<p>After encouraging farmers to adopt organic farming, the Bihar government is now exploring how farmers may benefit from nuclear technology, officials said on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>V B Patel, chairman of the horticulture department of Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) at Sabour in Bhagalpur district, said nuclear energy could be used in plant breeding and for developing new varieties. Radiation could be used for mutation, he said.<br />Nuclear energy could also be used to increase the shelf life of vegetables like potatoes and onions, he added.<br /><br />A team of scientists from BAU will visit Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India’s premier nuclear research organisation, in May to explore the possibility of using nuclear energy in agriculture, said Mewa Lal Choudhary, vice chancellor of BAU.<br /><br />Choudhary said BARC scientists have engaged in agricultural research that shows nuclear energy could help increase the shelf life of fruit like mango and litchi for 48 days. <br /><br />The technology could also aid in altering nutrients in banana, thus making for a higher iron content that will be of great use to people with anaemia. <br /><br />The team of scientists visiting BARC from BAU will understand how nuclear energy could be harnessed for agriculture, Choudhary added.<br /><br />An official in chief minister Nitish Kumar’s office said the matter has been of great interest to the CM. <br /><br />“It was Nitish Kumar who took the initiative to hold a workshop here on Tuesday, allowing scientists and experts of BAU to interact with officials from New Delhi-based Department of Atomic Energy and BARC on the use of nuclear energy in agriculture,” the official said.<br /><br />The official said there is no cause for worry in the move to harness nuclear technology to boost agricultural production and expand the shelf life of vegetables and fruit. <br /><br />S F D’Souza, associate director, Bio-Medical Group, Nuclear Agriculture and Bio-Technology, BARC, said nuclear technology could change farming by bringing beneficial changes in seed development, tissue culture and preservation techniques. <br /></p>
<p>After encouraging farmers to adopt organic farming, the Bihar government is now exploring how farmers may benefit from nuclear technology, officials said on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>V B Patel, chairman of the horticulture department of Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) at Sabour in Bhagalpur district, said nuclear energy could be used in plant breeding and for developing new varieties. Radiation could be used for mutation, he said.<br />Nuclear energy could also be used to increase the shelf life of vegetables like potatoes and onions, he added.<br /><br />A team of scientists from BAU will visit Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India’s premier nuclear research organisation, in May to explore the possibility of using nuclear energy in agriculture, said Mewa Lal Choudhary, vice chancellor of BAU.<br /><br />Choudhary said BARC scientists have engaged in agricultural research that shows nuclear energy could help increase the shelf life of fruit like mango and litchi for 48 days. <br /><br />The technology could also aid in altering nutrients in banana, thus making for a higher iron content that will be of great use to people with anaemia. <br /><br />The team of scientists visiting BARC from BAU will understand how nuclear energy could be harnessed for agriculture, Choudhary added.<br /><br />An official in chief minister Nitish Kumar’s office said the matter has been of great interest to the CM. <br /><br />“It was Nitish Kumar who took the initiative to hold a workshop here on Tuesday, allowing scientists and experts of BAU to interact with officials from New Delhi-based Department of Atomic Energy and BARC on the use of nuclear energy in agriculture,” the official said.<br /><br />The official said there is no cause for worry in the move to harness nuclear technology to boost agricultural production and expand the shelf life of vegetables and fruit. <br /><br />S F D’Souza, associate director, Bio-Medical Group, Nuclear Agriculture and Bio-Technology, BARC, said nuclear technology could change farming by bringing beneficial changes in seed development, tissue culture and preservation techniques. <br /></p>