In a bid to adopt Nano Technology in the agriculture sector, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal asked the concerned state departments to chalk out the modalities for collaborating the with World's top ranking organizations in the field of Nano technology. Badal was reviewing the prospects of the various applications of the Nano technology in the field of Agriculture during a high level meeting with the senior officers of Agriculture and Horticulture departments besides the scientists of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Ludhiana here at Punjab Bhawan on Sunday evening.Emphasizing the dire need to introduce Nano Technology in the agriculture sector, Mr. Badal said that it would not only enhance the crop productivity but also reduce the agricultural input costs drastically. He asked the Scientists of PAU to explore the possibilities of effective implementation of this technology in the state with the help and coordination of world's top Universities like Cornell University (US) and other organizations working in this field.
Appreciating the marvelous efforts of some farmers working on scientific lines in the field of Fisheries and Dairy farming, Mr. Badal reiterated the state government's firm commitment to introduce new technologies in the field of agriculture and allied farming in the state to facilitate the farmers for supplementing their income. He further said that as the productivity of agriculture sector had been considerably reduced with the over use of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides for a long period thus making the soil extremely hard and acidic. Experts in the meeting apprised the chief minister that Nano technology could reduce acidic nature of the soil and attract earth warms to regain its fertility.Referring to the tissue culture research, Mr. Badal approved a plan of Rs 4 crore to be carried out by PAU in two years and asked its scientists to intensify their research work to develop a seed less verity of Kinnow. Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Chairman Punjab State Farmers Commission Dr. GS Kalkat, Principal Secretary to CM Mr. SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar and VC PAU Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon besides other senior officers of the state government.