A leading space scientist on Thursday observed that fruits of research and development, including those propelled by ISRO, should benefit the farmers for making a leap in agricultural production in the country.
Delivering the key-note address at the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) here on the "tuber crops day", M Chandradathan, Director Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), said surplus production of farm produce was not only vital for food security but also for industrial growth as agriculture provided important raw materials.
Chandradathan noted that though the ISRO was widely known for its successful launches including the Mars Orbiter Mangalyaan, the space agency also played a crucial role in developing technologies that helped farmers.
The success in developing remote sensing applications was a case in point as they helped forecast weather changes and natural disasters like cyclones or excessive rainfall, he said.
Inaugurating the function, Dr George Varghese, Director of the State Council for Science Technology and Environment, said causing stress on earth by excessive use of pesticides and other pollutants would spell doom for agriculture and upset the food security.
Recalling that in the past farmers used to take great care to protect the land they tilled from environmental degradation, he said good practices like organic cultivation should be promoted by scientific institutions.
Presiding over the function, S K Chakrabarti, Director CTCRI, said increasing productivity of tuber crops was vital since they formed a major component of the food basket in the country.
The researches carried out by CTCRI had contributed significantly in increasing the productivity of a variety of tuber crops, which were an important dietary supplement after cereal. The inaugural session was followed by an interaction between scientists and farmers.
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