Former president APJ Abdul Kalam on Monday, exhorted agricultural scientists to direct their research on animal nutrition in an "integrated fashion" to improve the quality of life of the farming community.

"The role of the scientists and technologists should be to direct their research on animal nutrition: Preparedness to combat the challenges in an integrated fashion with the overall rural development and improved quality of life of the farmer as a goal," he said addressing the concluding session of ANA World Conference here.

Kalam said animal husbandry plays an important role for promoting rural economy and animal nutrition should be seen as a sub-set of animal husbandry promotion and environmental upgradation.

Kalam said agricultural scientists should understand the genetic mechanism of the growth of weed and evolve a new variety which can grown with minimum effort, so that it can be converted into feed.

He said the agriculture scientific community can find a method of further enhancing the growth potential of the 'Phalaris minor' through the use of modern bio-technology which can enhance the conversion efficiency of the solar energy by another 50 per cent and double the production of weed-species for feed in a given area.