Science can enhance crop productivity

Speaking at a workshop on ‘Ensuring Food Security and Agriculture Sustainability through advances in Agri-Innovation’ here, he said, “A growing population and climate change have emphasised the need to meet rising food needs by improving crop productivity through innovations in agriculture. Climatic risks are common in Indian agriculture. It has been well documented that crops attain only 25 percent of their yield potential because of the detrimental effects of environmental stress”.

Dutta further said that, work is currently in progress to develop low or high temperature-tolerant crops and submergence tolerance rice.

While the recent floods in Karnataka and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh have caused damages to the extent of Rs 20,000 crore, data available with the IMD shows 2009 as the third worst monsoon year since 1901 with a rainfall deficiency of 23 per cent across the country.