The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), located in Mumbai&the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Kashmir has signed a contract for using radiation technologies to enhance agricultural production.
The treaty was signed during a recent trip to BARC Mumbai by the SKUAST-K group of scientists, led by Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai.
The radiation technology would be included in the agricultural sector to help build innovative and different classes of crops by using the method of mutation breeding. This technology will help in prolonging the shelf life of freshly obtained vegetables and fruits and will also help in constructing new crop management technologies for organic agriculture.
The BARC Director Dr. AK Mohanty praised both the institutions for their mutual agreement during an interactive session.
He also stated that Jammu and Kashmir would receive his full support strengthening human capacity in the zone of radioactive technology concerning the advancement of climate-smart improved varieties, particularly crops such as Kala Zeera, the wild tulip of Kashmir, saffron, and other plantations which represent the least amount of variability.
Radiation Technology In Agriculture
For practicing radiation technology safely and for increasing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables that have commercial importance and for delaying the sprouting in shallots, potatoes, and onions in aiding their export from farms of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. AK Mohanty helped the group of scientists in developing protocols.
While communicating with the Director of BARC and his fellow scientists, Prof Ganai highlighted the creation of working teams of scientists in diverse locations of R&D among BARC and SKUAST-K, as well as expressed his desire for organizing a joint National Workshop in the month of July on the subject of radiation technology in agriculture.
