Can Nanotechnology Provide the Innovations for a Second Green Revolution in Indian Agriculture

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Can Nanotechnology Provide the Innovations for a
Second Green Revolution in Indian Agriculture?
R.Kalpana Sastry, N.H.Rao, Richard Cahoon and
Terry Tucker Cornell University, NY
NAARM, India
Results

• Changing Context
• From green revolution to decline in ag.growth

Possible Themes and Research

• A Road Map for NT in Indian Agriculture
• Develop a database/knowledge base to assess
  applications in agriculture based on
• Areas of research (across various links in
  agri-chain)
• Products
• Methods
• Timeline
• Potential for effective interface with current
  research trends
• Environmental, health and societal implications
• IP and biodiversity related issues
• Assess priorities
• Identify institutional strategies for
• Research, educational, extension, governance and
  regulation

Method
From self-sufficiency to concerns on food
security Is it a technology fatigue?
Missed in early stage of ag-biotech development !
Source Planning Commission, GOI, 2004

• Objective
• Preliminary assessment of potential of
  nanotechnology (NT)
• for sustainable agricultural growth in India
• NT in agriculture is an evolving field
• Has potential to revolutionize agriculture and
  food systems (Roco, 2003 Kuzma and Verhage,
  2006)
• To improve the conditions of the poor (Juma and
  Yee-Cheong, 2005)
• Investments in India over 25 million for next 5
  years
• Need to conceptualize, prioritize and design NT
  research across various links in the
  agriculturalproduction-consumptionvalue chain

• Conclusion
• Nanotechnology could provide the much needed
  trigger for a second green revolution in Indian
  agriculture if the following are emphasized
• Strategic approach to nanotechnology research and
  development across the agricultural value chain.
• Environmentally and socially responsible
  development of the technology.
• Anticipatory design of effective regulatory
  mechanisms and strong governance systems designed
  with involvement of all the stakeholders.
• Ultimate acceptance by the stakeholders.

Priority Research Areas

• Natural resource management
• efficient use of soil, water, energy
  inputs
• Value addition of ag-waste/bio-mass
• Disease diagnosis
• Delivery mechanism in plant-soil-animal
• system
• Tracking biodiversity
• Horticultural /food supply chain
• Food processing/packaging
• Value-addition of ethnic foods
• Protocols for risk assessment/safety
• Education
• Awareness across society (ELSI)
• Developing new genetic types/
• breeds/cultivars

Acknowledgments SM Ilyas, NAARM Lesley Yorke,
Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science
Fulbright Scholar Program IP/CALS, Cornell
University
Fig Source Hartwich et al, 2003
Contact kr273_at_cornell.edu