Nanotechnology can help India ensure food security: Scientist

Last Updated: Thu, Apr 01, 2010 15:50 hrs

Nanoscience and nanotechnology can help India ensure food security by incresing crop yields and reducing consumption, an expert in the field said Thursday.

'Nanoscience and nanotechnology can be used to ensure precise supply of water and nutrients to crops, thereby increasing the yield and reducing wastage,' P. Somasundaran, a well known name in the field of nanotechnology, said at a meeting at the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) office here.

'Similarly, suitable use of nanotechnology can also help reduce the amount of food each person needs by ensuring efficient consumption patterns. A third application can be in preventing damage to stored foodgrains,' added Somasundaran, who was conferred the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, this year.

Somasundaran, who teaches at Columbia University in the US, has agreed to chair a task force being set up by the NAFED on use of science and nanotechnology to boost agricultural production and prevent damage to foodgrain, said a NAFED statement.

He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

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