with Department of Entomology, Punjab
Agricultural University (PAU) for carrying out bioassay studies and
field evaluation of the efficacy of Neem Seed Kernel Powder (NSKP)
prepared from indigenous neem plantation. For this, an agreement
has been signed with PAU for collaborative work including lab
evaluation of NSKP against insect pests of vegetables crops i.e.
cole crops (Plutella xylostella; Pieris brassicae), chilli (Bemisia
tabaci), okra (Earias insulana, E. vittella), peas (Ophiomyia
phaseoli), oilseeds (Lipaphis erysimi), wheat & paddy
(pest complex); field evaluation based on lab studies and
integration of NSKP as component of IPM.
The work has already been initiated on cabbage butterfly (P.
brassicae) of cole crops, mustard aphid (L. erysimi) and
Pea stem fly (O. phaseoli). The results pertaining to
efficacy of NSKP for its anti-feedant, insect growth regulatory,
insect mortality, morbidity, oviposition and ovicidal effects are
quite encouraging at concentration as low as 1.25%.
· Evaluation of
diversity in neem fruit / seed procured from different districts of
Punjab
The neem fruit collected from 19 districts of Punjab was analyzed
for phenotypic variation as well as variation in azadirachtin
content. The best phenotypic traits in terms of fruit / seed size &
number of kernels per seed were observed in germplasm of district
Bathinda. The azadirachtin content of various districts ranged
between 0.22 to 0.59% which is comparable to azadirachtin content of
neem seed of other states.
2.3 Promotion of Cultivation & Value Addition through Post
Harvest Processing of Bioresources in Shivalik belt
The
lower Shivalik belt of Punjab called Kandi area is very rich in
natural bioresources and has huge areas that are unfit for precision
farming of food grains and vegetables for higher farm output.
Therefore, the inhabitants have limited sources of income and
migrate to cities for employment. Keeping these region specific
strengths and weaknesses of Kandi area in mind, Department of
Biotechnology , Govt. of India had sanctioned the project titled
“Cultivation & Value Addition through Post Harvest Processing of
Bioresources (medicinal, aromatic & horticultural crops) in Shivalik
belt” to the Council. The project was started in 2004 and
successfully completed in year 2007. In order to ensure
self-sustenance of the project after completion of project tenure,
an agreement was signed with Unnati Cooperative
Marketing-cum-Processing society Limited for operationalization of
the processing unit set up at Talwara w.e.f. 1st April
2007. Since then, the salient achievements and impact thereof has
been as under:
The women and farmer groups were mobilized for cultivation of
medicinal & aromatic plants, harvesting of existing bioresources and
their processing. As amla is one of the major natural bioresource
of the region, 126 MT (90 MT wild and 36 MT varietal) of amla was
got harvested and sorted by mobilizing the local farmers through
involvement of 60 farmer representatives who brought the collective
produce to project site. Some of these further involved additional
workforce i.e. unemployed youth / rural women for harvesting and
sorting of wild amla. About 28 women and 12 men were directly
involved in further processing of amla for production of various
amla based food products. These activities generated job
opportunities of about 6500 mandays.
The products generated are being marketed under ‘Unnati Amla’ brand
name all over Punjab, Delhi, and Bombay. The launching of products
in J&K , Haryana and Himachal is under process. Further, the
products are also being marketed through an outlet at Bombay Picnic
Spot on the way to Mata Chintpurni.
Beside amla products, packaging and marketing of other new products
like Aloe vera juice, bitter gourd juice, bottle gourd juice are in
process and are likely to be launched in the month of July, 2008.
The processing unit is also supplying Amla Murabba (for export) and
Natural Rose syrup to Markfed.
About 15 acre area has been brought under lemongrass and the farmers
extracted 450 Kg of lemongrass oil in the year 2007 and marketed
through Unati that generated revenue of Rs 1.8 lac to them. The
order has also been received for supply of 20 MT of dried lemongrass
leaves worth Rs. 2.0 lac from an Indore based firm and the material
is under process for supply.
As a replicative effect of the unit set up at Talwara, two more amla
& other horticultural produce processing units have come up in the
Kandi belt viz. M/s Bhiwani Herbal Products, VPO Dharmpur Devi,
Block Talwara, Tehsil Mukerian & M/s Mahila Agro Udyog, G.T. Road
Mukerian, Distt. Hoshiarpur. One more unit is being set up by SSM
Self Help Group (comprising about 25 rural women) at Vill. Ramgarh
Sikri, Block Talwara, Distt. Hoshiarpur.
In addition to the aromatic oil extraction unit set up under the
project, two more units have been set up by the farmers on their own
with the technical guidance provided under the project. One of
these units has come up in village Siprian, Block Hajipur, Distt.
Hoshiarpur and the other in Village Paral, Block Fatehpur, Distt
Kangra.
2.4
Solid Waste Management through Vermicomposting
The Council continues to provide technical guidance on Solid Waste
Management through Vermicomposting to various departments /
organizations / individuals. This year, besides conducting a
district level workshop at Fatehabad, Haryana, a series of
lectures-cum-demonstrations were organized in the awareness
programmes conducted by the State Forest Department for the members
of Joint Forest Management Committees, field staff of Forest
Department, villagers and members of Mahila Mandals. Also
about 800 secretaries/ inspectors / members of Primary Agricultural
Cooperative Societies were trained through interactive sessions in
programmes organized by Punjab Institute of Cooperative Training.
2.5
Genetic Literacy Programme
The information on fundamentals of genetic literacy with special
emphasis on genetic disorders was disseminated through radio talks,
giving exposure lectures to presidents, secretaries, inspectors and
members of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies operative at
village level in various districts of the state in 30 training
programmes organized by Punjab Institute of Cooperative Trainings.
The interactive lectures were also delivered to varied target groups
in the training courses organized by National Institute of
Technical Teachers Training & Research, Agricultural Technology
Management Agency (ATMA), Sangrur as well as the educational
institutions .
2.6. Capacity Building on Biosafety Issues.
In the recent past, there has been a rapid increase in R&D as well
as commercial activities involving GMOs. At the same time, there
has also been considerable apprehension and concern about ensuring
safety in use of GMOs, particularly with respect to their handling,
containment and impact on human health and environment. In order to
disseminate information on status, prospects, benefits, risks,
existing regulatory framework and other issues pertaining to GM
crops, the Council has been organizing capacity building programmes
in collaboration with Ministry of Environment & Forests, Department
of Biotechnology, GOI, Biotech Consortium India Ltd., International
Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) etc.
The programmes organized during the year included a North Region
Workshop on biosafety issues for members of State Biotechnology
Coordination Committees, District Level Committees & Institutional
Biosafety Committees; Workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology for the
media and a Regional Workshop on Management & Monitoring of field
trials of Genetically Modified Crops.
Contact Persons:
Dr. J.K. Arora,
jkarora@pscst.com
Dr. Dapinder K. Bakshi,
dkbakshi@pscst.com
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