Commerce Minister calls for boosting rubber production to counter supply squeeze
Natural rubber cultivation in India is passing through a challenging phase on account of prolonged period of low prices and the domestic production not being able to meet the demands of consuming industry, said Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry.
He was delivering a message through Rubber Board Facebook Live, conducted in connection with the launching of the campaign (Campaign 2020) of the Board to promote self-tapping and low frequency tapping among rubber growers.
CIBA develops product to curb bacterial disease in shrimp hatcheries
At a time when bacterial disease is posing a major threat to shrimp seed production, the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) has developed a bacteriophage-based product that is effective in bio-control of the bacterial diseases in shrimp hatchery settings that would help produce quality shrimp seeds, free from antibiotics.
The ‘phage prophylaxis and therapy’ developed by CIBA is based on bacteriophages, which are viruses that kill only specific disease-causing bacteria and act as therapeutic agents in controlling bacterial infections, according to CIBA scientists. Unlike in the case of antibiotics, bacteriophage therapy has no residual issues and has advantages of being specific to their host bacteria without harming other micro-organisms, they said.
Bioseed partners with IRRI for hybrid rice development
Bioseed — the hybrid seed business of diversified conglomerate DCM Shriram — and the Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have signed a memorandum of agreement which allows the former access to the latter’s world-class research facilities and technical expertise for advancing biotechnology research.
Under the pact, signed by Bioseed South East Asia Executive President Paresh Verma and IRRI Director General Matthew Morell, Bioseed will join the international institute’s Two-Lines Study Group for hybrid rice development, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
