The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) here has made its own small contribution to help improve the country’s bi-lateral relations with Pakistan.
For, the institute has trained an agriculture student from Pakistan in a highly sophisticated procedure that can help increase success rates of rice and forest tree.
Plant pathologySadia Siddiqui, a postgraduate degree holder in agriculture with specialisation in plant protection, undertook a short-term research project on plant pathology in which she studied a fungi, known as fusarium verticilloids. It secreted a hormone that increased the chances of seed germination and improved the seedling’s growth.
She was chosen through Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), an inter-governmental organisation that has 47 countries as members.
The organisation offered only 20 scholarships for all the countries.
“It is a matter of pride for IFGTB that it is chosen for this fellowship,” said A. Karthikeyan, the IFGTB scientist who guided her.
Explaining Ms. Siddiqui’s work, he said she was trained in isolating the hormone and in identifying the superior strain of the fungi which can be cultured.
She was trained in isolation of ‘Gibberellic acid’ through chromotragraphic techniques and molecular identification of fusarium verticillodies strains. The fungi can then be sprayed on seeds. Ms. Sadia Siddqui took the course between March 31 and September 29.
R.S. Prasanth, Director (in-charge) of IFGTB, congratulated Ms. Sadia Siddiqui and presented the course completion certificate.
First studentThe first international student of the IFGTB was a student from Senegal, Africa, who was awarded a postdoctoral fellow under Dr. Sir C.V. Raman fellowship scheme by the Central Government’s Department of Science and Technology for Africa.