PAU to produce disease-free plants of kinnow
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 15
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has launched a programme to produce disease-free plants of kinnow on the lines of universities abroad, which have made it possible to grow kinnow varieties totally free of disease.

University scientists have been working on the project since January 1999 in their research farms and have now decided to visit fields of kinnow growers who have been incurring losses due to various viral diseases.

Giving this information, Dr A.S. Sandhu, Additional Director, Extension Education (Trg), said that the first step in this direction was taken by procuring virus-free, true-to-type bud-wood from mother block of kinnow being grown at Research and Experimental Centres, Lindcov, University of California (USA), during Janaury, 1999.

At present, around two-year old mother plants from this source have been established in insect-proof screen house as a “foundation block.”

These plants will be schematically used for further establishment of ‘mother-block’ and also for supply to the elite growers and government and other registered nurseries.

Dr Sandhu further said that the propagation of the virus-free kinnow plants was being carried out under strict phyto-sanitary conditions and in screen houses.

Further multiplication of plants has been planned so as to utilise the full potential of limited source of bud-wood from the originally established foundation block.

The supply of plants to the fruit growers will be made from planting season of September, 2002, when 5000 plants will be ready. The production will be steadily increased during the next four years and by September, 2006, about 1 lakh plants will be ready for sale to orchardists.

The Department of Horticulture has also strengthened the nursery production work of other fruit plants at research stations. At present, 3000 plants of litchi and 1000 plants of mango are ready for sale at Fruit Research Station, Gurdaspur, and 5000 plants of ber and 1000 that of amla are available in fruit nurseries at Ludhiana.

The Department of Horticulture, PAU, Ludhiana, has also drawn up a plan to establish mother blocks of different rootstock and scion varieties recommended by the PAU at Ladhowal Seeds Farm to supply true-to-type seed/clonal rootstock and scion but stock of various fruit varieties to government and other registered nurseries.

Training course for farm officers
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 15
A four-day training course on “processing of agricultural products” for Agricultural Development Officers of the Department of Agriculture, Punjab, was organised by the training unit and the Department of Processing and Agricultural Structures of the College of Agricultural Engineering as the chief guest at the time of concluding function of this training course.

He advised the participants to disseminate knowledge gained during the training course to the farmers and villagers. He further told the participants that they could arrange demonstrations regarding post-harvesting technologies at the farmers field in collaboration with the college. The certificates were given to all the officers who attended this training course.

During the programme topics such as cleaners and graders, agro storage of fruits and vegetables, oil milling machinery, industrial complexes, milling machinery, drying and dehydration of fruits and vegetables, cotton ginning machinery, potato chips manufacturing, gur making etc. were discussed during the training period.

Dr A.K. Gupta, Acting Head, Department of Processing and Agricultural Structures, welcomed the chief guest and the participants, Prof P.C. Grover, Senior Extension Specialist of the department read the report of the course.

Opportunities in multimedia
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 15
The Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) has signed an agreement with a Japanese company for the placements of its students who are learning the nuances of graphics, animation and multimedia in the MAAC branch here. Mr Vipul Kant Upadhaya, Managing Director of the Indian Action Plan Ltd (IAP), said this here.

He said the agreement was aimed at exposing students to opportunities in the multimedia industry at the national and international levels.

“There is a vast scope for students in this industry. About 90 per cent of Hollywood movies have some kind of animations or special effects, but only about 15 per cent of Indian movies have these elements. However, the trend of using animations in movies is fast catching up in India and there is a lucrative video-games market spread all over the world,” he said.

Experts said animation business could well be the next sunrise sector of Indian economy as many American and Canadian companies are targeting India for outsourcing their needs. Talent, quality output and lower production cost is diverting animation business from Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan to India. The production cost here is nearly two-thirds of what it is in the USA.

According to the agreement, the IAP would offer placements to those students who would meet quality standards for its in-house requirements. The MAAC is a subdivision of Maya Entertainment Ltd promoted by producer-director Ketan Mehta and actress Deepa Sahi.

Staff celebrate ‘Vishvakarma Jayanti’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 15
The Municipal Mechanical Workers Union (INTUC) organised a function at Rose Garden here today to celebrate Vishvakarma Jayanti. The Mayor, Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, and the MC Commissioner, Mr R.L. Kalsia, were the chief guests. Akhand path of the Ramayana was performed and langar served to the participants.

Mr Balwinder Singh, president of the union, presided over the function, while the Punjab INTUC vice-president, Mr Sundar Lal Mehta, and Dr Shiv Gupta, general secretary, INTUC (Punjab), were the special guests.

Mr Grewal and Mr Kalsia offered their prayers to Lord Vishvakarma and urged the working community to adopt the ideals and religious teachings of Lord Vishvakarma in letter and in spirit.

Mr Mehta advised the workers to work in a dedicated, honest, industrious and sincere manner. He demanded time-bound promotions to the maintenance staff.