Second agri-biopark coming up in Andhra

Park proposed on Yogi Vemana University campus in Kadapa.

Yogi Vemana University in Kadapa is setting up an agri-biopark on its campus. The proposed centre will carry out research on dryland crops like millets and sunflower. This is the second agri-biopark in the state after the bigger and functional agri-biopark at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (Icrisat) in Hyderabad.

Speaking to Business Standard, university vice-chancellor A Ramachandra Reddy said the move was aimed at conducting research for seed companies on a symbiotic basis. Work on the proposed centre will start in January.

The university will create facilities for companies to test the hybrids using marker technologies. The Ministry of Industries and Commerce will provide Rs 2.5 crore for the project, which will become fully operational from March 2009.

To begin with, the university would commence a research on sunflower next month for a company, with which it had signed an agreement. The centre will also help clients in scent extraction technologies from flowers besides drawing up research plans for medicinal plant extraction, he said.

The two-year-old university is also firming up plans for germplasm improvement of chrysanthemum in Chittoor, Kurnool and Kadapa districts. Chrysanthemum is a major horticulture crop in these regions. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board is the largest purchaser of this flower, which is used for various sevas for Lord Venkateshwara.

The university, which is offering five-year integrated courses in earth sciences, biotechnology and bioinformatics from last year, has set up an automatic weather system in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). It will soon add a radar, an agro met tower and a super computer to the facility. Isro has provided a grant of Rs 80 lakh for the project.

Meanwhile, the university also plans to develop plants that aid in better extraction of uranium as Kadapa has rich reserves of uranium. “The idea is to work on plants that will absorb the remaining uranium from the dumps and aid in higher yield of uranium after processing,” Reddy said.

With the assistance from the departments of science and technology and biotechnology and other agencies, it has committed funds of Rs 1 crore, which will be released by March end.