Dr Swaminathan suggests setting up NRN
India’s most renowned agriculture scientist Dr M S Swaminathan today suggested setting up of a national research network ( NRN ) to give a boost to the concept of sustainable agriculture that aims at enhancing food production while maintaining ecological balance.
His suggestion was in response to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "challenge to the scientific community to come forward with specific suggestions" to improve food production during his inaugural address at the 95th Indian Science Congress here yesterday.
Speaking at a plenary session on "Evergreen revolution" or sustainable agriculture, Swaminathan proposed formation of the national network of research institutions, farmers and other concerned which would provide scientific basis to sustainable agriculture methods, delivering several advantages.
"The national network is needed because you require scientific support for evergreen revolution. I want to bring together the major institutions in the important agro ecological regions, for example, the coastal zone, the hill zone, the arid zone and the semi-arid zone, like ICRISAT in Hyderabad and the irrigated zone.
"In all the zones, we can identify the important institutions and form a network, so that they conduct experiments. Interpretation of data will be easy because they form a network. That was in response to the Prime Minister's challenge that during this Congress we should come forward with specific suggestions," Swaminathan said.
India’s most renowned agriculture scientist Dr M S Swaminathan today suggested setting up of a national research network ( NRN ) to give a boost to the concept of sustainable agriculture that aims at enhancing food production while maintaining ecological balance.
His suggestion was in response to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "challenge to the scientific community to come forward with specific suggestions" to improve food production during his inaugural address at the 95th Indian Science Congress here yesterday.
Speaking at a plenary session on "Evergreen revolution" or sustainable agriculture, Swaminathan proposed formation of the national network of research institutions, farmers and other concerned which would provide scientific basis to sustainable agriculture methods, delivering several advantages.
"The national network is needed because you require scientific support for evergreen revolution. I want to bring together the major institutions in the important agro ecological regions, for example, the coastal zone, the hill zone, the arid zone and the semi-arid zone, like ICRISAT in Hyderabad and the irrigated zone.
"In all the zones, we can identify the important institutions and form a network, so that they conduct experiments. Interpretation of data will be easy because they form a network. That was in response to the Prime Minister's challenge that during this Congress we should come forward with specific suggestions," Swaminathan said.