Monday, 9 December 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Friday, 1 November 2013
101st Foundation day of SBI
“Serve as mentors to the young”, Sugarcane scientists urged
A
benefactor is someone who gives money or assistance to a person or a cause. Whereas
a mentor is someone who is a trusted adviser, who trains the young. Sugarcane
scientists should serve as mentors -not as benefactors- to their young
colleagues, Dr N.Krishnakumar IFS., Director of IFGTB (Institute of Forest
Genetics & Tree Breeding), Govt. of India, Coimbatore said here on 30.10.2013.
Delivering the Foundation day
address at the 101st Foundation
day of Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, he lauded the Institute
for its glorious accomplishments in the field of sugarcane breeding.
The challenges of the future in
sugarcane research are numerous and scientists should think together and work together,
he urged. The recent advances like GIS (Geographic Information System),
biotechnology, precision farming, nano technology and similar frontier areas
must be explored. Our research work should always be focused towards nation
building, he added.
Dr.N.V.Nair, Director of Sugarcane
Breeding Institute, in his Presidential address, mentioned that ‘Co’ (Coimbatore canes of SBI) and allied
varieties now occupy about 95 per cent of cane area in our country. Dr.Nair
highlighted the shifting priorities of sugarcane breeding and research. So far,
sugarcane was considered as a sugar-accumulating crop but now it is being perceived as a biomass-
yielding crop. Sugarcane can yield above 100 tonnes of biomass per
hectare per year and ratoonable. Emphasis
is now to exploit the biomass for fuel, he said. While the juice can be
utilized for sugar, the cellulosic biomass can be exploited for ethanol. With
its unmatched genetic resource pool and trained manpower, SBI is marching ahead
in achieving the targets set for the year 2050, Dr.Nair said.
Dr.S.R.Sree Rangaswamy, Former
Director, School of Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, in his
Special address highlighted the importance of sugarcane and the specialty of
the crop. Enlisting the various aspects of genetics and technologies available,
he appealed to SBI scientists to use markers to screen the seedlings so that
the breeding cycle can be shortened.
Two retired scientists of the
Institute were honoured during the occasion.
Saturday, 19 October 2013
New Book on "Improving Sugarcane Productivity in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry"
New Book on
"Improving
Sugarcane Productivity in
Tamil Nadu &
Puducherry"
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Perigreen: Now, Farmers Can Check Water-Level In Soil
Perigreen: Now, Farmers Can Check Water-Level In Soil: To help farmer reduce consumption of water, a scientist from Sugarcane Breeding Institute in the city has developed a soil moisture indic...