GNDU’s remarkable initiative in promoting non-traditional agriculture; boosting bio-economy of state
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Guru Nanak Dev University has established a Centre for Agricultural Research and Innovation (CARI) under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA-II). The centre has been trying to establish a synergistic relationship with various stakeholders like farmers, entrepreneurs and investors to create an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. It will integrate research and outreach education in agriculture, food systems and the environment for establishing ecologically and economically sustainable models of agriculture.
Aligned with the vision of worthy Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Jaspal Singh Sandhu, the centre has successfully developed agrotechnologies for the cultivation of high valued non-traditional crops such as low chilled apple, banana, and saffron at the experimental farm of the centre. The centre has also engaged in development of many successful protocols for in vitro propagation of high valued plants such as G-9 banana, saffron, low chilled apple and elite varieties of sweet potato enriched with beta carotene and anthocyanin. Besides these many medicinal plants which have pharmaceutical importance such as Withania somnifera, Tylophora indica and Rhodiola imbricata are being grown and mass multiplied using the existing plant tissue culture facility. Prof. Sandhu who visited the agriculture farm today said that the adoption of these lab to land technologies will broaden the crop diversity in the region and will provide economic dividends to the farmers and will also promote entrepreneurship in the region.
GNDU’s remarkable initiative in promoting non-traditional agriculture; boosting bio-economy of state. To pursue innovative research in the field of agriculture and allied areas, the centre has also established linkages with top universities and institutions of the world. Recently, the centre has signed MoU with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taiwan; Cornell University, USA; Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Indigram Labs Foundation (ILF)-TBI, New Delhi etc to promote cooperation in teaching, training and innovative research in the field of Agriculture. The centre has also identified a senior expert . Carel Zwinkels for strategic mentoring of the centre to achieve excellence in the field of Agriculture. Partnering with these national and international institutions is surely going to bring new knowledge, technology and opportunities to agriculture and in turn will catalyse the economy of the state and the country at large.
February 24,2022
